The Estate of Colton Sabo, represented by Todd Sabo, has filed a lawsuit against McHenry County, Sheriff Robb Tadelman, Wellpath, Neil Pagett and unknown individuals in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The case number is 3:24-cv-50164 and it was filed on May 1, 2024. The complaint alleges negligence leading to the death of Colton Sabo while he was detained at McHenry County Jail.
On July 29, 2023, Colton Sabo was found unresponsive in his cell and died a day later. His death marks one of four deaths that have occurred at the jail since July 2023. These deaths were allegedly not reported to the Illinois Office of Jail and Detention Standards as required by law.
The plaintiff alleges that defendants Tadelman and Wellpath failed to provide adequate training or continuing education to their employees regarding medical emergencies. Furthermore, they argue that Sheriff Tadelman did not properly oversee the administration of the contract with Wellpath despite being alerted to their pattern of unconstitutional conduct through numerous lawsuits.
The plaintiff seeks redress under various laws including 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and § 1988 which authorize actions for deprivation of rights under state law and awarding attorneys' fees respectively. They also invoke supplemental jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1367 for consideration of state law claims alleged in this case.