SOUTH PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- An alleged beating of an 11-year-old boy so forceful that it knocked out multiple teeth is described in a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Maine against the Maine Dept. of Corrections.
The lawsuit claims the boy lost his teeth when two corrections officers slammed his face into a metal bedframe. The confrontation happened in view of a camera and a recording is said by the ACLU to be in the possession of the DOC.
While the boy paid a visit to an emergency room soon after receiving his injury, the ACLU alleges six days passed before he saw a dentist. And according to the ACLU, that dentist refused to treat the broken tooth fragments still in his mouth because the boy would not sit still. The ACLU said his teeth have still not been properly repaired.
"He was failed by the entire system," said ACLU of Maine legal director Zachary Heiden in a written statement. "No child deserves to be treated like this, ever."
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Without revealing the boy's name, the lawsuit delved into his diagnosis of severe mental illness including ADHD. He faced charges for an outburst at a local pool when he was told he couldn't swim in the deep end. A court found him not competent to stand trial and dismissed the charges.
While his case moved through the court system, the boy was held at Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland. The ACLU said his confinement without access to proper medication aggravated his mental condition, leading to a cycle of worsening outbursts and punishments.
The cycle peaked on July 27, 2017 when the boy flung down a tray of food upon learning he could not attend a facility picnic. The ACLU said he was confined to his room without shoes, blankets or pillows and denied the use of the bathroom. Rather than subduing him, the conditions made the boy more upset which led to his encounter with the two guards.
The ACLU filed the lawsuit against the Maine Dept. of Corrections, specific officials with the DOC and Long Creek, medical professionals and Correct Care Solutions. The claims raised in the lawsuit include excessive and negligent use of force, deliberate indifference to the boy's medical needs, and refusal to provide reasonable accommodations for his disabilities.
NEWS CENTER Maine reached out to several DOC officials for comment, and we are awaiting their response.