Nonprofit Partners File Glen Mills Lawsuit

Our nonprofit partners, Education Law Center and Juvenile Law Center, filed a lawsuit with Dechert LLP on behalf of Glen Mills students against state departments and officials. The suit seeks financial damages on behalf of the many Glen Mills students who were physically abused and deprived of an education. 

An investigation published by the Inquirer this February highlighted horrific instances of abuse and attempts to silence students. When parents or students attempted to report the school, they were threatened with Glen Mills’ prestige and told that the boys would be placed into worse schools. Shortly after the investigation, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) ordered an emergency removal of all boys at the school. Glen Mills’ license subsequently was removed.

The lawsuit does not just attribute responsibility to Glen Mills, but to the entire education system, including DHS and the Office of Children, Youth, and Families for the oversight failure. The DHS flagged Glen Mills for reports of abuse on numerous occasions over the last 5 years, but never took action.

Learn more about the Glen Mills lawsuit at the Philadelphia Inquirer.