Employees and parents of children at a former youth psychiatric hospital who sued after an unannounced active intruder drill before Christmas 2022 have reached a proposed settlement agreement with the Michigan health department for $13 million.
Nearly $2.9 million would be allocated for the youth patients and nearly $5.8 million for the employees who were at the Hawthorn Center in Wayne County during the unannounced drill on Dec. 21, 2022, according to the proposed settlement agreement filed Wednesday in the Michigan Court of Claims.
Robin Wagner, a lead attorney for the employees and parents, said that means each of the 50 children who were patients at the time of the unannounced drill would receive more than $57,000 in a special trust to help with needs, such as transportation, housing and medical expenses.
What workers get — and how they can get more
She said the former center’s 110 employees — minus those in charge — would receive at least $5,000 each and possibly more if they don’t opt out of what is being proposed as a class-action settlement.