NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tennessee state lawmakers are troubled and distressed by the claims of abuse and neglect within the state Department of Children’s Services .
A newly filed class action lawsuit from Disability Rights Tennessee and unnamed children with disabilities who were in DCS custody lays out multiple allegations of physical and psychological abuse.
In part, the plaintiffs claim DCS staff encouraged kids to beat up other kids and were sometimes offered a bounty for it, would deny children basic medical care, and would keep kids with a history of mental health issues in solitary confinement for days or months at a time.
Class action lawsuit alleges DCS knew about ‘violent and abusive measures’ inside facilities
State Rep John Ragan (R-Oak Ridge) co-chairs the Joint Government Operations Committee and said, while they have made some progress with reforming DCS, the stories he read in the lawsuit were unacceptable…