Lawsuit: 9-year-old boy was abused at now-closed youth home

ZELIENOPLE. Pa. — A new lawsuit has been filed against a now-shuttered Butler County youth home with a troubled history after allegations that a young child was sexually abused there.

Glade Run Lutheran Services closed in 2015 amid several abuse claims that were reported to the state's Department of Human Services.

A lawsuit was settled a month ago on behalf of another sexual assault victim.

"He is in counseling, his family has done the best to get treatment and that's why we brought this cause of action," said Michael Pisanchyn, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of a 14-year-old boy and his family.

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It claims Glade Run Lutheran Services allowed the boy, who is referred to as John Doe, to be subjected to repeated sexual assaults by the residents.

The alleged victim was 9 years old at the time of the alleged abuse.

He was in Glade Run's care from November 2013 through May 2015.

The lawsuit claims John Doe "suffered serious physical and psychological abuse over an extended period of time."

"John Doe" was taken to a hospital May 19, 2014, when it was revealed he was assaulted with a plastic sword.

The lawsuit also claims staffers at the youth home ignored John Doe's pleas for help with many overnight employees watching television or sleeping instead of watching over the children.

"It is believed and averred that John Doe was subject to repeated sexual assaults from multiple residents at Glade Run during his time there, while unsupervised by staff, where he would be coerced or forced into gang-sex acts in the laundry room and other places at Glade Run."

"In an ideal world, what we'd ask for is a magic wand to put the child back to the same place the child was before being violently sexually assaulted," Pisanchyn said. "But, unfortunately that's not plausible. The only thing we can request is money damages to try and help him with the harm he's going to ... experience for the rest of his life."

Cox Media Group