A young man from Staten Island in New York state has filed a lawsuit claiming he was sexually abused multiple times by his female counsellor, nicknamed “Big Foot,” while at an upstate juvenile detention centre. The victim, now 21, alleges that the abuse occurred when he was 17 and detained at the Brookwood youth facility, located about 45 minutes south of Albany.
According to the lawsuit, the victim first met associate psychologist Maya Hayes during frequent counselling sessions in her private office. The alleged abuse began approximately three months after his arrival and continued until he had been raped over 30 times. Hayes, 47, is accused of grooming and manipulating the victim into believing that the abuse was part of legitimate care and treatment.
She “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,” the teen alleged.
The lawsuit further claims that Hayes exploited her position of trust and authority to sexually abuse and exploit children under the guise of routine counseling sessions. Staff members at the facility were allegedly aware of the abuse, with some reportedly making inappropriate comments to the victim about his interactions with Hayes.
Hayes allegedly told the victim that she dreamed about him and mentioned a previous relationship with another detainee who resembled him. The lawsuit also accuses Hayes of convincing the victim’s parents to send her $100 payments via CashApp, purportedly for his food and hygiene products.
In April, New York state police arrested Hayes on 65 counts of third-degree criminal sexual act and rape. She pleaded not guilty and was released pending further court proceedings. The victim is seeking unspecified damages from Hayes and a dozen other Brookwood staff members for failing to prevent the abuse.
The victim’s lawyer, Evan Brustein, who is also representing four other alleged victims, said that the responsibility lies with New York state employees who knew about the abuse and did nothing to stop it. A lawyer for Hayes did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
