3rd child files lawsuit against Glade Run
An unnamed minor has filed a lawsuit against a Zelienople-based youth services program, claiming negligence resulting in sexual misconduct.
The lawsuit, filed in the Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, is the third suit filed against Glade Run Lutheran Services since borough police investigated allegations of sexual abuse among its residents in 2015.
Bradley Moyer of Pisanchyn Law Firm — which handled the previous cases — is representing a then-13-year-old boy who “was coerced into non consensual sexual acts with their roommate while they should have been under the supervision and care of Glade Run Corporation Defendant’s staff,” according to the suit.
Court documents allege the boy repeatedly was harassed by his roommate to perform oral sex until he had “no choice” and was forced to comply “as there was no staff around to assist.”
Staff were on duty at the time, according to the filing, but slept and “watched television on the job during the overnight shift, instead of watching the children whose lives were in their hands.”
The complaint states that the boy, who is now 19 years old, suffers trauma affecting his psychiatric health and public demeanor from his time at the facility. The acts are alleged to have occurred throughout the summer and fall of 2016.
The civil suit is seeking “reimbursement including all past, current, and/or future wage loss, Life Care Plan, hospital, medical, and psychological expenses in connection” with the boy’s time at Glade Run.
“Prior to summer of 2016, and after that date, Glade Run Corporation had received numerous citations from its regulatory body, knew of instances where staff was doing things that would put children such as (this boy) at risk but did nothing or very little to prevent the continued pattern which led to (him) being assaulted,” the complaint states.