Acadia Healthcare: Former 16-Year-Old Patient Sues Village Behavioral Health for Sexual Relationship Initiated by Employee

December 15, 2021

A civil lawsuit filed against a Louisville behavioral health clinic claims a staff member inappropriately had a relationship with and touched one of the admitted patients.

The man, who was 16 years old (and therefore unnamed by The Daily Times) when the events transpired, is suing Village Behavioral Health Treatment Center, an Acadia Healthcare facility.

In 2018, the Village came under heat after three teenage boys fled the facility at 2431 Jones Bend Road and were charged with vehicle theft and aggravated assault, reporting from The Daily Times states.

It added that Acadia officials advised that they would be moving into a new location within the next two years because of neighbors’ complaints.

However, they are yet to relocate, and now have been served a civil suit regarding inappropriate sexual conduct of a staff member toward a patient.

The accused staff member is Katrina Winstead. The Village was unavailable as of press time Tuesday to comment regarding Winstead’s employment.

According to the lawsuit, the 16-year-old patient was admitted to Village on May 30, 2019, for behavioral issues centered on severe ADHD.

He was sent home in July the same year because his behavioral issues escalated.

The lawsuit claims that, “During the course of Winstead’s predatory behavior, (the 16-year-old’s) behavior worsened,” adding that it was brought on by the “sexual abuse and emotional manipulation he was enduring.”

The Blount County Sheriff’s Office completed an investigation in 2019 for criminal charges; however, none was found warranted.

BCSO Public Information Officer Marian O’Briant said after consulting with the district attorney’s office, the complaint and investigation results didn’t call for criminal charges.

The civil lawsuit summarizes its supporting “statement of facts” regarding the 2019 events at the Village.

The 16-year-old was assigned a cabin once he arrived, and Winstead was one of his counselors.

“Almost immediately, Mrs. Winstead showed an interest in (him) — an interest that was inappropriate and damaging,” the lawsuit states.

It added that she flirted, complimented his eyes and body and shared “intimate and personal” details about her life, including graphic details about her and her husband’s sex life.

At some point during the 16-year-old’s time at the facility, Winstead started working third shift, which she allegedly said was an effort to spend more time with him.

The lawsuit states that she would wake him up from his cabin and take him to an empty one or the woods to “be alone” with him.

It claims that she kissed him, touched him — put her hands down his pants — and told him she was in love with him. And added that she said would leave her husband for him.

Other campers and staff members asked him about his relationship with Winstead, but no action or investigation was conducted by the Village, the lawsuit states.

He left in July, but Winstead allegedly kept contact with him by text messaging, the suit alleges.

“The overtly sexual texts to (the 16-year-old) confirm the relationship Mrs. Winstead started with (him) while he was a resident at The Village,” the lawsuit states.

Since the treatment center is accused of being negligent in preventing his emotional abuse, he is asking that they compensate past and future medical expenses.

He also requests a jury decide a fine, not to exceed $2 million plus all costs and expenses to which he is entitled.

Source: Ashley Depew, “Man sues behavioral health treatment center, claims they abused his mental health,” The Daily Times, Dec. 7, 2021, URL: https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/man-sues-behavioral-health-treatment-center-claims-they-abused-his-mental-health/article_ed7d9c2d-38cf-5f1c-82d0-ee57e860f0d2.html