Former juvenile detention officer sues Snohomish County, alleging harassment and retaliation
Feb 5, 2026, 9:32 AM
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
A former juvenile detention officer has filed a lawsuit against Snohomish County, alleging she was sexually harassed, retaliated against, and wrongfully fired after reporting misconduct at the Denney Juvenile Justice Center, according to a complaint filed in King County Superior Court.
Kourtney Oehlerich says she experienced ongoing sexual harassment, intimidation, and retaliation during her employment at Denney, where she worked as a juvenile detention officer beginning Dec. 16, 2024, according to the lawsuit.
Oehlerich says the county allowed a hostile work environment to persist and retaliated against her after she reported misconduct involving both staff and detained minors.
According to the filing, Oehlerich worked alongside another Juvenile Detention Officer and alleges she observed him engage in inappropriate conduct toward detained minors.
The complaint describes allegations, including providing gifts to youth from outside the facility, inappropriate physical closeness with female detainees, and conversations of a sexual nature with minors.
The lawsuit further alleges that the officer retaliated against Oehlerich after she confronted him about his behavior.
Oehlerich claims he sexually harassed her, encouraged detained minors to do the same, refused to return her radio or keys during shifts, and once waited for her at her vehicle after work, where he allegedly stuck his head inside her car as an act of intimidation.
In addition to alleged misconduct by a coworker, the complaint says Oehlerich endured frequent harassment from detained minors, including repeated sexual comments about her body.
She alleges she filed more than 20 incident reports documenting the behavior.
One report filed June 8, 2025, detailed threats and explicit insults allegedly made by a detained minor, including statements such as “I am going to kill your whole family” and “I am going to hang your kids by a tree,” according to the complaint.
The lawsuit alleges supervisors failed to take adequate steps to stop the harassment and, in some cases, responded dismissively or retaliated when concerns were raised.
Oehlerich says the combined conduct created an unsafe and degrading work environment.
The complaint states Oehlerich formally reported the officer’s conduct to supervisors multiple times between April and September 2025, including allegations of sexually inappropriate comments made to youth and harassment directed at her.
On Sept. 17, 2025, after making those reports, Oehlerich received a letter stating she was under investigation, though the letter did not specify why, according to the filing.
She was terminated on Oct. 8, 2025, for what the county cited as “not meeting the requirements of the position.”
The lawsuit alleges that the reason was a pretext for retaliation.
Oehlerich is seeking damages, lost income, attorney’s fees, and other relief, and has demanded a jury trial.
KIRO 7 News has reached out to Snohomish County for comment.
