A former employee at a youth detention center in Chehalis, Washington was recently arrested for engaging in what the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) has described as an “inappropriate relationship” with a former resident. The DCYF has not provided any further details about the nature of the relationship or the identities of the parties involved.
During their time at Green Hill, it was discovered that the employee had been providing the resident with prohibited items.
DCYF has confirmed that the employee was terminated last week.
DCYF expressed gratitude towards their staff for their prompt action and law enforcement for their continuous efforts to safeguard the minors under their care, as stated by a DCYF representative.
As part of the investigation, the local police and Child Protective Services got involved. The former employee was asked to return to the Green Hill campus where the arrest was made.
For several months now, Green Hill, a DCYF facility catering to older teenagers and young adults, has been making waves in the news with a variety of problems. One of the most alarming incidents occurred earlier this year when a security guard was apprehended for allegedly enabling an assault on a resident who was a teenager.
New investigative documents reveal that Michelle Goodman was caught on camera laughing along with inmates as they imitated the punches thrown at a teenage inmate inside the Green Hill School. This facility is intended to help rehabilitate young adults who had committed crimes as children.
In early 2024, the Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office initiated an investigation into Michelle Goodman. The investigation was triggered after an attorney learned about a teenager who had been beaten up. Goodman was accused of allowing the attack to take place, and she was caught on camera laughing with the inmates involved shortly after the incident.
DCYF and Green Hill are currently experiencing heightened levels of tension, and the most recent arrest only adds to the pressure.
As previously reported by FOX 13, DCYF has put an end to the practice of sending convicted criminals to its juvenile facilities due to concerns over overcrowding.
In the previous week, DCYF received another blow as a judge granted a preliminary injunction that required 43 inmates to be sent back to their previous location in Green Hill. The move was an attempt to create space, but the judge found that the state had violated a legal settlement agreement that mandated specific procedures to be followed before transferring an inmate to an adult facility.
