DOJ sues nonprofit for child sex abuse

The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Southwest Key Programs, a Texas-based nonprofit, over allegations of pervasive child sexual abuse and harassment. Southwest Key, the largest housing provider for unaccompanied migrant children in the United States, allowed multiple employees to engage in several forms of sexual contact with children under their care, the DOJ alleged. Undocumented children could stay in one of Southwest Key’s 29 shelters across Texas, Arizona, and California until they were reunited with family or released to a sponsor. The nonprofit received over $3 billion in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to the lawsuit.

How extensive was the abuse? Prosecutors did not give exact numbers on how many children were abused or how many employees were involved, but say the combined shelters can house a total of 6,350 children at any given time. Southwest Key reunified nearly 100,000 children since 2015, the same year prosecutors allege the abuse began. Most children who enter the shelters are between the ages of 13 and 17, according to the nonprofit’s website. Court documents allege employees sexually abused children between the ages of 5 and 17.

The lawsuit detailed over a dozen instances from Southwest Key’s records of children reporting sex abuse and harassment by employees. Prosecutors described just some of the more than 100 reports of abuse and harassment by Southwest Key employees, according to the complaint. Employees engaged children in sexual contact and inappropriate touching, according to the DOJ. Workers also solicited sex acts, nude photos, inappropriate relationships, and sexual comments from the children. Records show that non-abusive workers knew of the inappropriate behavior and failed to intervene, according to the lawsuit. Southwest will face additional charges for failing to protect the children and discouraging them from disclosing the abuse, authorities added.

What relief is the DOJ seeking? The lawsuit seeks monetary damages for the children harmed by the alleged abuse, along with a civil fine. Prosecutors also requested a court order for the nonprofit to take steps to prevent future harassment.

Dig deeper: Read Charissa Koh’s report from 2019 of migrants alleging sexual abuse while staying in U.S. shelters.