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A new lawsuit claims that a 15-year-old boy was sexually and physically abused while in the care of an Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS)-approved foster home already linked to multiple past abuse allegations, Scott Carroll of The News-Review reported today.
The complaint, filed November 3 in Douglas County Circuit Court, names the State of Oregon and DHS as defendants and seeks $2.6 million in damages. The plaintiff, identified as Z.S. in court filings, is represented by a Portland attorney and currently resides in an Oregon Youth Authority facility.
According to the lawsuit, Z.S. was removed from his biological parents’ custody in 2018, when he was about eight years old. DHS then placed him in a Douglas County foster home where another youth, identified as J.L., also lived. J.L., who was 13 at the time, allegedly sexually abused Z.S., causing long-term psychological and emotional trauma.
The complaint alleges that DHS was aware of Z.S.’s vulnerability as a prior victim of physical and emotional abuse but failed to ensure his safety. The filing claims Z.S. has suffered economic losses, including counseling costs estimated at $100,000, and significant noneconomic damages, including depression, anxiety, sleep disruption, and loss of trust in others.
DHS spokesperson Jake Sunderland said the agency does not comment on ongoing litigation.
This marks the second foster care abuse lawsuit filed against the state in recent weeks. On October 21, another attorney filed a $4 million lawsuit on behalf of a boy who alleges he was sexually abused by another child in a Douglas County foster home where the foster parents allegedly knew of the abuse but failed to intervene.
These new filings follow a string of similar cases in recent years involving alleged abuse at the same Douglas County home. In 2023, Oregon agreed to a $425,000 payout to a boy who said he was physically and sexually abused in the home. In April 2024, the state settled another case for $400,000 involving a second boy with similar allegations. In August 2024, a woman who said she was abused in the same home throughout her childhood settled a lawsuit against the foster parents, who she accused of negligence and emotional harm.
All three prior cases were handled by the same attorney now representing Z.S., who said he expects to file another lawsuit in the coming weeks involving the same foster home. “There are good foster homes out there, in fact I think most of them are good,” he said. “But every now and then you get a home that is not so good, and in those situations you often find multiple instances of abuse.”
Were you or your child harmed in foster care? You may be eligible for compensation. Learn more about taking action against institutions like state agencies with our Institutional Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Guide. You can also get a free, confidential case review via the form below.
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