OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington State has agreed to pay $16.95 million in a landmark child abuse settlement.
Multiple lawsuits filed against the state claim 12 boys were physically and sexually abused when placed at the J Bar D Boys Ranch, a now shuttered facility in Ione.
The boys were placed at the ranch during the late 1970’s to the mid 1980’s and ranged from 10 to 15 years old. In a press release shared by attorneys, the boys were “immediately subjected to rampant sexual and physical abuse by staff and older residents with known deviant behavior.”
According to the lawsuit filed in Thurston County Superior Court, child welfare officials “knew or should have known for some years that the children placed at J Bar D were subjected to sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, physical and emotional abuse, gross indifference and neglect, and deprivation of the most basic human and social services, including the failure to provide necessary counseling, love, affection, and spiritual and personal guidance, such as constituted their most basic personal and human rights.”
The state claims that because the operators of the ranch were the ones abusing the children, therefore they are not responsible. Darrell Cochran, the lead attorney for the 12 plaintiffs, said the state retains custody of a child throughout the duration of their dependency. The state alone are the ones who control the placement of the child, determines proper welfare services are provided and decide when they will be removed from a group home, placed with a new foster family or group home or returned to the group home.Cochran’s team found that not only did the state fail to investigate repeated episodes of reported child abuse, it also failed to make mandatory licensing investigations, verify qualifications of staff and investigate the conditions at J Bar D to determine whether it was a safe place for the children.The boys suffer from permanent emotional physical and mental damage, according to Cochran. “This institutional neglect and horrific abuse the victims suffered never leaves them. But this trial and settlement is a significant step in their healing journeys that will hopefully help bring some closure to them all,” said Cochran.The trial revealed that Washington State Department of Social and Health Service (DSHS) officials failed to take abuse complaints seriously until the summer of 1984, more than five years after initial complaints. DSHS staff also conspired with J Bar D leaders to ignore complaints and the abuse happening due to financial motives and improprieties, according to the press release. “It ran contrary to everything an agency responsible for children should be paying attention to,” said Roy Harrington, a former DSHS regional administrator, “It was unbelievable to me that something would have gone this far without the agency taking the action they should have taken immediately.”J Bar and D staff psychologist, Dave Goodwin, and others knowingly overcharged the state for care and services not provided to the children. DSHS staff refused to talk to the kids or investigate complaints, regularly tipping Goodwin off. Goodwin embezzled at least $100,000 which he spent on vacations, vehicles, an airplane and more, according to attorneys. The state finally acted after repeated demands from the then Pend Oreille County Sheriff Tony Bamonte. He dais he had heard complaints for years and ultimately reached out to the governor’s office as early as 1981, requesting an investigation.J Bar D and their affiliate, Reynolds Creek Boys Ranch near Cusick, had their contracts for group housing revoked in December 1984 after a judge found widespread substandard care and abuse. Subsequently, the company went out of business.“These boys had no choice and no voice. No one was looking out for them when they needed and deserved it most. DSHS disregarded the grave dangers to children at J Bar D, and they suffered horrendous abuses and irreparable harms because of it,” Cochran said.
