California juvenile detention officers staged ‘gladiator fights’ between youth, indictment says

LOS ANGELES — Thirty officers at a Southern California juvenile detention facility have been charged for their role in facilitating so-called “gladiator fights” between youth in their care, the state’s attorney general said Monday. A grand jury indictment alleges the officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles County allowed and sometimes encouraged nearly 70 fights to take place between July 2023 and December 2023. The indictment singles out two probation officers who allegedly told staff members ahead of time that fights would occur and “they were not to say anything, write down anything, and just watch.” It also alleges one of the officers told youths involved to “refuse treatment when they went to medical to get treated by nurses.” The LA County Probation Department, which runs the facility, said in a statement that it “fully supports and applauds” the attorney general’s office for Monday’s indictments, and that all officers involved are on leave without pay. Accountability is a cornerstone of our mission, and we have zero tolerance for misconduct of any peace officers, especially those dealing with young people in our system.” Jamal Tooson, who represents the 17-year-old and his family in a civil case against the county, called Monday’s indictment the “the tip of the iceberg” of a systemic problem in the probation department.