Survivors of alleged abuse in Illinois youth detention facilities step forward

CHICAGO– Three men who say they were sexually abused as children while incarcerated in Illinois juvenile detention centers came forward Tuesday as part of a lawsuit detailing decades of disturbing allegations of systemic child abuse.

Calvin McDowell, 37, who claimed he was abused as a teenager by a chaplain at a suburban Chicago youth center, said he didn’t want others to suffer as he did for decades.

“Instead of being cared for, I felt more alone than ever,” McDowell said at a news conference in Chicago. “Out of fear and shame, I hid my secret from the people I loved. I have had nights where I wanted to give up on life.”

The Associated Press typically does not name people who say they were sexually assaulted unless they agree to be identified or decide to tell their stories publicly, as McDowell and two other men who are plaintiffs in the lawsuit have done.

The complaint filed Monday alleges widespread abuse between 1996 and 2017 at nine juvenile detention centers, including gang rape, forced oral sex and abuse of children by corrections staff, sergeants, nurses, therapists, a chaplain and others. Many of the 95 plaintiffs, identified in the lawsuit mostly by their initials, said they were threatened or rewarded for keeping quiet.

The lawsuit follows similar complaints of abuse at juvenile detention centers in New Jersey, California, Maryland and elsewhere.

Ten of the 95 men and women who filed the complaint from Illinois appeared at the news conference.

Jeffery Christian, 36, said he was abused at two different Illinois Youth Centers, including by a counselor who groped him during counseling sessions. His family’s efforts to report the abuse were ignored at the time, he said — a pattern known to the others.

“I want the world to know what happened to me and the rest of the survivors that are with me,” Christian said. “I want to shine a light on the dark times I experienced as a young person.”

As Christian shed tears, another survivor patted him on the back in support. There were nods of agreement and applause as the survivors spoke. Several people said meeting others who had similar harrowing experiences helped them find peace.

The lawsuit alleges that Illinois has failed to supervise, discipline, remove, or investigate alleged abusers, allowing the abuse to continue. The complaint alleges that the abuse occurred at youth centers in locations across the state, including Chicago, St. Charles and Harrisburg. Several detention centers have now been closed.

The lawsuit, filed in the Illinois Court of Claims, names the state of Illinois and its Department of Corrections and Department of Juvenile Justice as defendants. It is seeking damages of about $2 million per plaintiff, the highest amount allowed under the law.

Spokespeople for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who took office in 2019, and the two corrections agencies have said the alleged incidents occurred under former administrations and that all allegations of staff misconduct are “thoroughly investigated.” They did not immediately comment further on Tuesday.

Lawyers who filed the lawsuit say they are skeptical that things have changed.

Attorney Todd Mathews said there are hundreds of other former child inmates in Illinois alleging sexual abuse and he expects to file more lawsuits. Attorney Jerome Block, who has helped bring lawsuits against youth detention centers elsewhere, said states always insist they have the right procedures in place to prevent abuse and that children are safe.

“It’s hard to believe the state when they say there’s no problem right now because that’s what they’ve been saying for the last few decades,” Block said.

Some survivors said they hope legal action will get them more answers, including the names of their alleged abusers.

The lawsuit mentions six alleged repeat offenders who are named. But many others are identified only as their alleged victims remembered them, including through physical descriptions or nicknames.

Stephen Lucas, 36, was about 13 years old when he says he was repeatedly abused and molested by a supervisor at a juvenile facility in the state. He hopes his coming forward will help others.

“I was afraid to share my hardships with those closest to me because I didn’t want to be viewed differently. But participating in the trial has freed a part of me that I have locked away for 22 years,” he said. “I am finally reclaiming what was taken from me all those years ago.”