Sequel Confronts More Abuse Allegations amid Concerns about Its Finances. All consultations are completely confidential and discrete. Former Students at Utah Troubled-Teen Centers Say Their Reports of Sex Abuse Were Ignored. Both options are completely confidential and completely discrete. Theyre worth nearly $13 million. After helping launch YSI, Ripley became the chief executive of Precision Tune Auto Care. Information Request: Best Method to Contact You? But some facilities might have new life under a different name and one of the original founders. . Two years later, Marshall sent cookies to other Sequel employees as a gift, emails show. They described physical abuse by staff, Johnson said, and being denied medical care. Employee at Teen Behavior Facility Arrested for Sexual Battery, Showing Porn to Minors. The lawsuit filed Tuesday in Lawrence County Circuit Court claims Sequel TSI of Alabama has a history of staff physically abusing children at its facilities, encouraging fights among children and . Five years ago, Sequel Youth & Family Services ran a chain of treatment programs that took in and tried to help troubled kids from all over the United States. In a public letter, the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program wrote that it has grave concerns about the immediate safety and welfare of the nearly 100 children, aged 12 to 18, currently in facilities run by Sequel TSI of Alabama, a Huntsville-based provider. All rights reserved. In 2020, 16-year-old Cornelius Frederick died after he was reportedly smothered to death by Sequel employees in Michigan after he threw a sandwich. Government regulators and the media took notice. lawsuits and interviews with former residents, staff . Yet, at these facilities, children have been sexually and physically assaulted by staff members. 2.9. You may be eligible to file a Tepezza Lawsuit if you or a loved one took Tepezza and subsequently suffered permanent hearing loss or tinnitus. We're ready to fight for you. Ripley started Sequel in 1999 with Adam Shapiro, a lawyer, initially just to run Clarinda Academy, a youth facility in Iowa where Shapiro had been executive director. In 2020, Emmet County Sheriff Mike Martens contacted the state to complain about the burden Forest Ridge was placing on his department. At Kingston Academy in Tennessee, state inspectors found mold infestations, overflowing toilets and children sleeping on mattresses on the floor. Since 2016, the company has secured contracts worth more than $68 million from the states Department of Human Resources. Look no further, call now! Alamo Drafthouse revealed it is selling itself as the dine-in cinema chain filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday -- and one of its new co-owners is a private-equity firm that has been engulfed in a . The firm went above and beyond. Laurie and Tristan Broadrick are expecting their first child. MOUNT PLEASANT, Utah (AP) A company that runs treatment centers for troubled youth is closing a second Utah facility as officials investigate claims of sexual abuse, violence and several other . These cookies do not store any personal information. An employee at a Sequel facility in Utah was arrested for sexual battery and showing pornography to minors. The sheriffs frustrations are similar to those expressed by local law enforcement about Sequel treatment centers in Ohio and Wyoming. KALAMAZOO, MI -- A federal lawsuit filed on behalf of the family of Cornelius Fredricks, the 16-year-old who died after being restrained at a Kalamazoo youth facility, seeks more than $50 million. HUNTSVILLE, Ala., June 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequel Youth and Family Services today announced that Chris W. Roussos has been appointed the Company's Chief Executive . Even if a facility is closed, victims can still take legal action against parties involved in the facilities. If they cant get qualified people to do their job, they need to shut them down.. Hunter was assaulted multiple times by other children, including by his roommate, in full view of Sequels staff, according to a lawsuit his family filed against Sequel this week. The company collected over $200 million in annual revenue at the time, he said, and turned about $30 million in profit, which he attributed to keeping staffing costs low. The lawsuit alleges staff sat on his chest as he screamed . A walkway to enter the school at the Courtland facility. Multiple lawsuits have been filed in Alabama, alleging rampant abuse in Sequels Courtland and Tuskegee facilities. If you are representing the estate of a loved one who has died as a result of abuse, or as a result of self-harm from abuse, you may qualify to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Sequel or at-fault parties. Responses to the Youth Risk Behavior survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention biannually, showed that over 40% of high school students reported feeling so sad or . In 2017, when a private equity firm bought a controlling stake in Sequel Youth & Family Services, it had 35 residential treatment centers in 16 states. The company has secured hundreds of millions of dollars in government funding and tens of millions more from private equity firms to expand to new