Major Lawsuit Filed After Systemic Child Sexual Abuse Allegations Continue to Mount Against Detroit Behavioral Institute and Its Parent Company Acadia Healthcare, Inc.

 As a result of systemic sexual, physical, and psychological abuse, more than 40 former minor patients of Acadia Healthcare, Inc. (“Acadia”) have retained Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley, PLLC, to seek justice for the devastating trauma they were subjected to as minors at Acadia’s behavioral health facilities in Detroit, Michigan. The abuse occurred at Detroit Behavioral Institute, which had its facilities at 15255 Mayfield Street and 3500 John R. Street in Detroit, MI. This action comes amid mounting legal challenges for Acadia nationwide, which faced nearly $500 million in recent jury awards nationwide related to abuse allegations at other facilities.

The allegations in this case involve a serial predatory staff member, a supervisor, who groomed and sexually abused numerous minor residents he was tasked with protecting. Survivors consistently report their experiences of not only being subjected to sexual abuse or rape, but being viciously retaliated against and punished by the perpetrators and other staff for reporting abuse, including death threats, being called “a rat,” and being physically attacked by staff members or by other residents who were sent by staff.  The three plaintiffs Jane Does 1-3 who are the subject of the first lawsuit filed against Acadia and DBI were all teenagers when they were sexually abused by a male supervisor at the facility. 

This lawsuit demands more than just financial compensation for victims – it seeks to fundamentally transform how behavioral health facilities for minors operate nationwide following a pattern of serious concerns about Acadia facilities and beyond:

“The reprehensible abuse that took place at this facility traumatized and forever changed the lives of these girls. They were sent to the Detroit Behavioral Institute because it marketed itself as a place to nurture and develop children and teens, most of whom had troubled pasts. But what these children experienced instead was the worst kind of abuse, for many in a remote place far from home, where the most senior adults – including a supervisor – were sexually and psychologically abused with total impunity. The supervisor who sexually abused and raped the plaintiffs became so brazen about the abuse that he even dared some victims to report him, knowing that he could rely on his gang of staff colleagues to discredit the victims and cover up the abuse. This egregious case demands more than justice in the civil courts, we hope for criminal prosecutions as well,” said Martin D. Gould, Founding Partner at Stinar Gould Grieo & Hensley and one of the lead counsel on the case.  

“The systemic failures at Acadia facilities represent an unacceptable breach of trust with society's most vulnerable children. Our goal is nothing less than to ensure that profit-driven corporations can no longer prioritize shareholder returns over patient safety when caring for at-risk youth. When it comes to ensuring survivors of sexual abuse obtain justice, it’s critical that legislators ensure fair and just laws are enacted which prohibit perpetrators and bad actors from getting away with such heinous conduct,” said Parker Stinar, Founding Partner at Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley and co-lead counsel on the case.  

The legal team leading these cases, which includes SGGH Founding Partners Martin Gould and Parker Stinar, will host a press conference on Tuesday, March 11, at the Sheraton Detroit Novi Hotel (First Floor – Ballroom A, 21111 Haggerty Road, Novi, MI 48375), where one of the survivors, Jane Doe 1, will be in attendance to share her story and the devastating impact of the abuse. At the press conference, the legal team will discuss:

Former patients of DBI or other Acadia behavioral health facilities with information about abuse are encouraged to contact Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley, PLLC (www.sgghlaw.com) to discuss their legal rights.

Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley 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 hundreds 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 institutions such as University of Michigan (Dr. Robert Anderson), Michigan State University (Dr. Larry Nasser), professional sports teams, Jeffrey Epstein, private and public schools, elite private boarding schools, orphanages, foster care programs, hospitals, mental health facilities, Fortune 500 companies, and numerous religious institutions and related entities. Recent successes include participating in global settlements valued at nearly $3 billion. For more information, visit https://www.sgghlaw.com.