Snohomish County sued again over alleged sexual abuse at Denney juvenile jails [View all]

EVERETT — A new lawsuit alleges Snohomish County’s policies and procedural failures are responsible for decades of sexual abuse against incarcerated minors by staff at the county’s juvenile detention facilities.

The complaint was filed on behalf of nine former detainees who report being abused at the juvenile justice center dating back to the 1980s and as recently as 2012, according to documents filed in King County Superior Court on July 7.

The lawsuit brought by Seattle-based law firm Hagens Berman claims the county’s failures to take action at the Denney Juvenile Justice Center and its predecessor, the Denney Youth Center, amount to negligence.

“At all times, Snohomish County was fully aware of the danger that sexual abuse by staff posed to the children in its care,” a portion of the 24-page complaint said. “Nevertheless, Snohomish County failed to implement a variety of popular and statutorily mandated policies and procedures that would have protected these children from such abuse and a lifetime of subsequent pain.”

https://www.heraldnet.com/2026/07/13/snohomish-county-sued-again-over-alleged-sexual-abuse-at-denney-juvenile-jails/