Behavioral health centers are meant to be sanctuaries of safety, places where vulnerable patients can heal and rebuild their lives. For our teenage client, however, a trusted Jacksonville facility became the setting for an unthinkable betrayal—one that turned a place of care into a place of abuse.

In June 2022, our client—a teen already battling through mental health challenges—was violently assaulted by a mental healthcare technician while under the facility’s care. Three separate attacks, witnessed by staff and captured on surveillance video, left him with severe brain trauma and permanent injuries. Rather than protecting their patient, facility employees tried to cover up the abuse.

Our client’s story is one of extraordinary resilience. Years prior to the abuse, at just 14, he endured a devastating tragedy when he was run over by a stolen vehicle, which shattered his body and forever altered his mental health. With the unwavering love of his family, he began to rebuild his life. His personal history made the acts of abuse in a treatment facility all the more tragic, and deepened Baggett Law’s resolve.