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Photo credit: OYA, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46493122
This article contains mentions of sexual abuse. If you or someone you know may be a victim of sexual abuse, confidential support and advice are available at the National Sexual Assault Hotline by calling 800-656-4673, by calling or texting the suicide and crisis lifeline at 988, or through the online texting hotline.
NBC News affiliate KMTR 16 in Eugene reported Friday that Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has placed Joe O’Leary, director of the Oregon Youth Authority (OYA), on immediate administrative leave as an investigation unfolds into issues under review by the agency’s Professional Standards Office (PSO). The decision follows mounting concerns about the agency’s handling of sexual abuse complaints within youth correctional facilities across the state.
To ensure continued oversight, Governor Kotek appointed interim deputy director Jana McLellan as the acting director of OYA.
“Complaints that come to the PSO must be taken seriously and addressed expeditiously. A backlog is unacceptable,” Governor Kotek said. “Oregon youth in the state’s care rely on us to keep them safe and get this right.”
The action comes after six lawsuits alleging sexual abuse at Oregon youth correctional facilities were filed in late 2024.
“What we believe is that this problem is widespread, that it is not just isolated to the staff who are alleged to have sexually abused these youth, but that it goes up the chain and that it is far more pervasive than just these six lawsuits,” said Norah Van Dusen, an attorney with Levi Merrithew Horst PC, the firm representing the plaintiffs.
The Oregon Youth Authority was established as an independent state agency on January 1, 1996, with the mission of protecting the public and reducing crime by holding youth offenders accountable while providing opportunities for rehabilitation in safe environments.
Oregon currently operates five youth correctional facilities and four youth transitional facilities, all classified as close-custody facilities.
Correctional facilities house individuals between the ages of 12 and 25, provided their crimes were committed before turning 18, and they were adjudicated before reaching age 20. Transitional programs aim to reintegrate youth into communities, helping them continue treatment, education, and job training. Some youth are later transferred to Oregon’s adult prison system.
The PSO plays a critical role in identifying and addressing risks to youth in state-run correctional facilities. It administers the OYA Hotline, conducts youth surveys, investigates allegations of staff misconduct, coordinates complaint responses, trains staff, and ensures compliance with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) of 2003.
In December 2019, OYA released findings from a federal survey indicating that Oak Creek Youth Correctional Facility, which houses female residents exclusively, reported rates of sexual abuse twice the national average. OYA officials described the findings as “puzzling.”
A 2023 PREA compliance report for OYA documented 79 reports of sexual misconduct or harassment within its facilities:
- 5 reports of youth-to-youth non-consensual sexual acts
- 32 reports of youth-to-youth abusive sexual contact
- 9 reports of staff-to-youth sexual misconduct
- 4 reports of staff-to-youth sexual harassment
- 29 reports of youth-to-youth sexual harassment
Of these 79 cases, 35 were substantiated following investigations. The data also showed a troubling rise in reported incidents. In 2022, OYA recorded 45 reports of sexual abuse, 18 of which were substantiated. This marked a 75.5% increase in reports compared to the previous year.
Among Oregon’s nine youth correctional facilities, two house female residents, while the remainder serve male detainees. The female facilities have reported nine incidents of sexual abuse since 2014.
According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, eight out of ten rapes are committed by someone known to the victim. Additionally, 93% of juvenile victims who reported sexual abuse to law enforcement knew the perpetrator.
