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Image: Clark County, Washington official seal; via Wikimedia Commons Fair Use.
Nearly two dozen people now allege they were sexually abused while detained as children at the Clark County Juvenile Justice Center in Vancouver, Washington.
A plaintiff attorney told KGW that 23 survivors have come forward this year, up from eight who initially sued Clark County in February. The lawsuits accuse the county and its agencies of failing to protect children in their custody from sexual abuse.
The newest claims involve six additional survivors who say they were abused while detained at the facility between 2004 and 2013.
“This type of abuse doesn’t happen once. It doesn’t happen in isolation,” the attorney told KGW.
The growing number of allegations suggests some staff members were able to repeatedly abuse detained youth without being stopped.
Seven Survivors Name the Same County Employee
One employee has been specifically accused by seven survivors, according to the attorney.
Despite those allegations, Clark County offered the employee a promotion this summer.
The county confirmed that the employee accepted a conditional job offer on Aug. 10, 2026. He has not begun the new position because he is currently on leave. The county said he could assume the new job if he is authorized to return to work.
KGW did not identify the employee because he has not been criminally charged.
The attorney said the employee’s reputation and professional record may have made the alleged abuse more difficult to detect.
The allegations against the employee, like the broader claims against Clark County, have not been proven in court. Clark County declined to comment on the pending civil litigation.
Criminal Investigation Is Also Underway
The lawsuits seek civil accountability from Clark County and others allegedly responsible for failing to protect children at the detention facility.
At the same time, law enforcement is conducting a separate investigation.
Two detectives with the Clark County Children’s Justice Center are investigating the allegations to determine whether criminal charges may be warranted.
Clark County describes the Children’s Justice Center as a multidisciplinary program that investigates serious allegations of child sexual and physical abuse and works with law enforcement and prosecutors on potential criminal cases.
The expanding Clark County litigation follows a broader wave of sexual abuse claims involving juvenile detention centers and other youth institutions around the country. Many of those lawsuits focus not only on the alleged conduct of individual employees, but also on whether government agencies failed to identify warning signs, adequately supervise staff or protect children placed in their custody.
Survivors may have legal options not only against the person responsible for the abuse, but also against an institution that failed to protect them.
Learn more about institutional sexual abuse lawsuits and survivor rights.
