GOSHEN — A Hamilton County family has filed a lawsuit against Bashor Children’s Home in Goshen, alleging the facility failed to keep their 13-year-old son safe.
Jane and John Doe of Hamilton County filed the lawsuit on Feb. 17 against Bashor Children’s Home, alleging their son, who has special needs, was sexually assaulted after escaping from the facility.
Bashor Children’s Home is a residential facility that provides services to children, including those with special needs and children from the state’s child welfare system.
The lawsuit alleges their son had a history of running away, yet he was able to escape the facility multiple times, and eventually was sexually assaulted by other children from the facility.
Last year, the 13-year-old went missing from Bashor Children’s Home for more than a day.
“We entrusted this center to give him treatment he desperately needed, and they gave him back to us in a much worse condition than he went, due to their neglect,” said Jane Doe, the child’s mother. “These kids go there for help and they’re getting more trauma. It’s just awful.”
The family’s attorney, Tom Blessing, of Fishers, said the facility was negligent.
"The thing that strikes me is how many red flags and warning signs there were that should have alerted management that our client posed a flight risk for lack of a better term,” Blessing said. “No one has held Bashor accountable for children running away from this campus. We know of one situation where one was sexually abused when leaving campus and we don't want this to happen to another family."
WRTV reached out to Bashor about the lawsuit but we have not yet received a response.
