CIVIL ACTION FILED AGAINST SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOR SYSTEMIC SEXUAL ABUSE AT JUVENILE DETENTION HALL
Lawsuit Alleges decades of Negligent hiring, Supervision, and Reporting Enabled Repeated Sexual Assault of Minor by Staff Member in Custody
San Diego, CA – A civil lawsuit was filed today by attorneys at Singleton Schreiber, LLP representing a survivor of sexual abuse at the Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Hall. The plaintiff, identified as John Doe, alleges that the County of San Diego and associated institutions knowingly allowed abuse to occur and failed to implement the proper safety measures. The case was filed in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego.
The complaint stated that while John Doe was a minor detained at the facility in 2000, now known as the Youth Transition Campus, he was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a staff member. According to the complaint, John Doe experienced abuse at the Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility around 2000 while he was held at the facility for one week. The complaint adds that for decades the facility was wrought with systemic failures in hiring, oversight, and supervision, and retention of unqualified, unfit and incompetent employees. This resulted in numerous reports over the years of physical and sexual abuse that was normalized and allowed at the Facility.
“This case exposes how institutions tasked with protecting vulnerable youth instead concealed trauma and allowed abuse to flourish,” said Katie Llamas, attorney at Singleton Schreiber. “John Doe’s experience is a tragic example of systemic failures that have gone unaddressed for far too long.”
According to the filing, John Doe and other minors were coerced and abused repeatedly in secluded areas of the detention facility. The lawsuit seeks to hold the County and responsible parties fully accountable for these ongoing and systemic failures. This case adds to a growing number of lawsuits challenging institutional negligence and systemic abuse within juvenile detention centers and calls for greater accountability and reforms to protect vulnerable youth in custody.
“Survivors of institutional child abuse, including John Doe, are often subjected to intimidation intended to keep them silent and prevent them from coming forward,” said Meagan Verschueren of Singleton Schreiber, who represents the plaintiff. “The power and control exercised by institutions over children in their custody creates an overwhelming power imbalance. In John Doe’s case, this culture of fear and secrecy allowed the abuse to go unreported for years. But silence does not equate to healing, and secrecy cannot shield responsible institutions from full accountability.”
Singleton Schreiber is a client-centered law firm, focusing on mass torts/multi-district litigation, fire litigation, personal injury/wrongful death, civil rights, environmental law, insurance bad faith, tribal law, and sex abuse/trafficking. Home to the nation’s largest fire litigation practice, the firm has represented over 30,000 wildfire and explosion victims caused by utilities, government negligence, railroads, and corporate misconduct. Its nationally recognized team has played a leading role in high-profile cases including the 2025 Eaton Fire, 2025 Moss Landing Battery Fire, 2025 Esparto Fireworks Explosion, 2023 Maui Fires, and is also actively litigating wildfire cases throughout New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Oregon, and Washington. They are also pursuing groundbreaking litigation against Tesla for misrepresenting their autopilot system, which recently resulted in a historic verdict. Additionally, the firm advocates for survivors of abuse involving hotel chains in California and Washington. With deep experience in complex claims, the firm is committed to helping individuals, families, and communities recover and rebuild.
