CHEHALIS, Wash. — Editor's note: The above video originally aired Oct. 2.
Chehalis police arrested a woman Wednesday as it investigates alleged custodial sexual misconduct at the Green Hill Juvenile Corrections facility, weeks after a KING 5 Investigation story covered the initial lawsuit.
The Chehalis Police Department said it was aware of the possible custodial misconduct earlier this month involving a corrections officer and a male inmate. Police said through the investigation detectives discovered officer Michelle Goodman, 31, from Centralia, had sexual relations with a 23-year-old inmate in January 2024.
Goodman was arrested and charged with three counts of custodial sexual misconduct.
KING 5 reported Oct. 2 on a lawsuit filed on behalf of a young inmate that alleged Goodman had groomed him for sex and videotaped their sexual encounters.
Goodman was fired from Green Hill in March after she was charged with a “prison riot.” Lewis County prosecutors said she turned a blind eye to a plot by Green Hill inmates to beat up a rival gang member.
Goodman was set to plead guilty and be sentenced later this month. But after Lewis County prosecutor Jonathan Meyer was alerted to the new lawsuit by KING 5, he said, “We are withdrawing that plea offer at this time,” and he launched an investigation into the lawsuit’s claims. Meyer said at the time he was not aware of the suit and hoped the plaintiff would cooperate with a police investigation into Goodman.
Police said this is the fifth person employed at Greenhill to be arrested this year, three of which involved sexual misconduct.
According to the Chehalis Police Department, 15 incidents were reported at the facility in 2022, 74 in 2023 and 184 in 2024.
In August, the KING 5 Investigators reported on documents showing the state paid $4.4 million to settle sex abuse claims filed by current and former inmates who said they were abused by staff members.
Green Hill School Superintendent Jason Aldana stepped down last week after six years.
Police asked anyone with information about any crimes at the facility to contact the department at 360-748-8605.