08/19/2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Meyers & Flowers and Clark Frost Zucchi file lawsuit against Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center for repeated sexual assault of patient.
Chicago, IL – August 6, 2024 – Trial attorneys Criag Brown, Jonathan Mincieli, and Lauren Edmunds of Meyers & Flowers and Kevin Frost of Clark Frost Zucchi recently filed a lawsuit against Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center on behalf of their client Jane Doe. The lawsuit alleges that the 24-year-old patient was repeatedly raped by an employee of the facility while undergoing mental health treatment.
The facility specializes in the treatment of mental health disorders afflicting women and adolescent girls. By voluntarily undertaking the care and treatment of such a vulnerable population, Timberline had a responsibility to protect these women to prevent them from enduring horrific sexual assaults—a responsibility in which they remarkably failed to meet during Doe’s stay in May of 2024.
Jane Doe, who has a history of bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder, sought help at Timberline Knolls for suicidal ideation. She voluntarily checked herself into the facility’s inpatient residential treatment program, expecting to receive treatment in a safe environment. During her stay, a facility employee responsible for monitoring and escorting patients exploited his position of power, granted to him by Timberline, to commit heinous acts against Doe.
The incidents began when the employee instructed Doe to follow him to a meeting space designated for virtual communication with loved ones. Although Doe informed the employee that she had no scheduled meetings, he directed her to another private room. There, he forced himself onto Doe and violently raped her. The employee repeated this horrifying attack several hours later when again, the employee ordered Doe into isolation and raped her for a second time.
After the second traumatic and appalling sexual assault, Doe confided in her roommate, who then reported the incidents to the facility’s staff. Despite these reports, no staff member at Timberline Knolls approached Doe to check on her. The following day, the employee yet again order Doe into isolation and violently raped her for a third time.
Several days later, instead of providing support, Doe was confronted by the lodge director, who accused her of engaging in sexual relations with the staff member. Feeling terrified and alone, Doe requested to leave the facility shortly after meeting with her medical doctor.
“This case highlights a profound failure of the Timberline Knolls facility to protect one of their most vulnerable patients,” said Attorney Brown. “Our client sought treatment in a safe space but was instead subjected to unimaginable trauma and abuse.”
The lawsuit filed against Timberline Knolls by Meyers & Flowers and Clark Frost Zucchi details the multitude of failures of the facility; including its failure to implement and enforce mandatory policies and procedures to prevent sexual assault of patients; failing to properly train employees in sexual assault prevention; failing to provide adequate supervision, monitoring, and control over employees to prevent them from isolating and sexually assaulting vulnerable female patients; failing to act immediately upon learning from Doe's roommate about the first and second attacks, failing to prevent a third assault; and allowing its employee to be repeatedly left alone with Doe despite knowing or reasonably should have known that he was a threat to her.
“This is not the first occurrence of such incidents at Timberline. The facility has had several accusations of sexual assault and should have implemented policies and procedures to prevent these kinds of incidents from ever occurring.” Said Attorney Edmunds. “We are dedicated to seeking justice for our client and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable for their actions.”
Meyers & Flowers is committed to ensuring that Jane Doe receives the justice she deserves and that measures are taken to prevent such atrocities from happening to other vulnerable patients in the future.
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About Meyers & Flowers
Led by Illinois Top 100 Super Lawyer and former President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Peter J. Flowers, the Meyers & Flowers’ team of experienced trial attorneys routinely take on large challenges and succeed. For more than two decades, the firm has represented clients both locally in Chicago and nationally in a full spectrum of cases involving catastrophic personal injuries, sexual abuse, medical malpractice, product liability and corporate litigation.
Contact us today at 630-576-9696 for your free, no obligation case evaluation or click here.
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