Skip to Main Content

News

11.1.17

The U.S. Department of Justice and the state of Illinois have intervened in a whistleblower lawsuit against Laynie Foundation, Inc., a mental health facility that provides services to children and adolescents.

The lawsuit, originally filed by Goldberg Kohn, alleges that Laynie Foundation, Inc., along with its COO Summer Matheson and CEO Terrence Ewing defrauded the United States and the state of Illinois by engaging in illegal billing practices for mental health services. Specifically, the case alleges Laynie Foundation knowingly submitted false and/or fraudulent claims to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services in order to increase its payments for mental health services. 

Goldberg Kohn filed the lawsuit on behalf of Teena Purohit, a mental health professional who provided mental health services to children while working at Laynie Foundation from October 2013 to April 2014. The case was filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which encourages private citizens to report fraud against the government by allowing them to sue on behalf of the government and receive a share of any recovery. The False Claims Act also allows the government to join and prosecute such lawsuits, as the Department of Justice has elected to do in this case. To view the full complaint, please click here.