T.W. v. Echtenkamp — 9th Cir. (Aug 4, 2026)
The Ninth Circuit reviews an Eighth Amendment civil-rights claim arising from alleged sexual misconduct at Oregon's MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility. T.W. accuses his former mental-health counselor, Emily Echtenkamp, of sexual advances and other sexualized conduct while he was in custody. At the pleading stage, the district court denied Echtenkamp's motion to dismiss on qualified-immunity grounds. The appeal asks whether existing law gave her fair warning that the alleged conduct violated the Eighth Amendment. The Ninth Circuit has not yet ruled.
T.W. v. Echtenkamp (No. 25-5777) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, argued August 4, 2026.
Sources
Argument audio — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (public domain, 17 U.S.C. § 105):https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/media/2026/08/04/25-5777.mp3
Argument listing — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit:https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/cases/streams-videos/archive?case=25-5777&hearingDate=2026-08-04
Opinion search — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit:https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/decisions/opinions/
Memorandum search — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit:https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/decisions/memoranda/
Appellate docket — Docket Alarm (PACER-derived):https://www.docketalarm.com/cases/US_Court_of_Appeals_Ninth_Circuit/25-5777/T.W._v._Echtenkamp_et_al/
District-court docket — Docket Alarm (PACER-derived):https://www.docketalarm.com/cases/Oregon_District_Court/3--24-cv-01326/T._W._v._Echtenkamp_et_al/
Independent report — KATU:https://katu.com/news/local/three-more-lawsuits-allege-sexual-abuse-at-oregon-youth-correctional-facilities
Chen-Chen Jiang — Schroeter Goldmark & Bender:https://sgb-law.com/our-team/chen-chen-jiang
Hong (Chen-Chen) Jiang identity record — GovInfo:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-waed-2_22-cv-00159/pdf/USCOURTS-waed-2_22-cv-00159-2.pdf
- 0:00Introduction
- 0:41Nicole Swift — Appellant
- 15:24Chen-Chen Jiang — Appellee