Family of teen who died after suicide attempt at SC DJJ plans to file civil rights lawsuit
The family of a 16-year-old who died after a suicide attempt while being treated by the S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice plans to sue the state agency in federal court, claiming negligence and civil rights violations.
Easley Jeffcoat, 16, was being treated at Columbia’s DJJ facility for mental health concerns including suicidal ideation and self harm while his family looked for another facility that could address Easley’s physical and mental health needs, the family’s attorney, Matthew Yelverton, told reporters Thursday.
“DJJ held itself out as capable of providing for both of those needs” while the family searched for a specialized facility, Yelverton said.
But while at the facility, Jeffcoat was not properly watched, the lawsuit will allege, Yelverton said.
Jeffcoat attempted suicide while at an infirmary on the DJJ campus Monday, Dec. 6. A nurse administered CPR, then Jeffcoat was taken to a hospital by ambulance. He died in the hospital two days later.
The family’s lawsuit will allege that Jeffcoat’s suicide attempt was not discovered for an hour or more, Yelverton said.
Yelverton stressed that Jeffcoat was not detained at the DJJ facility, he was getting treatment there.
Jeffcoat had come out as part of the LGBTQ community at a young age and was ostracized for it by some close family members, Yelverton said. The trauma of that rejection led Jeffcoat to self harm, drugs and suicidal ideation, Yelverton said.
At one point, Jeffcoat brought half of a Xanax pill to school without proper authorization and was expelled.
“That was the beginning of his journey through DJJ,” Yelverton said.
The family’s lawsuit will allege that DJJ was grossly negligent in its treatment of Jeffcoat by not properly training staff and not properly observing a patient known to have suicidal ideations.
Yelverton said he is prepared to file the lawsuit now but will wait until the first of the year for administrative reasons. He hopes to begin depositions shortly after filing the suit.
Yelveton added that the goal of the suit is justice for the Jeffcoat family, but he also hopes that by investigating DJJ through this lawsuit it will reveal any flaws in DJJ policy for the future.
“DJJ needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror and consider what its purpose is,” Yelverton said.
A spokesperson for the DJJ said the agency does not comment on pending litigation, but did refer to a previous statement made by the agency in response to concerns the ACLU has raised regarding Jeffcoat’s death.
“Even before the pandemic and the unfunded implementation of Raise the Age, the agency was facing staffing and budget issues. This was only exacerbated by the increase in juvenile crime after the pandemic,” the DJJ statement begins. “According to SLED data, the number of juvenile arrests for weapons violations in 2021 was 699 and increased to 1,008 in 2022. These factors, along with the closure of the Greenville Juvenile Detention Center, have had a dramatic impact on the Juvenile Detention Center.”
The facility’s rated capacity allows for 72 occupied beds at a time, but the average daily population at JDC from January 2023 to October 2023 was 116.8, “well above the rated capacity,” the statement continues, adding that there are plans to renovate the facility but those plans are on hold because of the high occupancy levels.
“The agency also agrees that it is best to serve all youth who are not a threat to public safety through community-based services and that youth with mental health issues should not have to resort to the juvenile justice system for treatment. Similar to adult detention facilities across the country, individuals with severe mental health issues linger in inappropriate settings due to lack of better options. This is even more tragic for our youth,” the statement adds.
This story was originally published December 28, 2023 at 12:26 PM.
