3 former residents allege they were abused as teens at a state-run juvenile home in Wyoming
Three former residents of a state-run juvenile home for boys in Wyoming allege in a federal lawsuit that they were abused.
Three former residents of a state-run juvenile home for boys in Wyoming allege in a federal lawsuit that they were placed in solitary confinement for extended periods of time, in one case for 45 days, held in restraint chairs for hours and deprived of food.
They allege in the lawsuit filed Monday in Wyoming District Court that while they were teenagers in custody of the Wyoming Boys’ School, they suffered cruel and harsh punishments, including being strapped to a restraint chair for up to 12 hours at a time. The special high-backed chairs are equipped with straps to restrain combative or destructive detainees.
The lawsuit was filed against the Wyoming Department of Family Services, which oversees the school for “delinquent” boys, the school itself and several school employees.
Although the school has not said publicly why the teens were placed in solitary confinement or held in restraint chairs, they never exhibited behavior that warranted such harsh punishment, said Denver-based attorney Ciara Anderson, who is part of a team of lawyers representing the boys and their parents.
“It is astonishing that the abuses our clients suffered have been shielded from the public’s knowledge for so long,” Anderson said. “No human being should be subjected to solitary confinement.”
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