Lawsuits allege that more than 100 children were sexually abused at the county shelter

SAN DIEGO, CA – A series of recently filed civil lawsuits allege that more than 100 children were sexually abused over the years by employees of a San Diego County children’s shelter.

The lawsuit involves the AB and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center, a 24-hour facility that provides temporary emergency housing for children “who need to be separated from their families for their own safety or when their parents cannot provide care,” according to the lawsuit the district.

Lawyers representing the plaintiffs allege that their clients were sexually abused and threatened by employees between 1994 and 2020 to discourage them from reporting the abuse.

The complaints allege that the county, which owns and operates the center through its Health and Human Services agency, failed to conduct adequate background checks and vetting processes for employees and failed in its duty to protect the children in its care .

District spokesman Michael Workman said the district cannot comment on pending litigation.
The complaints were filed by Slater Slater Schulman LLP, a national law firm that frequently handles sexual abuse cases.

The company’s founding and managing partner Adam Slater said in a statement: “It is completely unacceptable that such abhorrent acts continue in a place that should provide safety and care. These were children seeking refuge at a most disturbing time in their lives.” Instead of providing them with a place to be loved and cared for, the county sent one child after another to their own personal hell.

— City Intelligence Service