Orchard Place treatment facility sued over alleged sexual grooming by employee
(Photo by Getty Images)An Iowa woman is suing a residential treatment facility, alleging an employee sent her messages of a sexual nature while she was living there as a minor.
The woman, identified in court documents only as “Jane Doe,” alleges she lived at Des Moines’ Orchard Place, a residential treatment facility for adolescents, from May 20, 2019, to Aug. 19, 2019. The lawsuit doesn’t cite her age at the time, but indicates she was a minor receiving mental health treatment at the facility.
The lawsuit claims Cody Lee Loew was working in the residential dorms at Orchard Place during Doe’s stay, and that the two of them engaged in “sexual and impermissible non-sexual communications through texts, phone calls and Snapchat messages.”
Loew allegedly stopped communicating with Doe after she was discharged, reportedly sending her into a state of deep depression that resulted in therapy, medication and two failed semesters of high school.
The lawsuit, filed in Polk County District Court, claims Orchard Place was negligent in that it failed to adequately train and supervise its employees, and allowed Loew to “exploit, groom and sexually abuse” Doe. Attorneys for Doe said Tuesday they do not believe the abuse was physical in nature and was largely confined to grooming and cyber activities.
In a written statement about the lawsuit, a spokesperson for Orchard Place stated, “We cannot speak on confidential matters. However, our commitment at Orchard Place is, and will continue to be, for the care and safety of the children we serve. We prioritize safety trainings and meet with staff regularly to ensure protocols are followed and that children feel safe and are being supported.”
Inspection reports for Orchard Place indicate no violations related to staff behavior or sexual abuse have been cited by the state since May 2019 when Doe was first admitted.
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