Acadia Healthcare Sex Abuse Lawsuit
Acadia Healthcare Company Inc., the largest stand-alone behavioral health company in the U.S., is the subject of dozens of investigations and lawsuits over allegations of sexual abuse of vulnerable patients at numerous facilities across the country. The allegations highlight a systemic pattern of alleged staff misconduct and institutional abuse at facilities owned by the behavioral health giant, which operates 313 locations in 42 states.
Under state and federal laws, Acadia Healthcare must provide patients with a reasonably safe environment at its behavioral health facilities. Patients who have experienced sexual abuse while residing in Acadia facilities may be eligible to pursue a civil lawsuit to seek financial compensation and hold the institution accountable for the harm that happened to them.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
Survivor Advocate
Allegations of Sexual Abuse at Acadia Healthcare Facilities
While Acadia Healthcare has hundreds of locations nationwide, several have received the bulk of the abuse allegations. Facilities across the Midwest specifically have been the subject of criminal charges and lawsuits by former patients.
Some of the most notorious Acadia Healthcare facilities include the following:
Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center – Lemont, Illinois
In August 2024, a former patient of Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center filed a lawsuit alleging that facility staff sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions. Six months after the suit was filed, Timberline Knolls was permanently closed. This wasn’t the first abuse allegation against Timberline Knolls to surface. The accusations date back to 2018, when a facility counselor was accused of rape by multiple women and ended up facing 62 criminal charges.
Options Behavioral Health Hospital – Lawrence, Indiana
More than a dozen former patients of Options Behavioral Health Hospital have come forward with allegations of sexual assault, abuse, and exploitation at the facility. Since September 2024, at least 10 lawsuits have been filed by patients who say they were drugged into submission and threatened with delayed discharge if they did not allow abuse to continue.
Lakeland Behavioral Health – Springfield, Missouri
In May 2025 alone, 31 former patients filed lawsuits against Lakeland Behavioral Health, alleging they were abused, neglected, and retaliated against while residing at the facility, which mainly treats children.
Detroit Behavioral Institute – Detroit, Michigan
Three former residents of the now-closed Detroit Behavioral Institute filed a lawsuit against the facility in March 2025, alleging that former supervisor Michael Flaniken sexually abused them as minors in 2017 and 2018. The women also assert that other staff condoned or covered up Flaniken’s behavior. As of June 2025, attorneys involved say at least three dozen others who were physically or sexually abused at the institute plan on filing additional lawsuits.
Reported Patterns of Abuse and Neglect
The complaints filed against Acadia Healthcare and its facilities so far contain recurring allegations of sexual misconduct, undertrained staff, unnecessarily delayed discharges, and a general lack of oversight. Acadia has vehemently denied all allegations, accusing patients of “cherry-picking” instances of poor care.
Some of the types of abuse patients have reported experiencing in lawsuits against Acadia include the following:
- Grooming
- Sexual assault
- Rape
- Sexual exploitation
- Staff taking nude photos of patients
- Unauthorized restraints
- Delayed discharge of patients to maximize profit
- Retaliation for reporting abuse
- What is Doctor Sexual Assault?
- Doctor Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Filed Against Kaiser Permanente
- Utah Dr. David Broadbent Accused of Sexual Assault & Misconduct
- Dr. Edsel Sandoval Sexual Abuse Allegations
- Dr. William Thompson Sexual Abuse Allegations
- Dr. Tyler Hurst Sexual Abuse Allegations
- Major Michael Stockin Sexual Abuse Allegations
- New York Dr. Darius Paduch Accused of Sexual Assault & Misconduct
- New York Dr. Cheng Accused of Sexual Assault & Misconduct
- UCLA Gynecologist: Dr. James Heaps Convicted
- Dr. Hadden Lawsuit in New York
Legal Action and Settlements Involving Acadia Healthcare
In recent years, Acadia Healthcare has paid out several multi-million dollar settlements for fraudulent medical billing and patient abuse. In 2023, Acadia agreed to pay $400 million to settle three cases filed against it and a former subsidiary, Youth and Family Centered Services of New Mexico. The lawsuits mirrored criminal proceedings on the same matter—allegations that a foster parent affiliated with the center sexually abused a child.
One year later, Acadia Healthcare agreed to pay nearly $20 million to the government to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing for medically unnecessary inpatient behavioral services that did not meet federal or state regulations. According to the federal Department of Justice, between 2014 and 2017, Acadia knowingly submitted false claims for payment to Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE for unnecessary inpatient services.
The DOJ investigation found that Acadia admitted beneficiaries who were not eligible for inpatient care and failed to properly discharge them when they no longer needed care, leading to “improper and excessive lengths of stay” at facilities in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and Nevada. Additionally, the DOJ found that Acadia had inadequate staffing, training, and supervision, which led to assaults, suicides, and a lack of proper inpatient care.
Legal Rights for Survivors of Institutional Sexual Abuse
Under state and federal law, victims of sexual abuse at health care facilities like those owned by Acadia may have the right to take legal action against the perpetrators of the abuse and the institutions that enabled it. In a sexual assault lawsuit, victims may pursue compensation for pain and suffering, mental anguish, post-traumatic stress disorder, medical bills, therapy costs, loss of earning capacity, and other related expenses.
Survivors can also report the abuse to law enforcement so prosecutors can press charges. However, civil cases have a lower burden of proof than criminal cases, so even if the perpetrator of your abuse was never charged or convicted, you may still be able to successfully pursue a civil suit, especially against an enabling institution.
The deadline for reporting the abuse or filing a civil lawsuit generally varies by the state you live in and your age when the abuse occurred. These deadlines, set by laws called statutes of limitations, give survivors of abuse and prosecutors a set amount of time to take legal action. In recent years, many states have extended or eliminated their statutes of limitations for sexual abuse, especially involving children. Thus, even if the abuse you endured occurred years ago, you may still have legal options.
Helping Survivors is Here to Help
At Helping Survivors, we’re on a mission to help heal, educate, and empower those impacted by institutional sexual assault and abuse. We provide confidential, trauma-informed support to survivors, informing them of their rights and legal options. It’s crucial for every survivor to understand their rights and options after experiencing harm. At Helping Survivors, we work to ensure survivors feel empowered to assert their rights in full confidence.
If you have experienced sexual abuse at Acadia Healthcare and wish to take legal action, we can connect you with an experienced attorney who handles sexual abuse cases. Every attorney we work with provides free consultations and only takes these cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront costs, and you don’t owe anything unless you recover compensation.
Reach Out to Helping Survivors Today
Every survivor’s experience is unique, and what you choose to do after experiencing harm is up to you—there is no right or wrong answer. If you’re wondering whether it’s too late to take legal action, Helping Survivors is here to help. Our resources are free, confidential, and designed to empower you wherever you are in your journey.
To learn more about your rights and options for justice, contact us today.
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