ZELIENOPLE — One of the youths involved in the child-on-child sexual abuse that took place at Glade Run Lutheran Services last year filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the treatment facility.

Glade Run is a residential treatment facility that houses nearly 100 youths ages 8 to 21.

The complaint states that the male child’s pleas for help were “met with anger, hostility, violence and public embarrassment by the Glade Run staff.”

“Glade Run Corporation is vicariously liable for the negligent, reckless, outrageous, and/or grossly negligent conduct of its employees,” the complaint states.

The unnamed 15-year-old male now lives in North Apollo. He was 13 when the sexual abuse allegedly began.

The suit, which was filed at the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, names Glade Run Lutheran Services, Glade Run Lutheran Services Corp. and Charles Lockwood, president and CEO as defendants.

The complaint states the teen was making progress at the facility from January through March last year and was “happier, calmer, was improving his interpersonal skills and was improving his ability to communicate with relatives and friends.”

However that March, he began to regress.

“John Doe was subjected to other instances of sexual assault including, but not limited to: attempted rape, oral sex, unwanted touching and unwanted exposure,” the complaint states. “During the time period that John Doe was subjected to these acts, the staff at Glade Run Corporation did not protect John Doe.”

Glade Run was investigated by the state Department of Human Services last year for the sexual abuse, which was among several youths ranging from ages 8 to 13 and allegedly took place from March to July last year.

One of the campus facilities had its license revoked in October, but Glade Run appealed to the DHS.

No charges were filed against Glade Run by the Butler County District Attorney, and the facility reached a settlement with the DHS this year which restored its license for the facility.

New guidelines were also put in place and several staff members were terminated as a result of the settlement.

“A simple review of the amount and type of citations issued by the State of Pennsylvania to Glade Run Corporation is in and of itself shocking,” said Michael J. Pisanchyn Jr., the child’s attorney.

Pisanchyn said during his discussion with the teen, the unnamed youth said he wants “to do everything you can to close this place down.”

The teen is seeking compensatory and consequential damages against the defendants in an amount in excess of arbitration limits plus costs and interest and any other relief.

Glade Run issued a statement Wednesday, saying the privacy rights of its clients prevents it from discussing any allegation that may arise.

“The safety of our clients remains our first priority, and we are committed to providing the safest environment for their treatment and recovery,” the statement says.

“The provision of human services to individuals with mental health issues is not without risks. These risks include physical harm to staff and potential litigation.”

Glade Run’s defense attorney Joseph Selep said the allegations made against Glade Run are “salacious, unnecessary and in many respects, simply false.”

“We remain committed to assisting our residents and view it as unfortunate that this attorney has elected to pursue this approach,” Selep said. “It causes us to wonder the true motive behind this lawyer’s actions.”

Selep also called the approach “counterproductive.”

“We would have preferred to seek a shared resolution to a shared problem,” he said.

A trial date for the case has not been set.