Two lawsuits filed Wednesday against Camp SAYLA, a youth residential facility in Henry County, allege brutal abuse and systemic neglect of children in its care. The lawsuits describe a “house of horrors” environment where children were beaten with broomsticks, assaulted with socks filled with potatoes, thrown into trash cans, and forced to fight each other for rewards in a staff-created “bounty system.”
“I have represented child after child who was abused in these kinds of facilities,” said Birmingham attorney Tommy James. “This isn’t just about Camp SAYLA—it is about a broken system across Alabama and the country that hides abuse behind locked doors. This case is about justice for our clients, but it is also a warning to every other facility: this kind of abuse won’t be tolerated—not in Alabama, not anywhere.”
James is joined by fellow Birmingham attorney Jeremy Knowles of Morris Haynes and Pensacola attorney Caleb Cunningham of Levin Papantonio in filing the lawsuits, and the team says they represent children in similar camps across the state.
The lawsuits focus on former Camp SAYLA staff member Kenyatta Danzey, who was arrested in January 2024 and charged with 17 counts of child abuse. According to media reports, Danzey had been on the run from law enforcement for a probation violation but was still allowed to work directly with children at the facility. Surveillance footage obtained by investigators showed Danzey beating children with broomsticks so hard that they broke, beating them with extension cords, forcing them to stand outside barefoot, and locking them in isolation rooms for hours without cause.
Camp SAYLA is under contract with the Alabama Department of Youth Services (“DYS”). Residents at Camp SAYLA are referred by juvenile courts, yet they are not in DYS custody. DYS suspended Camp SAYLA’s license following the abuse allegations and a surprise inspection that uncovered unsanitary and unsafe conditions. Although the license has since been reinstated, no children are currently being housed at the facility, and its future remains uncertain.
“These are not isolated incidents,” added attorney Jeremy Knowles. “We have now filed three lawsuits, and we know there are other victims out there. This was a culture of cruelty—enabled by silence and funded by our taxpayer dollars.”
The lawsuits seek compensatory and punitive damages and call for greater transparency and accountability in the oversight of youth residential facilities across the state.
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