Associated Press
OLYMPIA — The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington state says it’s suing Grays Harbor County for records related to its juvenile detention facility, following reports that a 15-year-old boy was placed in solitary confinement for eight days last spring.
The lawsuit, filed in Thurston County Superior Court, says the county has unreasonably dragged its feet in producing the records.
The ACLU says it’s investigating possible constitutional violations at the facility. Two juvenile detention officials were docked pay after the treatment of the 15-year-old came to light.
Among the records the ACLU is seeking are policies related to juvenile detention, the practice of restricting diets to punish juvenile offenders, and records related to the 15-year-old’s detention.
The county did not immediately return an email seeking comment. In emails to the ACLU, an administrator claimed a lack of staff was hindering the production of the documents.