locations, while deploying a sophisticated marketing strategy to convince state officials to send more children, despite government inspections flagging violations at Sequel locations in at least nine states, the records show. 1. That lawsuit alleged that Sequel engages in a pattern and practice of using violent force against children and that children at Sequel facilities are subjected to unapproved and painful restraint techniques, long term seclusion/isolation and physical abuse (Staff refuses to intervene during fights and often encourages these fights. In an article from APM Reports analyzing Riverside Academy in Kansas, a former Sequel operation, it was found that: In the four years before it closed, the facility had been cited 38 times by Kansas officials for problems including excessive force by staff, poor supervision, under-qualified medical personnel, neglect and bullying by residents, according to state licensing records.. He and the other children at Sequel Tuskegee were treated like animals by staff. Our experienced team of child sexual abuse lawyers represents victims across a number of different case types, including in cases similar to the Sequel Youth & Family Services lawsuit. Sequel, she said, has also invested millions in improving care, staff training and oversight of its programs, doubling the size of its corporate compliance team. The company told investors it was well positioned to serve as industry consolidator, thanks in part to its clean regulatory and litigation history.. Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Emotional & Psychological AbuseFebruary 22, 2022Personal Injury Sequel Youth and Family Services Abuse LawsuitSequel Youth and Family Services is the most notable operator of youth residential treatment facilities in the United States, and reportedly operates up to 80%. Alabama cannot wait for the death of a child before severing ties with Sequel, the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program told state agencies in its July report, which called on the state to end its contracts with Sequel and revoke the companys licenses. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Birmingham said that seclusion which the company refers to as controlled observation and physical restraints are supposed to be last resorts and are not meant to be punitive. It's like this many-headed Hydra. In 2017 Sequel operated 35 residential treatment centers in 16 states. And we either make drastic improvements at the facility, or we may choose not to operate that facility anymore.. Without our team, we wouldnt be able to provide our clients with anything close to the level of service they receive when they work with us. Turn to us when you dont know where to turn. There was a particular room, said Johnson, investigations supervisor for the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program, a federally funded watchdog group that has the authority to monitor treatment facilities like Sequels and advocate for changes. Sequel Youth and Family Services is a diversified behavioral health services provider that develops and operates programs for people with behavioral, emotional, or physical challenges. Nobody joins our industry, you know, unless they're actually here for the kids, she said. But rather than get better, Laurie said, girls at Owens Cross Roads seemed to get worse. Since Fredericks' death, Michigan's Department of Health and Human . 2020 AbuseGuardian.com. The most common issue reported at youth residential treatment facilities is physical abuse, either at the hands of employees or other residents. Sequel was founded as a company in 1999. Contact the Elmiron Lawyers from TorHoerman Law. The facility, which Sequel operated under a contract with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, shut down the following month. Sexual abuse has also been reported in Sequel facilities and is just as unreported and undocumented as physical abuse. Tommy James is an attorney representing a 16-year-old named Hunter who lived at a Sequel facility in Courtland for 10 months. The company kept growing by taking over other youth facilities and programs, fueled by investments from a handful of private equity firms. Dont' waste time, contact our law offices today. The lawsuit alleges that Pike was placed in isolation as punishment, sometimes for days, during which he had no access to food and water and was forced to urinate in the corner of the segregation room. Sequel disputes the findings and the facility remains open. On January 26, 2022, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of Tevin Pike against Sequel TSI of Alabama, Sequel TSI of Tuskegee, and Sequel Youth & Family Services LLC ("Sequel"), alleging that Pike was a former 15-year-old resident at an Alabama treatment facility for children run by Sequel TIS of Tuskegee, a residential psychiatric facility, for about two months in 2018, during which Pike was . It's a hard industry.. Attorneys at TorHoerman Law have first-hand experience with these sorts of facilities and can help you gain justice and compensation. He mentioned how "you can make money in this . Most of the former Sequel treatment centers that remain open are now controlled by Vivant Behavioral Healthcare, which was founded in 2021 by Jay Ripley, one of three people who founded Sequel in 1999. Sparkman, the Alabama Department of Human Resources spokesman, said the agency could not comment on individual cases. Then children began to talk. 2, 2022 at 8:08 PM PDT. But the next year, advocates for people with disabilities started to raise alarm about the way Sequel allegedly treated children. You cut off the head. Our team of attorneys include: Continue reading to learn more about the Sequel Youth & Family Services investigation. While much of the abuse in Sequel facilities allegedly went undocumented, many other instances were well reported and even noticed by state officials responsible for ensuring the safety of youth residents. 