A federal judge says a whistleblower lawsuit against the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections can move forward in court, but some of the claims must be dismissed.
U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled Thursday that a group of current and former Juvenile Corrections employees raised enough questions of facts in their lawsuit to merit bringing it before a jury.
The group contends that some staffers at a Nampa juvenile detention facility sexually abused incarcerated youths and agency leaders didn't do enough to stop it. They also contend the department is rife with cronyism and wastes taxpayer money. The state has denied those claims.
The judge ruled that the employees couldn't seek monetary damages from the agency itself, but said they could seek monetary damages from top agency leaders.