The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Southwest Key Programs Inc., the largest housing provider for unaccompanied migrant minors, alleging that employees engaged in inappropriate behavior with children and that the nonprofit’s leadership ignored the issue.
Announced on Thursday, the DOJ’s lawsuit accuses Southwest Key of violating the Fair Housing Act by either facilitating or overlooking various inappropriate acts. The allegations include inappropriate touching, solicitation of explicit photos, and coercive behavior.
According to the lawsuit, employees threatened the children and their families to prevent them from reporting these incidents. It also claims that other staff members knew about the misconduct but did not take action.
Southwest Key operates 29 shelters in Texas, Arizona, and California, providing housing for up to 6,350 children. Since at least 2015, some employees have allegedly engaged in inappropriate behavior, including “inappropriate touching, solicitation of explicit photos, and coercive behavior,” according to the DOJ.
Two employees have been criminally charged. One male employee at the Casa Franklin shelter in El Paso, Texas, allegedly touched three young girls inappropriately. Another employee from a Tucson, Arizona, facility reportedly brought an 11-year-old boy to a hotel and coerced him into performing acts over several days.
The DOJ’s statement claims that Southwest Key failed to prevent this behavior, did not follow federal guidelines for reporting misconduct, and discouraged children from disclosing these incidents.
Southwest Key receives funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As of May 31, nearly 7,800 children are in HHS-funded facilities, although the exact number in Southwest Key shelters is unknown.
The Associated Press and Blaze News contacted Southwest Key for comment but did not receive a response.
