Lawsuit alleges guards arranged fights in Ohio juvenile jail

CLEVELAND – A federal lawsuit alleges that guards in an Ohio juvenile detention centre forced inmates into brawls as part of a “fight night” tradition.

The complaint filed Wednesday by four former inmates in the Cuyahoga (ky-uh-HOH’-guh) County Juvenile Detention Center in Cleveland says guards organized fights that pitted teenagers against each other for the guards’ amusement and entertainment.

Cleveland.com reports (http://bit.ly/2x8XbVf) the lawsuit names the county, the detention centre and 11 guards.

The complaint alleges the guards violated the inmates’ constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment and inflicted serious physical and emotional harm and distress.

Ryan Miday, a spokesman for the county prosecutor’s office, says the county juvenile court and the county take the allegations seriously and are investigating.

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Information from: cleveland.com, http://www.cleveland.com