Following an investigation by the Chicago Police Department (COD), the Cook County State's Attorney's Office (CCSAO) filed felony counts of sexual assault against a former mental health counselor at Hartgrove Behavioral Health Hospital, Edmond Rivers, in connection with the repeated sexual abuse of child patients under his care. Rivers is the central figure in four consolidated lawsuits scheduled for trial in February 2026, all filed by Gould Grieco & Hensley, PLLC (GGH).
“This is a long overdue and critical step toward justice for all the survivors who have lived for years with the trauma inflicted upon them by someone they were told they could trust,” said Martin D. Gould, founding partner of GGH. “Edmond Rivers' arrest confirms what our clients and our investigations have been saying for years: that abuse at Hartgrove was not only widespread, but criminal.”
"We appreciate the Cook County State's Attorney's Office for filing charges that acknowledge the criminal nature of this abuse, and we remain committed to pursuing civil accountability for the institutions that enabled it," said Gould.
Rivers’ arrest marks a significant development in the growing legal and public reckoning facing Universal Health Services (UHS), the for-profit parent company that owned, managed and operated Hartgrove Hospital. GGH represents hundreds of former Hartgrove patients who allege they were sexually abused while residing and receiving treatment at Hartgrove Hospital. These include numerous lawsuits pending in litigation, with incidents ranging from the late 1990s through as recently as 2024.
The criminal case against Rivers adds weight to the mounting civil litigation against UHS. In one of the first filed cases, one plaintiff alleges as a child he was raped by male staff — including Rivers — in various areas of the hospital and forced to engage in sexual acts with other minor patients. Several survivors state reports of abuse were either ignored or punished by facility leadership.
“This arrest is just the beginning,” said Mike Grieco, founding partner of GGH. “We believe Rivers operated within an environment that not only tolerated abuse but actively enabled it. That makes Hartgrove and UHS just as accountable.”
The arrest follows a string of damning revelations and legal judgments against UHS, including:
- A $360 million jury verdict involving UHS’s Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents
- A $535 million judgment this spring related to abuse at the Pavilion Behavioral Health System
- A $122 million federal settlement in 2020 over improper patient care practices
- A 2010 University of Illinois-Chicago report finding Hartgrove guilty of “systemic failures” in protecting children
- Ongoing Senate investigations and federal scrutiny of UHS youth facilities
Despite these repeated warnings and legal challenges, UHS has continued to expand, with Hartgrove Hospital currently pursuing a $20 million expansion plan to increase capacity to more than 200 beds — raising renewed concerns about patient safety.
GGH founding partners Martin Gould, Michael Grieco, and Bryce Hensley are leading the litigation team handling these cases and urge any additional survivors or witnesses to come forward.
“This arrest validates what so many survivors have risked so much to share,” said Bryce Hensley, GGH founding partner. “But one arrest is not justice. It’s a start. And we will not stop until every responsible party is held accountable.”
Survivors or family members with information related to abuse at Hartgrove Hospital or other UHS facilities are encouraged to contact Gould Grieco & Hensley, PLLC at www.gghlaw.com to discuss their legal rights and options.
About Gould Grieco & Hensley, PLLC
Gould Grieco & Hensley (GGH) is a boutique national personal injury firm dedicated to advocating for victims of abuse and catastrophic injuries in high-stakes litigation. We pride ourselves on being Innovators of Law and Providers of Justice. Our attorneys have litigated and won cases nationwide, representing thousands of individuals, including thousands of survivors of rape, sexual assault, and childhood sexual abuse in many of the highest profile abuse cases across the country. These cases include claims against private and public institutions such as University of Michigan (Dr. Robert Anderson), Michigan State University (Dr. Larry Nasser), Endeavor Health (Dr. Fabio Ortega), professional sports teams, private and public schools, elite private boarding schools, orphanages, foster care programs, hospitals, mental health facilities, Fortune 500 companies, wealthy individuals (Jeffrey Epstein), and numerous religious institutions and related entities.
Recent successes include participating in global settlements valued at nearly $3 billion, with over $400 million recovered on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse and exploitation in the past 18 months. In addition to securing record recoveries, GGH attorneys have also worked with clients to fought for and secure policy changes, helping protect future generations of children and adults from abuse and exploitation. For example, as part of a recent $21.3 million settlement in the hotel abuse case last year (one of the largest settlements in the country for an individual survivor), the firm also successfully secured policy and training changes for thousands of hotels improving hotel pre-employment screening and safety for hotel guests and employees nationwide.
For more information, visit gghlaw.com.
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