CHARLESTON - A minor, through his guardian ad litem, is suing Blue Creek Academy after he claims he was abused while a student at the boarding school.
Bible Baptist Church, James Waldeck, J.R. Thompson, John Doe Corporations and John Doe Agents were also named as defendants in the suit.
A.B. was enrolled at Blue Creek Academy for two years and while at the boarding school, he suffered significant physical and emotional abuse, according to a complaint filed May 22 in Kanawha Circuit Court.
A.B. claims he was sexually abused by another resident of the facility due to the lack of supervision, and was subjected to malnourishment, isolationism, corporal punishment, starvation and physical abuse.
On June 10, 2014, the negligence and abuse at BCA was so extreme that A.B. fled, running through the wilderness with no place to go, according to the suit.
A.B. claims he has now been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, reactive attachment disorder and oppositional defiant disorder.
BCA failed to sufficiently staff its facilities in order to manage the safety and welfare of its students, according to the suit.
A.B. claims the defendants took affirmative steps to maintain the abusive and neglectful atmosphere at BCA by failing to report the instances of abuse.
The defendants breached their duty to exercise appropriate and safe dominion, control, oversight and proper management of BCA, which violated the law and caused significant injury and damages to the plaintiff, according to the suit.
A.B. is seeking compensatory and punitive damages with pre-judgment interest. He is being represented by Troy N. Giatras and Matthew Stonestreet of the Giatras Law Firm PLLC.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 15-C-1016