This page will look at sex abuse lawsuits against the Timberline Knolls residential treatment facility in Illinois. Anyone who was sexually abused or assaulted at Timberline Knolls may bring a civil lawsuit and seek financial compensation.
If you are a victim, contact our sex abuse lawyers today at 800-553-8082 or contact us online.
Timberline Knolls
Timberline Knolls is an inpatient or “residential” mental health treatment center for women located in Lemont, Illinois. Timberline Knolls offers treatment for women and girls starting as young as age 12. Timberline Knolls offers intensive residential treatment for a variety of mental health-related disorders, including eating disorders, drug addiction, trauma, and other problems.
The Timberline Knolls residential facility sits on 43 wooded acres in Lemont, Illinois, in the western suburbs of Chicago. The facility is very well maintained and it is supposed to offer a sense of calm and peace to help patients with their recovery.
The professional staff at Timberline Knolls includes psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. There is also a large non-professional staff that helps maintain the facility and monitor and care for the residential patients.
History of Sexual Abuse at Timberline Knolls
In recent years, Timberline Knolls has faced a growing number of allegations involving sexual abuse of patients. Most of these allegations have involved claims of inappropriate relationships between residents and staff members. Some of the incidents have involved sexual abuse of minor residents and/or sexual assaults committed by staff members. These allegations have led to various investigative reports detailing how staff members at Timberline Knolls have preyed on vulnerable residents at the facility.
In June 2024, a major congressional investigation report was released by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee regarding the problem of abuse at residential treatment facilities like Timberline Knolls. The Senate report focused on the major healthcare companies that own and profit from these treatment facilities, such as Acadia Healthcare, which owns Timberline Knolls. The report suggests that there is a systemic sexual abuse problem at these facilities.
Sexual abuse at Timberline Knolls has been a rampant problem that most likely involved numerous staff members at the facility over the years. There are at least 2 individual staff members, however, who have been specifically identified in civil lawsuits or criminal indictments: Erick Hampton and Mike Jacksa.
Erick Hampton
In August 2024, a civil lawsuit was filed against Timberline Knolls alleging that a staff member named Erick Hampton sexually assaulted a 24-year-old resident patient at the facility. The victim was in the facility for treatment for her bipolar disorder. The lawsuit claims that Hampton sexually assaulted her on 3 separate occasions.
The victim claims that she reported the sexual assault to administrators at Timberline Knolls, but no action was taken against Hampton. Instead, she claims that she was falsely accused of having a sexual relationship with another staff member which forced her to leave the facility.
Mike Jacksa
In 2019, another Timberline Knolls staff member, Mike Jacksa, was criminally charged with sexually abusing 6 female patients at the facility. Despite the emergence of allegations, Timberline officials waited three weeks before notifying law enforcement. In the interim, Jacksa was suspended and reinstated twice after internal investigations. Once police became involved, Jacksa was suspended a third time and eventually fired.
Police reports state that when Timberline staff discovered a patient’s journal describing her sexual encounters with Mike Jacksa, they confronted her while he was present. This confrontation caused the patient severe emotional distress, leading to a self-harm attempt and subsequent hospitalization. Standard treatment protocols stress that individuals reporting sexual crimes should never be made to recount their experiences in front of the alleged perpetrator, underscoring a significant breach of procedure.
Timberline Knolls Is Part of a Larger Problem with Acadia
Acadia Healthcare owns Timberline Knolls. It is one of the largest providers of behavioral health services in the United States, operating over 200 facilities across the country, including residential treatment centers, psychiatric hospitals, and outpatient programs. It offers care for individuals with mental health issues, substance use disorders, and other behavioral challenges.
Acadia Healthcare has faced increasing scrutiny and legal challenges over allegations that it has failed to adequately protect residents at many of its facilities from sexual abuse and other forms of mistreatment. Specifically, numerous abuse lawsuits and investigations have surfaced, claiming that Acadia’s facilities have not taken sufficient measures to prevent sexual abuse by staff members or other residents. These allegations point to systemic failures in monitoring, reporting, and responding to abuse claims, raising concerns about the company’s ability to ensure a safe environment for vulnerable populations.
