More Allegations at Oregon Youth Detention Center Paint a Picture of Systemic Abuse
- Dignity 4Patients
- Apr 18
- 3 min read
By Lauren Drake-Oregan Public Broadcasting- 19/04/2025- [MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, US]
New allegations of MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility staff sexually abusing teens in custody are detailed in another lawsuit filed in a U.S. District Court last week.
In the past several months, several allegations of misconduct levied against staff at the Oregon Youth Authority have painted a picture of pervasive sexual abuse of youth placed in the state’s juvenile justice system.
The slew of allegations come shortly after revelations that there was a backlog of thousands of complaints at the youth authority that were investigated, but not reviewed by the agency’s top investigator.
The youth authority is part of the state’s juvenile justice system. It oversees and operates five youth correctional facilities and four transitional facilities, including MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn. The governor fired the head of the Oregon Youth Authority in March.
Norah Van Dusen, one of the attorneys representing seven people suing the Oregon Youth Authority, called it widespread abuse. Until recently, she added, there was seemingly no point to complain since those charged with investigating abuse apparently weren’t doing so.
“It’s known they don’t do anything, why would anyone go to them with a report?” Van Dusen said. “It’s like throwing it into a black hole and it sends the message down that this is tolerated and nothing is going to happen. You end up with staff abusing kids in very obvious ways and not a lot being done to stop it.”
One former Oregon Youth Authority staff member was sentenced last month to five years in prison. Emily Echtenkamp was a mental health and drug treatment counselor at MacLaren youth facility who was convicted of sexually abusing a teenager she was supposed to be trying to help.
Will Howell, a spokesman for the youth authority, said the sexual misconduct “runs completely against our values and commitments to our youth.” He said the agency is continuing to work to “swiftly investigate, and take decisive action when individuals undermine our work.”
Along with the clients Van Dusen’s firm is representing, more than 10 people have filed a lawsuit through another firm alleging a longtime top doctor at MacLaren repeatedly molested boys whose ages ranged from 12-16 at the time. The doctor died in February.
Van Dusen’s latest lawsuit accuses a group life coordinator of grooming and abusing a 16-year-old. It also accuses numerous other supervisors and coworkers who were allegedly aware of the sexual abuse. The teenager is not the only current or former youth accusing the group life staffer of abuse.
One staffer was “known to funnel drugs to other youth residents on (the unit) and to subject them to sexual misconduct,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit also alleges another group life coordinator subjected the same teenager to sexual misconduct, including providing nude and seminude photos of herself.
Van Dusen said it wasn’t uncommon for staff to provide drugs to the kids in their care. Many of the kids in custody were already struggling with substance abuse.
“It was easy to get contraband in and staff knew that and would bring it in,” she said. “It was a ready tool for grooming youth for sexual abuse and we’ve seen that in every case. There is a direct link between contraband and sex abuse.”
Kids convicted of serious crimes before they are 18 years old serve sentences at Oregon Youth Authority facilities. Children as young as 12 can be incarcerated and they can hold them until they turn 24. Some are later transferred to the state’s prison system.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article and were abused in state run medical and health facilities, you can contact Dignity4Patients, whose helpline is open Monday to Thursday, 10am to 4pm.
Dignity4Patients Commentary: Thousands of abuse complaints were filed—and then left unresolved. This didn’t happen by accident. It reflects a system where complaints are treated as liabilities, not red flags. When institutions prioritize self-protection over public duty, abuse isn’t just missed—it is enabled.
