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A Staten Island man has filed a lawsuit claiming he was sexually abused and raped more than 30 times by a counselor at an upstate juvenile detention facility while staff members ignored the misconduct and even joked about it.
Allegations Against Counselor at Brookwood Youth Facility
The plaintiff, now 21, alleges that he was 17 years old in 2021 when he was sent to Brookwood Youth Facility, located about 45 minutes south of Albany. It was there that he first encountered associate psychologist Maya Hayes, who regularly held private counseling sessions with him, according to the lawsuit filed in Brooklyn Federal Court.
The alleged abuse began approximately three months after he arrived and continued over an extended period. The lawsuit claims that Hayes, 47, raped him more than 30 times.
“Manipulation and Exploitation After Being Raped”
According to court documents, Hayes allegedly “groomed and manipulated [the victim] into trusting that what she was doing had some basis in legitimate care and treatment. It did not.”
The lawsuit further claims that Hayes “used and exploited her position of trust and authority… to her disgusting advantage and her own depraved benefit… to sexually abuse and exploit as many children as possible under the guise of performing routine and necessary counseling sessions.”
Staff Knew About He Was Raped but Failed to Act, Lawsuit Claims
The lawsuit alleges that Brookwood Youth Facility staff members were aware of the abuse but did not intervene. Instead, they reportedly made inappropriate remarks about the teen’s interactions with Hayes.
“Are you doing things with Big Foot?” staff members allegedly asked the teen, referencing Hayes. “We see you in there with Dr. Hayes doing nasty stuff,” they reportedly told him.
The reason behind the nickname “Big Foot” remains unclear.
Counselor Allegedly Manipulated Rape Victim’s Parents
The lawsuit also claims that Hayes deceived the victim’s parents into sending her $100 payments via CashApp. She allegedly told them the money was for their son’s food and hygiene products.
The lawsuit states that Hayes confided in the victim that she had dreams about him and claimed she “had a previous guy inside Brookwood” who resembled him and “broke her heart.”
In April, New York State Police arrested Hayes on 65 counts of third-degree criminal sexual acts and rape. She pleaded not guilty and was released while awaiting trial. The case remains pending.
Legal Action Against Facility and Staff
The victim is now suing Hayes and a dozen other staff members at Brookwood Youth Facility for failing to stop what he describes as “depraved” abuse.
“When I was at Brookwood, I was sexually assaulted for months by my psychologist while youth development specialists and administration knew and did nothing to stop it,” the plaintiff said in a statement.
His attorney, Evan Brustein, emphasized the broader responsibility of facility employees.
“The responsibility lies with New York State employees who knew the sexual abuse was happening and enabled it,” said Brustein, who is also representing four other individuals who claim they were abused by Hayes.
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