Snohomish County sued over alleged past sexual abuse at Denney Juvenile Center

A dozen formerly incarcerated youth filed a federal lawsuit against Snohomish County, alleging decades of sexual abuse at the Denney Youth Center and Denney Juvenile Justice Center. The lawsuit, filed in the U. S. District Court for Western Washington, names 20 unidentified individuals accused of enabling the abuse, which reportedly took place between 1986 and 2007. Victims as young as 10 experienced repeated violent assaults and were subjected to coercion, with threats from staff if they reported the incidents.

The complaint states that Snohomish County failed to properly train and supervise its employees, allowing invasive strip searches and inappropriate monitoring during showering. Attorneys emphasize that the abuse represents a systemic failure by the county to ensure the safety of some of Washington's most vulnerable children. The lawsuit seeks accountability for the alleged misconduct and demands changes to prevent future abuse. County representatives have not responded to media inquiries regarding the lawsuit. This case raises significant questions about the treatment of youth in the juvenile justice system.