Police are examining how a male employee handled a teenage girl’s intake and how the allegations reached authorities.
SMYRNA, Ga. — The arrest of a former Ridgeview Institute employee accused of sexually assaulting a teenage patient has brought new scrutiny to the Smyrna facility’s intake procedures and its response after learning of the allegations.
Jalen Pugh, 25, is charged with sexual assault against a person with a disability, statutory rape, aggravated child molestation and sodomy. Police allege he assaulted a 15-year-old patient during the early morning hours of April 11, one day after she entered the mental health facility for treatment.
The investigation has focused in part on how Pugh became involved in the girl’s admission. Smyrna Police Lt. Meredith Holt said the facility generally assigns women to check in female patients and men to check in male patients.
Two female employees had begun the girl’s intake before Pugh took over, according to information gathered by investigators. Holt said employees switched during the process, although authorities have not publicly stated why the change was made.
The girl’s mother said she also questioned why Pugh was allowed onto her daughter’s unit. Investigators have not released a detailed description of his position, responsibilities or access within the facility.
According to the arrest warrant, Pugh made inappropriate comments during the intake. Police allege he returned at about 5 a.m. the next morning, roughly two hours before his scheduled shift, and entered the girl’s room.
Security cameras recorded Pugh entering the room 10 times between about 5 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., investigators said. Employment records showed he clocked in at about 5 a.m. The warrant alleges that he sexually assaulted the patient while inside the room.
The girl did not initially report the allegations directly to police. About a week later, she told another patient, who passed the information to a staff member, according to the police report.
Holt said her understanding was that Ridgeview Institute then contacted the girl’s mother and that the mother called police. The mother has said she questioned why the facility did not notify law enforcement or child welfare officials itself.
Holt said facilities and employees responsible for children are mandated reporters and must report suspected abuse to police or the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services within 24 hours of learning about it. Publicly available accounts do not establish the precise time at which individual facility administrators learned enough information to trigger that requirement.
Ridgeview Institute told investigators it began an internal investigation five days after the alleged assault because that was when the facility learned of the accusation, according to a local news report. The facility has not issued a detailed public response addressing its reporting process, staffing decisions or the concerns raised by the girl’s mother.
Police said Pugh is no longer employed by Ridgeview Institute. He was booked into the Cobb County Jail on July 11 and was being held without bond. Authorities have not announced whether the investigation will lead to any additional charges or administrative action involving the facility.
Author note: Last updated July 16, 2026.