A lawsuit has been filed in Los Angeles County on behalf of a particular wants little one who was mistreated by a caretaker at an Azusa-based pediatric care firm, the plaintiff’s attorneys introduced Tuesday.
Behavioral therapist Kevin Yuen and his employer, California Pediatric & Household Providers, had been named as defendants within the lawsuit. The sufferer is a non-verbal 16-year-old lady, with Dandy Walker Malformation Syndrome, autism and different situations, who had been receiving in-home behavioral remedy by means of the corporate.
Yuen was arrested in June and was criminally charged with one depend of felony little one endangerment and one depend of felony assault by means more likely to produce nice bodily hurt. The fees later had been lowered to 1 depend of misdemeanor little one endangerment which Yuen entered a plea of no contest.
He was sentenced to 4 years of probation and served with a protecting order stopping him from harassing or threatening using violence in opposition to anybody concerned within the case.
Yuen should additionally full a 52-week little one abuse therapy program and chorus from working in childcare for the time period of his probation.
When the crime occurred, Yuen had been the sufferer’s behavioral therapist for roughly 18 months. The sufferer’s mom had observed bruising on her daughter’s neck and again and witnessed Yuen aggressively seize the lady’s arms throughout one among their two-hour behavioral periods final March, in accordance with the legal professional. Her daughter additionally started to exhibit behavioral modifications resembling flinching, overlaying her face and hitting herself anytime Yuen got here to their house.
The mom put in a hidden video digicam of their lounge to report the interplay between Yuen and her daughter, in accordance with the legal professional’s workplace.
In a June 2021 behavioral session captured on video, Yuen and the sufferer might be seen within the footage sitting on the sofa when Yuen raises his left fist on the lady’s face as if he's going to hit her, pauses after which seems to strike her within the face.
The sufferer suffered “extreme and everlasting accidents on account of Yuen’s bodily abuse and aggressive habits,” in accordance with the lawsuit. The sufferer’s household is looking for non-economic damages for previous and future ache and struggling; financial damages for previous and future hospital, medical, skilled, and incidental bills; and punitive damages as to Yuen.
California Pediatric & Household Providers declined to touch upon the lawsuit or affirm if Yuen continues to be employed.