Before girl’s sexual assault at Lenexa clinic, staff knew of unsafe practices: Lawsuit
Before an 11-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by a teenage client in the bathroom of a Lenexa outpatient therapy clinic, staff complained about unsafe supervision practices, a lawsuit alleges.
Attorneys for the young girl and her mother — referred to as Jane Doe and Mary Doe respectively — filed the suit last week in Johnson County District Court against KidsTLC, Inc. The incident, the suit said, occurred at The Lotus Clinics, an entity of KidsTLC.
When Jane Doe began extensive outpatient treatment at the clinic, staff were informed of her “prior history of sexual abuse and exploitation by males,” according to the lawsuit. And her mother, it said, was assured by the clinic that her daughter “would be supervised while at Defendant’s facility.”
“Plaintiff Jane Doe and her mother relied on this representation when agreeing that Plaintiff Jane Doe would receive and utilize the outpatient mental health services offered by Defendant,” the lawsuit said.
Erin Dugan, president and CEO of KidsTLC, said the nonprofit received notice of a “potential complaint,” but hadn’t been served yet with the suit.
“We take all allegations seriously and also believe it would be inappropriate to comment on any potential or pending litigation,” Dugan said in an email. “We remain committed to our mission and serving our stakeholders.”
Prior to the assault, “multiple licensed medical providers and staff employed by Defendant raised repeated concerns to executive leadership regarding unsafe supervision practices,” the suit said. That included “participants being left unsupervised in bathrooms, hallways, and other isolated areas where sexual contact between participants had previously occurred.”
KidsTLC operates an Intensive Outpatient Therapy at The Lotus Centers facility, 15940 College Boulevard in Lenexa.
Jill Kanatzar is one of two attorneys who filed the suit on behalf of the 11-year-old and her mother. They’ve requested a jury trial.
“Unfortunately, there is a pattern of neglect throughout the programs provided to vulnerable children by KidsTLC,” Kanatzar said in an email to The Star. “While my client was in their intensive outpatient treatment program, she needed the same degree of protection and supervision as all children in KidsTLC’s care.”
Sexual assault alleged in bathroom
Jane Doe first started receiving mental health services at The Lotus Clinic in and around Oct. 1 of last year. Her mother, Mary Doe, was told that her daughter would be supervised while at the facility, the suit said.
“Defendant has, or should have, security measures in place, such as surveillance cameras, and assigned staff tasked with monitoring the participants, hallways and bathrooms at all times for safety and security,” the suit alleges.
After Jane Doe began therapy — and prior to mid-January — a 15-year-old male participant sexually assaulted her in a bathroom, the suit said.
Once in the bathroom, the 15-year-old male allegedly kissed Plaintiff Jane Doe. He also touched the girl’s breast and further sexually assaulted her, according to the lawsuit.
On January 14, 2026, Plaintiff Jane Doe reported the sexual assault to staff at The Lotus Clinic at KidsTLC.
“Upon information and belief, Defendants knew or should have known the male participant had previously displayed dangerous sexual conduct towards other persons,” the lawsuit said.
Sexual contact among participants of programming at the center, including sexual activity in bathrooms, “was a known and recurring problem,” the suit said, “and Defendant’s leadership failed to implement or enforce policies designed to prevent such conduct.”
Lack of supervision alleged in other suit
In a lawsuit filed earlier this year, an 18-year-old sued KidsTLC and its psychiatric residential treatment facility in federal court after she said she was sexually assaulted by male patients.
Those allegations and lawsuit are related to the nonprofit’s psychiatric residential treatment facility in Olathe, not its outpatient clinic.
In that suit, the woman alleged that KidsTLC failed to appropriately train staff, supervise residents and uphold state regulations which allowed her to be raped and sexually assaulted while in the psychiatric residential treatment facility. She was a minor at the time she said she was assaulted.
The patient was admitted to KidsTLC’s care when she was 15 in March 2022. According to the lawsuit, she needed clinical care for post traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and suspected borderline personality disorder.
These diagnoses should have led to heightened supervision and structured support to keep her safe from sexual exploitation, according to the lawsuit. However, it alleges that she was left alone multiple times.
The Star’s Taylor O’Connor contributed to this report.
