LEBANON, Ind. — A federal lawsuit involving a Lebanon residential program for teenage girls has expanded from nine plaintiffs to 35, with former residents alleging abuse, forced labor, isolation and exploitation during their time at the facility.
The lawsuit was initially filed in April by nine women who said they lived at Central Indiana Teen Challenge as minors at various times. An amended complaint filed June 16 added 26 more former residents to the case.
Central Indiana Teen Challenge now operates as The Refuge Girls Academy, a faith-based residential program in Lebanon that serves teenage girls. The lawsuit alleges that the environment the families were promised was substantially different from what some former residents experienced.
According to the amended complaint, the former residents describe restrictions involving basic daily activities, including eating, sleeping, showering, using the bathroom, speaking and making eye contact. The plaintiffs allege that staff could treat those activities as privileges and remove them as punishment.
One former resident, according to the filing, was allegedly prohibited from speaking for months.
The lawsuit also contains allegations involving extended isolation. Former residents say they were placed in rooms used for isolation, sometimes for prolonged periods, and describe restrictions on communication with people outside the facility.
Other allegations concern food, hygiene and labor. The plaintiffs claim they were required to perform extensive unpaid work while living at the program and that some of the disciplinary practices were humiliating or degrading.
The amended complaint also alleges that some girls were separated from family and friends and that parents were given assurances that their children would receive structured, safe and therapeutic care.
The case accuses the defendants of violating federal trafficking laws, including provisions addressing forced labor and trafficking-related conduct. Those claims remain allegations in a civil lawsuit and have not been established as facts by a court.
The defendants have disputed the allegations. An attorney representing Indiana Teen Challenge and related defendants previously described the claims as unproven and unverified. The defense has also said the program has helped thousands of participants and characterized its mission as helping people dealing with addiction and other life-controlling behaviors.
The lawsuit names Indiana Teen Challenge Inc., doing business as Central Indiana Teen Challenge and now known as The Refuge Girls Academy, along with Dave Rose and Dawn Rose. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana under DuPuis et al. v. Indiana Teen Challenge, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:26-cv-00700-MPB-MKK.
The expansion of the lawsuit has brought additional allegations into the case beyond those contained in the original April filing. The amended complaint now represents 35 former residents and includes claims covering experiences at the facility across different years.
The case is still in the litigation process. The allegations made by the former residents will have to be addressed through the federal court proceedings, and the defendants have the opportunity to respond to the claims.
For now, the expanded lawsuit puts renewed attention on the treatment of minors in residential programs and on the responsibilities of organizations that provide care to vulnerable teenagers.
