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A $100 million legal action has been initiated, alleging child abuse against a 9-year-old patient at the Hawthorn Center, with claims that employees failed to intervene. Filed on Thursday, the lawsuit recounts an incident that transpired on October 18, 2023, at the Walter P. Reuther Psychiatric Hospital in Westland, where the Hawthorn Center is temporarily located during the demolition of its original facility, with plans for a new center underway.
The child, admitted to address mental and emotional challenges, became a victim of assault by a 15-year-old patient, as purportedly evidenced by a video reviewed by Attorney Arnold Reed, representing the child’s family. The lawsuit asserts that multiple staff members not only failed to prevent the assault but actively encouraged it, with allegations that an employee intentionally opened a secured door separating the child and the teen, leading to the brutal attack. Consequently, the child is said to be suffering from psychological distress, emotional trauma, physical injuries, humiliation, and fear.
Arnold Reed expressed shock at the incident, stating, “I have never seen anything like this in my life. The brutal beating of this nine-year-old defenseless child at the hands of a fifteen-year-old resident was encouraged by several adult staff members. They instigated, cheered, and even gyrated in celebration of the instigation of this brutal assault.”
The lawsuit further contends that prior to the beating, the child, while in his room, had his fingers stepped on by a staff member through a secured door, allegedly intentional, with another employee present who failed to report the incident to center management.
CBS News Detroit sought comment from the Hawthorn Center, but no response was received at the time of publishing this article. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), overseeing the hospital, confirmed completion of an investigation by the State Hospital Administration and Office of Recipient Rights. While Reed acknowledges the thoroughness of the investigation, he questions the absence of arrests.
As a result of the investigation, one person was dismissed, another resigned, and a third employee was suspended. It’s noteworthy that the center faced a lawsuit in 2022 related to conducting an active shooter drill without informing patients.
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