A New Mexico jury delivered a substantial $485 million verdict in a civil lawsuit concerning the repeated sexual assault of an eight-year-old girl within the state's foster care system. The decision, reached after two weeks of testimony, underscores concerns about corporate negligence within the program.

The lawsuit, filed in 2019, alleged that the program knowingly placed the young girl in the care of a foster parent with prior sexual assault accusations. This case is just one of several stemming from sexual abuse within the program. The foster parent, 66-year-old Clarence Garcia, pleaded guilty in January to seven counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor. He received a sentence of up to 20 years of probation, with court records indicating accusations of abuse against six children under his care over a six-year period.

In April, probation officers discovered potential probation violations on Garcia's property, including bags of stuffed animals, a yoga book featuring children in suggestive poses, and firearm accessories. A subsequent sentencing hearing in August could result in a prison sentence of up to 42 years for Garcia.

The jury's decision awarded $80 million in compensatory damages and $250 million in punitive damages against Acadia Healthcare, the operator of the now-closed residential treatment facility in New Mexico. Acadia stated that while the victim was involved in a treatment foster care program managed by the nonprofit Familyworks, she was not under the direct care of any Acadia-operated facility.

Familyworks and the now-defunct Acadia subsidiary, Youth and Family Centered Services of New Mexico Inc., were each ordered to pay $75 million, with an additional $5 million in punitive damages related to Garcia's actions. An attorney representing the child emphasized the significance of the verdict in validating the young girl's experience and highlighting the preventable nature of the abuse.

In 2019, the state's Children, Youth and Families Department revoked the license of the Acadia-owned Desert Hills facility following reports of sexual abuse and violence. The Albuquerque center, which served children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and behavioral issues, was subsequently shut down by state order. Desert Hills had overseen the Familyworks program.