Two former residents of an isolated Washington group home for troubled boys, called a "juvenile Alcatraz" by some who lived there, have filed a federal lawsuit alleging they were physically and sexually abused by staff members and other residents.
The lawsuit against Secret Harbor, filed in U.S. District Court last week, is the latest in a string of allegations that includes at least five other pending lawsuits and 21 other plaintiffs who were residents at the group home, mostly in the 1980s and '90s.
The federal claim accuses Secret Harbor of failing to protect the young residents, many of whom were removed from their families by the state of Washington and placed in the group home for their protection and treatment. Instead, according to their attorneys, they were raped and abused by staff and other residents alike.
Darrell Cochran, whose Seattle law firm filed the lawsuits, believes other victims are out there, many struggling with emotional, psychological or substance abuse problems that can be traced back to their time at the group home, which has operated since 1947 and for decades was located on Cypress Island off the coast of Anacortes.
The Cypress Island facility was sold in 2005, according to Secret Harbor's website.
"I expect there will be more people coming forward over time given the length of time the facility has operated and the enduring nature of the violently sexualized toxic environment that existed there for generations of foster children," Cochran said.
Cochran's latest lawsuit claims Secret Harbor failed to protect the two plaintiffs — identified only by their initials, O.H. and C.D. — when they were placed there while under state care.
Instead, the lawsuit alleges, Secret Harbor "actively endangered them and sacrificed their well-being to protect itself from liability."
O.H., now a Los Angeles resident, alleges he was "subjected to numerous repeated incidents of sexual assault" by both Secret Harbor staff and other residents between 1987 and 1989.
C.D., who now lives in Texas, claims he was sexually abused by other residents and propositioned by a staff member while at Secret Harbor between 1985 and 1990.
Both men said they reported the incidents but were ignored.
According to the claims, Secret Harbor's Cypress Island group home was accessible only by boat and held itself as a facility that could handle troubled boys who had significant behavioral problems and were victims of abuse or abusers themselves.
"It advertised itself as a place where troubled boys could received necessary care and treatment from qualified staff in an idyllic island program setting," the lawsuit alleges.
But the reality, according to the lawsuit, is that Secret Harbor "has a longstanding track record" of abuse by both staff and other residents. The lawsuit claims staff would cover up reported abuse, dismissing the reports as fabrications or blaming the victims, who would be punished with "physical violence or forced child labor."
"The [veneer] of a supportive environment was contradicted by the reality of the program, which former residents refer to as a 'juvenile Alcatraz,' " the lawsuit says, making reference to the former brutal former island prison located in San Francisco Bay.
"Residents lived in fear of staff and other residents, and abuse, sexual, physical and emotional, was rampant," the lawsuit alleges. Victims of abuse were housed with abusers, the lawsuit claims, and the facility was understaffed — especially at night, when a single counselor monitored dormitories housing dozens of residents.
Secret Harbor "regularly hired staff with prior convictions and substance abuse issues," the lawsuit alleges, and workers "endorsed and promoted a culture of sexual abuse, physical violence, fear and coverups."
The lawsuit references one staffer, a former commercial fisher with a history of substance abuse, who worked as a counselor in the 1970s. Residents referred to him as "the strangler" because of his "penchant for choking residents during restraints," according to the lawsuit.
Reports of the man's behavior were ignored, the lawsuit says, and he worked at Secret Harbor "for decades," eventually being promoted to a supervisory role.
"Secret Harbor incident reports show that staff regularly 'slammed' residents to the ground, punched them, shoved them, 'bloodied' them, grabbed them by the throat, and forced residents to do pointless manual labor as punishment for misbehavior," the lawsuit claims. It also states that incident reports from the 1980s contain admissions from staff acknowledging the use of excessive force against young residents.
Jennifer Ryan, Secret Harbor's current president and CEO, said in a statement: "We are aware of the troubling allegations and are working through legal channels to address the situation appropriately and respectfully."
She said the facility works closely with the state Department of Children, Youth and Families "to ensure we adhere to best practices for safety, reporting and hiring procedures.
"Our records demonstrate we have met or exceeded requirements and other standards of care based on prevailing contracts with state agencies," Ryan said.
