TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Nov 10, 2023

A lawsuit filed last week in Memphis federal court against the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) alleges that two teenage boys with disabilities were denied their constitutional rights while being detained in the DCS-run Wilder Youth Development Center in 2021. The Tennessee Lookout reports that the suit alleges the boys were denied their regular medications, which were prescribed for psychiatric diagnoses. The suit claims that one suffered injuries after being assaulted by fellow inmates and was hospitalized; the other was assaulted by two security guards who joined other youth in an attack and then was denied medical treatment for his injuries. The state announced in October that it is investing millions of dollars into upgrades at the facility.