PITTSBURGH – A man formerly housed at the George Junior Republic rehabilitation and treatment center alleges he was subjected to sexual abuse by one of his female counselors there in 2015, when he was just 16 years old.
K.M.J. of Wilkes-Barre filed suit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on April 7 versus George Junior Republic, George Junior Republic Realty, George Junior Republic in Pennsylvania, all of Grove City, plus George Junior Republic in Indiana, Inc., of Columbus, Ind.
According to the suit, George Junior receives “clients” as part of a referral program wherein delinquent youths are legally sent to a specific George Junior facility as part of a rehabilitation or treatment process. George Junior conducts a Prospective Client Interview which includes the reason for the referral and determines, based on other factors, whether the client is fit for the recommended program.
George Junior is a treatment center that serves almost exclusively legally referred clients and had numerous facilities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with a corporate headquarters in Chester County.
“Plaintiff was court-ordered to reside at George Junior Republic. At all times relevant hereto, plaintiff was a victim of sexual abuse during his time at defendant George Junior’s facility by its staff members, including Jennifer. Plaintiff avers defendant knew or should have known that its employee(s) had committed acts of abuse upon one or more of the other residents of its facility(ies) prior to the time that plaintiff herein was subjected to the acts of sexual abuse that are the subject of this filing. Plaintiff describes the following incidents involving sexual assault while he was housed at the defendant’s facility,” the suit says.
“Plaintiff was court-ordered from to reside at the defendant’s facility in approximately 2015, when he was about 16 years old. At all times material hereto, Jennifer was a staff and/or teacher and/or counselor and/or ostensible agent at/of George Junior Republic. Plaintiff does not recall the exact dates he was assaulted by Jennifer, yet avers it was during his residency. Plaintiff was forced to engage in oral sex with Jennifer. Jennifer placed her mouth onto plaintiff’s penis. While sucking on plaintiff’s penis, Jennifer said to plaintiff, ‘If he was good maybe he could get some more.”
The suit adds that the physical contact made with the plaintiff’s genitals was “indecent contact for the purpose of arousing the aforementioned individual.”
“As the sole, direct, legal and proximate result of the negligence of defendant at the George Junior Republic facility, as aforesaid, plaintiff has suffered the following injuries: Plaintiff’s social ability has been injured to the extent that plaintiff cannot, or has difficulty with maintaining trust of others, forming friendships and relationships, and continues to isolate himself, and the plaintiff was deprived of educational opportunities by the defendant,” the suit states.
“As the sole, direct, legal, and proximate result of the negligence of defendant at the George Junior Republic facility, as aforesaid, plaintiff has suffered the following damages: Immense on-going embarrassment and humiliation, loss of self-esteem and shame, emotional distress, nightmares, loss of sleep, anxiety and other physical manifestations of the injuries caused by the events described above, aggravation and/or exacerbation of pre-existing mental anguish and trauma, severe mental anguish and trauma, anxiety, depression, nausea and loss of sleep, a loss of enjoyment of life, a loss of the ability to form relationships and inability to trust others, a loss of earnings and earning capacity during those periods, plaintiff was unable to work due to trauma and loss of educational opportunities.”
The George Junior Republic defendants have currently been named in 42 cases in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, 24 of which were filed on April 7.
For counts of negligence, negligent supervision, negligent hiring and retention, negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional infliction of emotional distress, respondeat superior liability, breach of fiduciary duty, denial of educational opportunities and gross negligence, the plaintiff is seeking damages, individually, jointly and severally, in excess of $75,000, exclusive of pre-judgment interest, costs and damages for pre-judgment delay, punitive damages and such other legal and equitable relief as the Court deems appropriate.
The plaintiff is represented by David Wesley Cornish of Cornerstone Legal Group, in Philadelphia.
The defendants have not yet obtained legal counsel.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas case GD-23-004779
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com