For years, Mingus Mountain Academy has claimed to provide specialized residential treatment for teenage girls between 13 and 17 years of age dealing with severe mental health and substance abuse problems. In reality, however, the facility has been under scrutiny for a long time for various procedural issues and legal violations. More recently, several former residents have brought forth Mingus Mountain Academy sexual abuse lawsuits against facility management and ownership for sexual abuse they experienced while living there.
If you or your child were victims of sexual mistreatment while in residence at Mingus Mountain, you may have grounds to file a lawsuit, thanks to Arizona’s generous statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims. However, this kind of case can be difficult to pursue on both legal and emotional levels, and assistance from a capable and compassionate sexual abuse attorney can dramatically boost your likelihood of getting a favorable outcome.
Systemic Abuse and Mistreatment at Mingus Mountain Academy
Between 2022 and 2025, health regulators for the state conducted 12 inspections of Mingus Mountain Academy and issued no fewer than 40 citations against the facility for failure to follow proper procedures in caring for minor children. Some of those violations concerned facility management’s failure to properly address allegations of inappropriate touching made against a staff member who later pled guilty to assault charges—and unfortunately, this seems to have been far from an isolated incident.
Allegations of widespread sexual misconduct and mismanagement of employees at Mingus Mountain have included wrongful acts such as:
- Repeated sexual contact, molestation, and rape of residents by staff members
- Excessive use of physical restraints leading to serious injuries
- Systemic failure by staff members and administrators to intervene in or proactively prevent the abuse of residents by other staff members
- Isolation, threats, and other forms of retaliation against residents who reported abuse they experienced at the facility
All these forms of mistreatment can potentially serve as grounds for sexual assault cases against Mingus Mountain Academy, and several such lawsuits have already been filed against facility management.
What Are the Filing Deadlines for a Sex Abuse Lawsuit?
Financial restitution alone cannot completely erase the pain and trauma caused by sexual abuse, but it can help to minimize the long-term financial, psychological, and personal harm that this type of mistreatment can cause. In addition to recovering for objective financial losses such as medical bills and lost working capacity, a dedicated sexual abuse lawyer can also help demand compensation for non-economic forms of harm such as physical pain, emotional anguish, and psychological distress.
Furthermore, Arizona Revised Statutes § 12-514 gives people who experienced sexual abuse as minor children until their 30th birthday to file suit against anyone who engaged in or facilitated that abuse. This means that even if the standard two-year deadline for personal injury litigation in the state has expired, it is likely still possible to successfully pursue claims for sexual misconduct at Mingus Mountain Academy.
Contact a Lawyer for Help With Sexual Misconduct Cases Against Mingus Mountain Academy
Far from living up to its stated mission to provide a “safe, healthy, therapeutic environment,” Mingus Mountain Academy has instead allowed numerous minors in its care to suffer mistreatment, mismanagement, and even sexual abuse. Fortunately, both state and federal investigations are starting to expose this facility’s misconduct. In the meantime, you can start demanding the compensation you deserve for the harm you never should have experienced while you were a resident there.
The experienced sexual abuse lawyers at Phillips Law Group can provide invaluable assistance throughout every stage of Mingus Mountain Academy sexual abuse lawsuits. Contact us today to schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consultation with a member of our legal team.
Available 24/7