Acadia Healthcare Sued over Sexual Abuse in Detroit Treatment Facility

Three sexual abuse survivors allege the Detroit Behavioral Institute, run by Acadia Healthcare, promoted a culture that protected staff from sexual abuse complaints; multiple survivors are coming forward in lawsuit.

Detroit Behavioral Institute (DBI) is the latest Acadia-run facility to face allegations of abuse by three young women who received treatment at DBI, which provides mental health, substance abuse and behavioral treatment to youth placed at the institute through the foster care system. Two Detroit facilities were shut down amid initial allegations of sexual abuse in 2022. Survivors are now sharing their stories and more are expected to come forward.

The plaintiffs allege that their former unit supervisor groomed and sexually abused them while colleagues and staff covered it up. The women claim that the supervisor threatened with more time at DBI or visits to their home addresses when they tried to stop the abuse.

One of the three plaintiffs was pregnant during the abuse. In addition to the abuse and the staff’s role in covering it up, the women claim that they were subjected to punishment and additional physical and psychological abuse for attempting to report the abuse. Abuse allegations involving former DBI residents were reported to Detroit police in the past, which were mentioned in a 2020 report by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica.

If you or a loved one experienced sexual abuse while in a Youth Detention Center or facility, you are not alone and you deserve justice and accountability. Fill out our contact form for a free and confidential evaluation of your potential claim.