Mother Says Negligence Led to Son’s Death

(CN) - A mental health services provider negligently placed a Miami, Fla. man in a facility with violent inmates, one of whom beat him to death, the deceased's mother claims in court.

In a lawsuit filed in the Miami Federal Court, plaintiff Bettye White says that in February 1991 defendant Citrus Health Network Inc., in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, placed her son, Terry Young, in the Liberty Hope Center, which was an unlicensed facility that housed many dangerous and violent individuals.

White says her son had a long history of psychological problems, and that he relied on Citrus Health to provide him with "reasonably safe living accommodations and appropriate mental health case management."

She says his trust in the defendants proved misplaced on April, 28, 2013, when he was violently beaten to death by his roommate, Nikki Williams.

"Prior to the murder, employees of Liberty City Hope Center and Citrus Health were aware of problems between the two roommates, however, the employees made no effort to separate the men or provide new accommodations for Terry Young," the complaint says.

"Furthermore, Liberty City Hope Center's care providers did not supervise Williams or even learn of the murder until Williams was in the process of hiding the body," it continues.

White says her son's death was caused by the defendants' negligent acts of locating him in an unlicensed mental facility which housed dangerous felons, where employees did not take proper care of the patients.

She seeks compensatory damages of $3 million on claims of negligence.

White is represented by Richard Sharp from Mallard & Sharp of Miami. Representatives of the defendants did not immediately return a request for comment.

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