WA juvenile detention staffer arrested for sexual misconduct with minor

A staff member connected to Green Hill School, a juvenile rehabilitation and detention facility operated by Washington’s Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) in Chehalis, has been removed and arrested following an investigation into alleged misconduct involving a minor, according to authorities and the agency.

The incident came to light after a tip was received on March 11, prompting Green Hill staff to initiate an internal investigation. The employee in question was immediately reassigned to duties that did not involve contact with youth. By March 13, the individual was no longer employed by DCYF.

“The safety of young people in our care is our highest obligation, and we remain committed to maintaining a culture at Green Hill focused on rehabilitation and no tolerance for misconduct,” said Superintendent Harold Wright Jr.

According to the Chehalis Police Department, the case escalated after investigators uncovered allegations involving a 28-year-old man who had engaged in sexually explicit conversations with a juvenile girl. Police say the suspect also traveled to Chehalis on two occasions and had sexual contact with the minor.

On March 18, officers from the Chehalis Police Department, along with the Washington State Department of Corrections and the Federal Way Police Department, served a search warrant at the suspect’s residence. He was taken into custody, and electronic devices were seized as part of the investigation.

The suspect, identified by police as Daniel B. Woody of Federal Way, was booked into the Lewis County Jail. He faces multiple charges, including communication with a minor for immoral purposes, two counts of rape of a child in the third degree, possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and supplying liquor to a minor.

The allegations come amid ongoing scrutiny of misconduct issues at Green Hill School. In a separate case just two years ago, a former security guard at the facility was charged with sex crimes involving an inmate.