Key Allegations Against Acadia Healthcare Facilities
- Failure to Monitor Staff: In many lawsuits, Acadia facilities have been accused of not properly vetting or monitoring staff members who interact with patients. In some cases, staff members who have been accused of inappropriate behavior or abuse were allowed to continue working, leading to further harm to residents.
- Delayed Reporting: Acadia facilities have been criticized for delaying the reporting of sexual abuse allegations to law enforcement or appropriate authorities. In some instances, internal investigations were slow, and victims were left to endure continued abuse.
- Inadequate Response to Abuse Claims: There have been numerous claims that Acadia facilities failed to take appropriate action when residents reported abuse. Instead of promptly addressing allegations and removing the accused individuals, there have been reports of staff being suspended or reinstated multiple times, as in the case of Timberline Knolls and former staff member Mike Jacksa.
- Unsafe Resident-to-Resident Environment: Besides abuse by staff, some allegations suggest that Acadia facilities have not done enough to prevent sexual assaults between residents. Lack of proper supervision, failure to separate high-risk individuals, and insufficient staff training have all contributed to unsafe environments where vulnerable residents are at greater risk of harm.
- Systemic Issues of Understaffing: Understaffing is another key issue that has been highlighted in legal complaints. When facilities are understaffed, monitoring of patients becomes lax, and incidents of abuse and neglect become more likely. This systemic problem has been linked to the profit-driven model that some critics say prioritizes revenue over patient care.
These patterns of allegations indicate that the abuse occurring in Timberline Knolls may not be isolated incidents but part of a broader issue of negligence in doing what must be done – including giving up some of Acadia’s profits – to protect this high-risk population from harm. The company’s failure to ensure a safe environment for patients, many of whom are already vulnerable due to their mental health or addiction struggles, has led to significant legal action, public scrutiny, and calls for reform.
Timberline Knolls’ Response to Allegations and Safety Measures
Timberline Knolls’ defense to these allegations is actually not “deny deny deny.” In response to the claims of sexual abuse, Timberline Knolls has publicly acknowledged the need for greater oversight and stricter protocols. The facility says it has implemented new safety measures designed to protect residents, including enhanced staff training, stricter hiring processes, and increased supervision. Additional measures have been introduced to ensure that any complaints from residents are taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.
Despite these assurances, the effectiveness of these measures remains under scrutiny as many lawsuits continue to allege that Timberline Knolls failed in its duty to protect vulnerable patients. Families and advocacy groups are calling for more transparent and robust reforms to ensure the safety of residents in the future.
Victims Can File Sex Abuse Lawsuits Against Timberline Knolls
Anyone who was the victim of sexual abuse or assault while they were a resident patient at Timberline Knolls has the right to file a civil lawsuit. Victims of sexual abuse can file a lawsuits against the facility, and its parent company (Acadia Health), for negligently failing to protect them.
Facilities like Timberline Knolls have a legal duty to ensure that residents at the facility are reasonably safe and not the victim of sexual abuse by staff, or by other patients. Timberline Knolls habitually breached this duty which means they can be held liable for negligence in a sex abuse civil lawsuit.
Successful plaintiffs in a sex abuse lawsuit against Acadia can get financial compensation for the emotional harm and damage resulting from the abuse. The amount of money you can get from suing Timberline Knolls or other places for sex abuse depends on a few things. Here are the three main things that impact that money you will receive as settlement compensation or at trial:
- Evidence: If you have solid evidence to prove that the abuse really happened (other than your word) your case will likely be worth more money.
- Severity: If the abuse was really bad or went on for a long time, your case could be worth more money than if it only happened once.
- Impact: The impact on the victim, including physical injuries, psychological trauma such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety, will also drive up the potential settlement value of a case.
- Age: Younger victims will typically receive higher settlement payouts because of the long-term impact on their development and life trajectory.
Contact Us About Timberline Knolls Sex Abuse Lawsuits
If you are thinking about bringing a sexual abuse lawsuit against Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center or another treatment facility, contact our sex abuse lawyers today for free consultation. Contact us online or call us at 800-553-8082.