The lawyers have already filed the sixth lawsuit against Brighter Path Tuskegee and accuse the youth facility of abuse and neglect.
The lawsuit alleges that a 17-year-old boy experienced physical and emotional abuse by staff and other residents and suffered from a lack of supervision and unsanitary living conditions.
Since at least 2017, the state-run facility responsible for caring for children with mental and behavioral problems has been faced with numerous allegations of abuse.
Because the boy is a minor, he is not named in the lawsuit, but is referred to as MC. The boy’s father is listed as the plaintiff in the case.
The lawsuit alleges that MC received little to no supervision during his time at Brighter Path, alleges that staff instigated fights between residents, and describes an environment where MC had no educational interests.
The lawsuit also alleges that MC suffered numerous injuries at Brighter Path and received no medical care for them.
MC is represented by attorneys from across the state, including Tommy James, Jeremy Knowles, Walter McGowan and Caleb Cunningham.
Brighter Path’s lawyers did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
“This lawsuit underscores the urgent need for reform,” James said in a statement. “The pattern of abuse in these facilities is deeply disturbing and it is time for real change. The safety and well-being of our children should be the top priority, not profit.”
James described the conditions in which MC lived as inhumane.
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“No child should have to endure what this child and others endured in this facility,” James said in the statement. “The conditions and treatment are appalling, and those responsible must be held accountable. It is heartbreaking and enraging to see children subjected to such inhumane treatment.”
James said the goal of the lawsuit is to hold Brighter Path and similar facilities accountable and to get lawmakers to make necessary changes for the benefit of the children in those facilities.
“With this lawsuit, we seek to bring these abuses to light and push for systemic changes that protect our most vulnerable children,” James said in the statement. “This case is about accountability and ensuring that more children do not suffer in these facilities.”
Alex Gladden is the Montgomery Advertiser’s public safety reporter. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @gladlyalex.
