Special needs teen left to eat buttons, screws at LI residential home: suit

Unsafe conditions at a nonprofit facility on Long Island enabled a 15-year-old with a rare eating disorder to ingest screws and other hazardous items, a new lawsuit alleges.

The nonprofit SCO Family of Services, formerly known as St. Christopher-Ottilie, is accused of assault and “reckless disregard for the well-being and safety” of the special needs teen, who required surgery to remove the items, according to the suit filed on behalf of the unnamed teen’s guardian, Eva Perez.

The teen — a ward of SCO Family of Services, was a resident at the Robert J. McMahon Children’s Center and attended school at its Tyree Learning Center in Sea Cliff — has a mental health disorder called pica, where sufferers compulsively gobble non-food items or insert foreign objects into their body, according to the suit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Along with screws, the teen “periodically” ingested items such as bolts, bottle caps, and buttons on several occasions since June 2021, according to court papers.

Perez is seeking unspecified damages for the teen’s medical expenses to remove the items, as well as to treat bruises and cuts after allegedly being restrained in July for an unspecified reason, according to court papers.

SCO, which brought in over $260 million in revenue according to last year’s tax filings, provides community, family and homeless services across Long Island and NYC.

Pica often occurs with other mental health disorders.

There is limited research on the condition but some studies indicate that the disorder is seen among 10% of people who are mentally challenged.

It can be treated with therapy and changes to lifestyle and circumstances, such as correcting nutrient deficiencies.

SCO said it could not comment on an active lawsuit, but that, “Ensuring the safety of the children in our care is the top priority of SCO Family of Services and RJMCC.”