Information for Former Youth at YRTC-Kearney
Pesek Law and Trial Lawyers for Justice are investigating potential legal claims related to alleged sexual abuse, sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, and violations of professional boundaries involving staff and youth at the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center at Kearney (YRTC-Kearney).
Schedule a confidential consultation by filling out the form below.⬇︎
If you are 25 years old or younger today and were held at YRTC-Kearney, or if you have information about possible abuse or inappropriate conduct involving youth at the facility, we would like to hear from you.
What Happened at YRTC-Kearney?
In July 2026, the Office of Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare released a public report following an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse and other inappropriate conduct involving staff and youth at YRTC-Kearney.
According to the Inspector General’s report:
44 sexual-abuse-related allegations were made by 37 youth against 19 staff members.
The allegations involved conduct reported to have occurred between March 2025 and March 2026.
Within those allegations were more than 200 specific claims of improper conduct.
The allegations ranged from sexual abuse, assault, inappropriate touching, and harassment to inappropriate relationships and violations of professional boundaries.
As of the date of the report, four former staff members had been criminally charged in connection with allegations investigated in the report.
Three additional allegations had been substantiated through YRTC-Kearney’s internal Compliance process.
Some criminal investigations remained ongoing.
The Inspector General concluded:
“The culture at YRTC-Kearney normalized inappropriate staff behavior, which the facility failed to sufficiently address.”
The report also makes an important distinction: many allegations were determined to be unsubstantiated or unfounded, and some remained pending.
An “unsubstantiated” finding does not necessarily mean that the alleged conduct did not occur. The Inspector General’s report explains that it means there was not enough evidence to determine whether the allegation did or did not occur.
The Inspector General also expressly stated that its investigation did not find that all YRTC-Kearney staff or administrators engaged in or condoned inappropriate conduct.
The full government report is available below.
Could This Apply to You?
We are trying to identify people who may have experienced, witnessed, or have information about inappropriate conduct involving staff and youth at YRTC-Kearney.
Schedule a confidential consultation by filling out the form below.⬇︎
You should consider contacting the legal team if:
You are 25 years old or younger today and were held at YRTC-Kearney.
You believe a staff member sexually abused you, touched you inappropriately, sexually harassed you, communicated with you in a sexual or inappropriate way, attempted to begin a personal or sexual relationship with you, or crossed professional boundaries with you.
You witnessed inappropriate conduct between a staff member and another youth.
Another youth told you about inappropriate conduct involving a staff member.
You are a parent or family member of a former YRTC-Kearney youth and have information that may be relevant.
You do not need to know whether what happened qualifies as a legal claim before contacting us.
The purpose of the consultation is to listen to what happened and determine whether the legal team should investigate further.
Read the Official Inspector General Report
You do not have to rely on summaries or news reports to understand what the State’s investigation found.
The complete July 2026 Office of Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare Report of Investigation: “Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Youth by Staff at the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center at Kearney” is publicly available.
Official report hosted by the Nebraska Legislature.
The Legal Team
Pesek Law LLC
Pesek Law is an Omaha-based trial law firm committed to representing individuals and families and protecting their right to be treated with dignity and respect.
The firm is based in South Omaha and represents clients throughout Nebraska.
Trial Lawyers for Justice
Trial Lawyers for Justice (TL4J) is a national trial law firm representing individuals and families in serious injury and civil rights cases.
TL4J attorneys handle complex litigation throughout the United States and are committed to protecting the rights of individuals and families through the civil justice system.
Pesek Law and Trial Lawyers for Justice are working together to investigate potential legal claims involving former youth at YRTC-Kearney.
Do You Have Information About What Happened at YRTC-Kearney?
If you are 25 or younger today and were held at YRTC-Kearney — or if you witnessed, learned about, or have information regarding inappropriate conduct involving staff and youth at the facility — we want to hear from you.
You do not need to decide for yourself whether you have a legal claim.
Start by speaking with the legal team…
Important Information
This website is operated by Pesek Law and Trial Lawyers for Justice. It is not operated by or affiliated with YRTC-Kearney, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare, or the State of Nebraska.
The information on this website is provided for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. Viewing this website or contacting the law firms does not create an attorney-client relationship. An attorney-client relationship is established only after the appropriate agreement has been signed.
Every case is different. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.