Thomas J.S. Waxter Children’s Center Sex Abuse Lawsuit
The Thomas J.S. Waxter Children’s Center was a state-run juvenile detention facility for girls in the Baltimore area from the 1960s until 2022. Widespread reports of the traumatizing prison-like environment and abusive staff at the center went ignored for years by Maryland’s Department of Juvenile Services, or DJS. Therefore, generations of young girls suffered from sexual abuse at the hands of guards, counselors, and staff who were supposed to help them. Now, many survivors of abuse at the Waxter Center are coming forward, reporting their abuse and filing civil juvenile detention center sexual abuse lawsuits against the state for its negligence.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
- Before its closure in 2022, the Thomas J.S. Waxter Children’s Center was a state-run juvenile facility for girls in Maryland.
- Maryland’s Department of Juvenile Services is now facing dozens of lawsuits regarding a long-standing, widespread culture of abuse at the Waxter Center, with many former residents alleging they were repeatedly sexually abused while in the state’s care.
- If you or a loved one has suffered from sexual abuse while at the Thomas J.S. Waxter Children’s Center, reach out to Helping Survivors to learn more about your rights and legal options.
What is Thomas J.S. Waxter Children’s Center?
The Waxter Center is located in Laurel, Maryland, serving various counties around the Baltimore area. At its height, Waxter housed up to 165 youths, though it started as a 42-bed facility. Maryland’s Juvenile Justice Monitoring Unit had been calling for the center’s closure since 2007, stating that it would be “virtually impossible” to improve the facility’s conditions enough to make it suitable for a secure detention program. The center finally closed its doors in early 2022.
- What is Thomas J.S. Waxter Children’s Center?
- History of Abuse Allegations at Thomas J.S. Waxter Children’s Center
- Current Lawsuits Against Thomas J.S. Waxter Children’s Center
- Rights and Options for Individuals Impacted by Abuse at Thomas J.S. Waxter Children’s Center
- How a Sexual Abuse Attorney Can Help Today
- Want To Speak With A Lawyer?
History of Abuse Allegations at Thomas J.S. Waxter Children’s Center
Founded over 60 years ago to reform, rehabilitate, and re-socialize troubled youth, the Waxter Center instead became the site of rampant sexual abuse that left many children committed to its care more badly damaged than when they arrived. In 2023, shortly after Maryland’s Child Victims Act went into effect, a group of 50 survivors came forward with accusations of systemic child sexual abuse at Maryland’s juvenile justice facilities. Waxter was one of the primary facilities named in the survivors’ lawsuits.
Despite the countless reports of abuse at the Waxter Center and calls for its closure before 2022, a Prison Rape Elimination Act audit report conducted in 2021 determined that the facility met or exceeded all required standards. However, the report found the facility was not fully in compliance with certain administrative requirements mandating a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual abuse and harassment.
Current Lawsuits Against Thomas J.S. Waxter Children’s Center
Since Maryland’s Child Victims Act eliminated the statute of limitations for civil child sexual abuse lawsuits in 2023, dozens of victims of abuse at the Waxter Center have filed suit against the DJS for its mismanagement of the center, which enabled a culture of abuse.
Some of the most prominent lawsuits regarding abuse at the Waxter Center were filed in October and December 2023.
DECEMBER 2023
In December 2023, 20 women filed a lawsuit against the DJS for sexual abuse they suffered as juveniles at the Waxter Center, alleging that the DJS failed to protect the children in its care from rampant sexual abuse for decades.
The plaintiffs are now 23 to 50 years old and say they were repeatedly sexually abused during their time as children at Waxter. According to the suit, detention officers forced the children in their care to perform sexual acts under threat of solitary confinement, longer incarceration, loss of food, or death.
OCTOBER 2023
A lawsuit filed by 10 plaintiffs in October 2023 alleged that a “culture of abuse” at Waxter made it impossible for children to report abuse. At some point during their childhood, each plaintiff was housed at Waxter under the direct custody of the DJS. The plaintiffs assert that the state’s employees, agents, and third-party contractors used their positions of trust and authority to sexually abuse them, with some plaintiffs facing abuse as young as age nine. The suit accuses the state of gross negligence in supervising, training, and hiring staff, enabling the abuse of minor inmates.
According to the suit, the plaintiffs were detainees at Waxter between 1978 and 2006 when they were between 9 and 18 years old. While residing at the Waxter Center, multiple plaintiffs report that they were told they or their families would be killed if they reported the sexual abuse. The suit also alleges that Waxter guards set up fight clubs between children, forcing them to participate or face further abuse.
Rights and Options for Individuals Impacted by Abuse at Thomas J.S. Waxter Children’s Center
Maryland’s Child Victims Act eliminated the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, but the state also does not have a criminal statute of limitations for the sexual abuse of minors. Thus, if you have suffered from sexual abuse at a Maryland juvenile detention center as a child, you have legal rights and options for pursuing justice, regardless of your age.
An important step in this process is reporting the abuse to law enforcement and the DJS—this allows police to investigate and potentially press charges against perpetrators.
Survivors of child sexual abuse at the Waxter Center and other juvenile detention facilities in Maryland may be entitled to recover financial compensation through a civil lawsuit. A lawsuit also gives survivors the chance to hold the individuals and institutions responsible for their abuse accountable for their actions, granting some sense of closure.
File a Civil Lawsuit Against Thomas J.S. Waxter Children’s Center
Civil lawsuits allow victims to pursue justice and financial compensation, which can cover the costs of medical care and counseling and compensate survivors for their emotional distress and the impacts on their lives.
Filing a lawsuit can also help uncover institutional negligence and push for reform. Because of the Child Victims Act, survivors may still be eligible to file a child sexual abuse lawsuit, even if their abuse occurred years ago.
How a Sexual Abuse Attorney Can Help Today
At Helping Survivors, we are on a mission to help heal, educate, and empower people who have been impacted by sexual assault and abuse. We work to connect survivors with experienced sexual abuse law firms that can file civil lawsuits against the individuals, institutions, and organizations that enabled the abuse to compensate victims for their suffering.
Every survivor’s experience is unique, and what they choose to do afterward is ultimately their choice. We want them to realize that there is no right or wrong answer after experiencing harm. However, if you do decide to assert your legal rights by filing a lawsuit, Helping Survivors can connect you with an experienced attorney specializing in sexual abuse lawsuits.
Contact us for legal help today.
Want To Speak With A Lawyer?