137. For children who qualify . If you or a loved one suffered injuries from an Exactech implant device, you may be entitled to financial compensation. "My client lived a house of horrors," Tommy James said. Michigan, Oregon, Washington, and California have also either shut the facilities or are ending their relationships with Sequel Youth and Family Services in wake of concern around the abuse. (Sequel said the free trips are not standard practice.). If you have been exposed to Paraquat and diagnosed with Parkinsons disease may be eligible to pursue compensation, and entitled to participate in the paraquat lawsuit. Investigation reveals appalling conditions at for-profit Alabama youth home, Michigan facility 'lost all control' of children before staff fatally restrained teen, police say, 'They told me it was going to be a good place': Allegations of abuse at home for at-risk kids, Loosening the grip of restraint: Investigating allegations of abuse at youth homes. A wonderful and professional legal team. Some girls tried to harm themselves just to get out of the facility, Laurie said, including herself. Laurie didnt know it at the time, but her future husband, Tristan Broadrick, was also struggling in Sequel facilities in Alabama. That's not what we saw.". Ohio recently announced it was forcing Sequel Pomegranate to relinquish its license to operate its residential treatment facility. Members of our attorney team have first-hand experience with youth residential treatment facilities and abuse cases. Falcon Ridge Academy, where these crimes occurred, is meant to house teenage girls with behavioral issues usually resulting from trauma. Everything you need to know about the Disney California Cookware / 16 hours ago Kay Ivey, a Republican. In the past three weeks, Sequel announced plans to shutter Clarinda Academy in Clarinda . That national corporation also owns Woodward Academy and Forest Ridge Youth Services in . The company dreamed of dominating Americas $220 billion behavioral health care industry. A nonprofit organization in Kansas will take over a Sequel treatment center there, according to Kansas City public radio station KCUR. Tristan, now 18, was placed into foster care on his 12th birthday and bounced between group homes until 2018, when he landed at Tuskegee, an intensive psychiatric treatment facility. Last year, Tennessee, which had paid Sequel up to $608 a day per child, suspended admissions to Kingston and the states Medicaid agency terminated its contract with Sequel. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. There is poor supervision, staff bullying and intimidation of the children. By clicking ACCEPT ALL, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Ripley started in the juvenile corrections business in the early 1990s, when he helped start Youth Services International with his boss and mentor James Hindman. Sequel is playing hide the ball, and theyre trying to avoid accountability and responsibility for [what they did] to these children and our clients, said Tommy James, an attorney in Birmingham, Alabama, who has three suits pending against Sequel facilities now controlled by Vivant. In recent years, lawyers and child advocates have surfaced allegations of abuse of children . Sequel declined to make any of its leaders available for interviews. The series focused particular attention on the state of Florida, which has become emblematic of a nationwide trend in which growing numbers . Jay Ripley speaks at the Merrick School of Business in Baltimore in 2015. Tevins two months in Sequel Tuskegee would be a house of horrors. In December 2021, Sequel closed both locations of its Forest Ridge Youth Services treatment program in Iowa. One of the children placed at Courtland in early 2018 was a 15-year-old boy named Hunter, a former foster child with post-traumatic stress disorder whod been abused. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 38% of employees would recommend working at Sequel Youth & Family Services to a friend and 28% have a positive outlook for the business. Illuminating Journalism from American Public Media. C-Suite Team Hired to Accelerate Growth of Industry Leading Behavioral Health Company. I would recommend TorHoerman Law for any personal injury litigation needs. Falcon Ridge Academy had the highest rate of sex crimes reported in the state of Utah. An Altamont press release said Ripley would "remain involved with the business as chairman of the board through its next phases of growth." 2.8. 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