HARRISBURG — A therapist at a Pennsylvania juvenile detention and rehab claims he faced racial discrimination and retaliation for reporting physical and mental abuse at the facility.
Kenneth Ramirez filed a complaint June 17 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Bureau of Juvenile Justice Services, Youth Forestry Camp #2, Jeremy Kistler, Eric Lennartz, Christopher Kivak and Gregory Swartzlander, alleging Violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Ramirez, an African American and Latino bi-racial male, was hired by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on Oct. 21, 2018, as a therapist at its Youth Forestry Camp #2 location run by the Bureau of Juvenile Services, according to his complaint.
He claims that in January of 2019, he began to notice the employees' "illegal conduct" against the juveniles at the facility including withholding meals as a punishment, unlawful and physical restraints as well as other mental and physical abuse.
Ramirez further claims he reported the abuse through Child Line and that one of the supervisors at the facility, Kistler, became aware of his report. He alleges that he suffered anxiety and depression over the incidents and that his hours were cut, he faced interference to perform his job duties, was not granted accommodations for his disability and even faced assault by a supervisor. He also alleges the Caucasian employees who made reports to Child Line did not face any retaliation. Ramirez claims in September of 2020, he was constructively terminated from his position.
Ramirez seeks monetary relief, trial by jury and all other proper relief. He is represented by Samuel Wilson of The Derek Smith Law Group PLLC in Philadelphia.
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania case number 3:21-CV-01076