James Abreu v. City Of New York, New York City Administration For Children'S Services f/k/a BUREAU OF CHILD WELFARE, Spofford Juvenile Detention Enter a/k/a/ BRIDGES JUVENILE CENTER

The Spofford Juvenile Detention Center (“Spofford”) was a notorious juvenile detention

facility operated by the City of New York from the late 1950s until its closure in 2011. At

Spofford, children were treated inhumanely in all respects, and this included rampant

sexual abuse of juvenile detainees by correctional officers and staff members. Due to the

City’s policy of locking up children for relatively minor violations or behavioral problems,

many children who simply needed help went straight from difficult home lives into a

traumatizing, prisonlike environment where they were regularly sexually abused. Despite

widespread reports, investigations, and campaigns to close the facility dating back to at

least the 1960s, the City of New York allowed Spofford’s culture of sexual abuse and

brutality to continue unabated.

Causes of Action

CAUSES OF ACTION

COUNT I: VIOLATION OF THE VICTIMS OF GENDER-MOTIVATED VIOLENCE PROTECTION ACT AGAINT ALL DEFENDANTS

COUNT II: NEGLIGENCE AGAINST ALL DEFENDANTS

COUNT III: NEGLIGENT HIRING, SUPERVISION, RETENTION, AND TRAINING AGAINST ALL DEFENDANTS

COUNT IV: BREACH OF STATUTORY DUTY TO REPORT ABUSE UNDER SOCIAL SERVICES LAW §§ 413 AND 420 AGAINST ALL DEFENDANTS

CAUSES OF ACTION

foregoing causes of action.