“The Justice Division has filed a lawsuit towards Southwest Key Applications Inc. (Southwest Key), a Texas-based nonprofit that gives housing to unaccompanied youngsters who’re encountered on the southern land border of america. The lawsuit alleges that Southwest Key, by means of its staff, has engaged in a sample or observe of sexual abuse and harassment of unaccompanied youngsters in Southwest Key shelters in violation of the Honest Housing Act.
“Sexual harassment of kids in residential shelters, the place a baby ought to be protected and safe, is abusive, dehumanizing and illegal,” stated Assistant Lawyer Normal Kristen Clarke of the Justice Division’s Civil Rights Division. “Sexual abuse of kids is a disaster that we are able to’t ignore or flip a blind eye to. This lawsuit seeks aid for kids who’ve been abused and harmed, and significant reforms to make sure no little one in these shelters is ever subjected to sexual abuse once more.”
“HHS has a zero-tolerance coverage for all types of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, inappropriate sexual habits, and discrimination,” stated U.S. Division of Well being and Human Companies (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra. “The U.S. Division of Justice’s criticism towards Southwest Key raises critical sample or observe issues. HHS will proceed to work with the Justice Division and oversight companies to carry its care-giving applications like Southwest Key accountable. And we’ll proceed to carefully consider our task of kids into care-giving applications to make sure the protection and well-being of each little one in HHS custody.”
“Each little one has the fitting to really feel protected and safe of their dwelling, together with in shelter care,” stated U.S. Lawyer Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “This lawsuit seeks to supply a pathway for justice and therapeutic for these youngsters, who’re among the many most susceptible in our society.”
“Seeking the American Dream, youngsters usually endure perilous journeys on their migration north to the southern border,” stated U.S. Lawyer Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “The sexual harassment alleged within the criticism would destroy any little one’s sense of security, turning what was an American Dream right into a nightmare. We stay up for working along with the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the Western District of Texas to supply justice for the victims who allegedly suffered hurt in Southwest Key’s shelters.”
Southwest Key operates 29 shelters that present non permanent housing for unaccompanied youngsters in Texas, Arizona and California, and is the biggest housing supplier for unaccompanied youngsters in america. Southwest Key receives grants from the HHS Workplace of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to supply housing and different look after unaccompanied youngsters at these shelters. Unaccompanied youngsters are minors who enter america with out dad and mom or different authorized guardians and with out lawful immigration standing in america. The shelters are the kids’s properties till they’re reunited with their instant households or positioned with a relative or different vetted sponsor whereas their immigration circumstances proceed.
The lawsuit, filed yesterday within the U.S. District Courtroom for the Western District of Texas, alleges that, from 2015 by means of at the least 2023, a number of Southwest Key staff subjected youngsters of their care to extreme or pervasive sexual harassment that has included, amongst different issues, sexual contact and inappropriate touching, solicitation of intercourse acts, solicitation of nude pictures, entreaties for inappropriate relationships and sexual feedback. The criticism additional alleges that Southwest Key took inadequate motion to forestall sexual harassment of the kids in its care, did not persistently observe federal necessities for stopping, detecting and reporting abuse together with sexual harassment, did not take acceptable or ample motion to guard the kids in its care and discouraged youngsters from disclosing sexual harassment in violation of federal necessities, regardless of ORR having issued a number of corrective actions to Southwest Key.
The division’s lawsuit seeks financial damages to compensate the kids harmed by the alleged harassment, a civil penalty to vindicate the general public curiosity and a courtroom order barring future discrimination and requiring Southwest Key to take acceptable steps to forestall such harassment sooner or later.
People who imagine that they might have been victims of sexual harassment or abuse at Southwest Key shelters or who produce other data that could be related to this case, could contact the Justice Division’s housing discrimination tip line at 1-833-591-0291. For Spanish dial “2”; then dial “2” for sexual harassment circumstances; and dial “3” for the Southwest Key lawsuit mailbox. For English dial “1”; then dial “2” for sexual harassment circumstances; and dial “9” for the Southwest Key lawsuit mailbox. People may also electronic mail the Justice Division at southwest.key@usdoj.gov or report by means of our on-line portal at civilrights.justice.gov/link/southwestkey.”
