Representatives for an autistic young adult claim sexual assault while the patient was admitted for psychiatric care.
Summary: Anapol Weiss has filed a lawsuit against Tower Behavioral Health and Acadia Healthcare on behalf of Owen Dobson, an autistic young adult who was allegedly sexually assaulted by his adult roommate while receiving inpatient psychiatric care at Tower's Reading, Pennsylvania facility in December 2025. The complaint alleges that despite assurances Dobson would be placed in a specialized autism unit, he was instead assigned to a mixed-diagnosis adult unit where inadequate supervision and staffing left him vulnerable, and that staff dismissed his report of the assault. The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for corporate negligence, misrepresentation, and infliction of emotional distress.
Philadelphia, PA (June 26, 2026) - Anapol Weiss has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Owen Dobson against Tower Behavioral Health (Tower), Reading Behavioral Healthcare, LLC, Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. and Acadia Management Company, LLC, alleging that the defendants failed to protect Dobson, an autistic young adult, from sexual assault while he was a patient at Tower Behavioral Health in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Dobson was 18 years old when he was admitted to Tower in December 2025 for inpatient psychiatric treatment. Dobson and his family were assured he would be placed in a unit that specialized in autism and served many autistic patients, which enabled them to feel secure in their placement decision.
According to the complaint, Dobson was instead placed on a mixed-diagnosis adult unit that was not appropriate for his needs and left him vulnerable to harm. Tower is accused of having failed to provide adequate supervision, staffing, training and safeguards to protect Dobson while he was confined in a locked psychiatric unit and dependent on the facility for his safety.
The complaint alleges that on Dec. 21, 2025, Dobson was sexually assaulted by his 38-year-old roommate inside the secured psychiatric unit. Dobson reported the assault to Tower staff the next day, though staff allegedly minimized and dismissed his concerns. Dobson was required to recount the incident multiple times before he was moved to another unit.
Anapol Weiss argues that the assault was foreseeable and preventable, and that these corporate healthcare entities, collectively, are responsible for failing to protect a vulnerable patient entrusted to their care.
“This case is about the basic duty of a psychiatric hospital to protect the vulnerable patients entrusted to its care,” said Ashley Garland, associate at Anapol Weiss and counsel for Dobson. “Owen entered Tower seeking safety and treatment. Instead, he was placed in an unsafe environment, and then dismissed when he reported what had happened to him.”
The complaint brings claims for corporate negligence, negligent hiring, retention and supervision, intentional and negligent misrepresentation, and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. Dobson, represented by Kristen Gibbons Feden and Ashley Garland of Anapol Weiss, is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
About Anapol Weiss
Anapol Weiss is a nationally recognized personal injury law firm based in Philadelphia. For more than 45 years, the firm has represented individuals and families in complex cases involving catastrophic injury, sexual abuse, product liability, medical negligence and other serious claims.
