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BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Another person has filed a legal claim against the Idaho Department of Juvenile Correction contending that he was sexually abused by two staffers while incarcerated at a Nampa detention center.
The tort claim, filed Friday, marks the third such claim brought in the past 12 months by a youth formerly held at the Juvenile Correction Center in Nampa.
In the legal document, the youth is called only John Doe III. His attorney, Bruce Skaug, wrote in the claim that the boy was 16 when he was sexually abused in 2009 by two staffers — a woman who worked as a nurse at the detention center and another who worked as a medical assistant intern.
Idaho Department of Juvenile Correction spokesman Jeff Ray says he can't comment on pending litigation, but said that neither of the staffers named in Doe III's tort claim remain employed with the department.
Though the tort claim names both staffers, Idaho state court records indicate that they haven't been charged in connection with the allegations brought by the youth.
In the tort claim, Doe III contends that had been diagnosed with mental health problems when he was incarcerated at the Nampa detention center in 2008. Doe III contends the nurse sexually abused him multiple times in areas of the facility that were hidden from security camera view.
Doe III also says in the tort claim that the nurse intentionally left the nurse's station unlocked to allow him and other juveniles free access to prescription medications, and that she intimidated him by telling him that no one would believe him if he reported the sex abuse.
The former youth also said a medical assistant who was employed at the detention center as an intern from a local vocational school sexually abused him both in the facility and while he was released on six-hour home visits. Both women knew of the other's interactions with Doe III, according to the tort claim, and allegedly argued with each other over their involvement.
Doe III contends that department managers and other employees knew about the nurse's inappropriate interactions with juveniles, but did nothing to protect him.
He also contends that the former superintendent of the facility, Betty Grimm, knew that the medical assistant claimed to have a "sex addiction" that she had discussed with juveniles, but that Grimm failed to take action.
Earlier this year, a different youth represented by the same law firm filed a tort claim against the department alleging that he was sexually abused by two staffers referred to only as Jane L. Doe and Jane H. Doe between 2008 and 2010.
A third youth has filed both a tort claim and a lawsuit against the department alleging that he was sexually abused by the former head of security at the detention center. That woman, Julie McCormack, has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a 15-year-old juvenile offender in connection with that case.
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