Timberline Knolls Staffer Sexually Assaulted Patient, Lawsuit Alleges

LEMONT, IL — A lawsuit has been filed against Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center in Lemont alleging a staff member repeatedly sexually assaulted a patient, according to Chicago law firms Meyers & Flowers and Clark Frost Zucchi.

The Chicago firms are representing a 24-year-old client, "Jane Doe," and the lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, states that the patient was repeatedly raped by an employee of the facility while undergoing mental health treatment.

There are no current criminal charges against the employee, Meyers & Flowers told Patch.

Timberline Knolls specializes in treating women and girls with mental health disorders, including mood and trauma disorders, eating disorders and addiction.

"By voluntarily undertaking the care and treatment of such a vulnerable population, Timberline had a responsibility to protect these women to prevent them from enduring horrific sexual assaults—a responsibility in which they remarkably failed to meet during Doe’s stay in May of 2024," a release from the law firm states.

Jane Doe, who has a history of bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder, sought help at Timberline Knolls for suicidal thoughts, according to the lawsuit.

While at the facility, an employee who was responsible for monitoring and escorting patients exploited his position of power, granted to him by Timberline, to sexually assault Doe, the law firms said in a release.

According to the lawsuit, the employee instructed Doe to follow him, directed her to a private room, and sexually assaulted her. After this happened twice, the lawsuit states, Doe confided in her roommate, who reported the incidents to the facility's staff.

"Despite these reports, no staff member at Timberline Knolls approached Doe to check on her. The following day, the employee yet again ordered Doe into isolation and violently raped her for a third time," the law firms said in a release.

Instead of providing support, the lawsuit states that several days later, Doe was accused by the lodge director of engaging in sexual relations with the staff member.

"Feeling terrified and alone," Doe met with her medical doctor at the facility and requested to leave shortly after the confrontation from the lodge director, the attorneys say. Doe had been at the facility for nine days.

“This case highlights a profound failure of the Timberline Knolls facility to protect one of their most vulnerable patients,” Attorney Craig Brown said. “Our client sought treatment in a safe space but was instead subjected to unimaginable trauma and abuse.”

The lawsuit details multiple failures of the facility; including its failure to implement and enforce mandatory policies and procedures to prevent sexual assault of patients; failing to properly train employees in sexual assault prevention; failing to provide adequate supervision, monitoring, and control over employees to prevent them from isolating and sexually assaulting vulnerable female patients; failing to act immediately upon learning from Doe's roommate about the first and second attacks, failing to prevent a third assault; and allowing its employee to be repeatedly left alone with Doe despite knowing or reasonably should have known that he was a threat to her, according to the complaint.

“This is not the first occurrence of such incidents at Timberline. The facility has had several accusations of sexual assault and should have implemented policies and procedures to prevent these kinds of incidents from ever occurring.” Attorney Lauren Edmunds said. “We are dedicated to seeking justice for our client and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable for their actions.”

The lawsuit also states that Doe is not the first victim to "have suffered brutal attacks" at the facility.

The lawsuit shares several other reports of sexual assault made by patients at the facility, ranging from 2020 to 2024.

When asked about the incidents, Lemont Police said they couldn't comment due to ongoing investigations. According to the department, it has received 546 calls for service from Timberline Knolls over the past year.

In 2018, Michael Jacksa, a counselor at the treatment facility, was charged with criminal sexual assault and criminal sexual abuse. As of 2021, Jacksa was facing a total of 62 charges from six different cases.

"Given the alarming number of past instances of sexual assault occurring at Timberline's premises, in addition to the fact that Timberline takes physical custody of society's most vulnerable — young, mentally ill, female patients, Timberline was aware of the likelihood of sexual assault occurring on its premises, perpetrated by its employees and staff and failed to act to prevent it from occurring while Doe was a patient at its facility in May of 2024."

Patch reached out to Timberline Knolls for comment, but has yet to receive a response.

Meyers & Flowers told Patch that the initial case management conference is scheduled for Oct. 22.