Responsible for the recommendation of all admissions, transfers, and discharges of . Tommy James is an attorney representing a 16-year-old named Hunter who lived at a Sequel facility in Courtland for 10 months. A 16-year-old Michigan boy went into cardiac arrest and died after several staff members of the residential treatment facility he stayed at restrained him, according to a lawsuit filed Monday. The series focused particular attention on the state of Florida, which has become emblematic of a nationwide trend in which growing numbers . When Johnson and her colleagues visited, the children recounted how staff encouraged them to kill themselves and made vulgar comments; one child said staff members make fun of my name, which upsets me because it is my dads name and he passed away.. According to Tristan, and confirmed by state records and accounts from advocates and four former foster children, the staff regularly used seclusion, sometimes for days, at Tuskegee and Owens Cross Roads. (Sequel said the free trips are not standard practice.). And the company vowed to reduce the use of physical restraints on children. 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. Sequel Youth & Family Services, once one of the nation's largest operators of treatment centers for children with behavioral problems, plans to close three more facilities, including its flagship academy, continuing the company's contraction in the past two years amid wide-spread reports of abuse.. A 16-year-old, Cornelius Frederick, died this year after several staff members restrained him at a Sequel facility in Michigan, prompting disability rights proponents, legislators and child advocacy groups in at least six states to question whether the company focuses more on profit than rehabilitating the children in its care. Ripley sold a majority stake in Sequel to private equity firm Altamont Capital Partners in 2017, shortly after his bid to take the company public fizzled due to insufficient investment. Marianne Birmingham, Sequels compliance director, said in an interview that the company has worked with the state to improve conditions in its Alabama facilities. Plus, you will join a work environment where collaboration and support come naturally. A majority stake in Sequel was bought by Altamont Capital, a private equity firm located in California, in 2017. Alabama, however, is among the states that have permitted Sequel to continue operating. Toys litter the floor at Sequel's Courtland facility. Nobody joins our industry, you know, unless they're actually here for the kids, she said. Following a barrage of abuse scandals and media attention, including a 2020 investigation by APM Reports, the company has shut down close to half of its treatment centers and sold most of the rest to a new company called Vivant Behavioral Healthcare. He and the other children at Sequel Tuskegee were treated like animals by staff. It's like this many-headed Hydra. How long do I have to file a Sequel abuse lawsuit? For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 1:07. As of 2021, Sequel operates youth behavioral centers in 17 states. University of Baltimore Merrick School of Business, according to Kansas City public radio station KCUR. Even if a facility is closed, victims can still take legal action against parties involved in the facilities. Hindman had founded the Jiffy Lube chain of auto service centers, and Ripley worked for him. I worked at Sequel Youth & Family full-time and the best day was my last! In a court filing last week in Alabama, it argued that the lawsuit should be moved out of state court because the Ripley family is based in Virginia and an intricate series of business entities that comprise and control Vivant are incorporated in Virginia and Delaware. See Monitoring Report for Sequel Youth and Family Services of Courtland, Ala. Disabilities Advoc. 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. We're ready to fight for you. Government regulators and the media took notice. Look no further, call now! Jay Ripley speaks at the Merrick School of Business in Baltimore in 2015. 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. Sequel Youth & Family Services provides a broad spectrum of treatment programs to people of all ages with behavioral, emotional, and physical challenges. After her mother received a terminal cancer diagnosis, she became depressed and defiant, and struggled with suicidal thoughts. Tevin and the other children were physically, verbally and emotionally abused., Pikes attorney stated at the time the complaint was filed: A culture of violence and abuse pervades throughout Sequel facilities across the country. The most common issue reported at youth residential treatment facilities is physical abuse, either at the hands of employees or other residents. We focused on public pay because we figured kids are always going to have issues and they're always going to get in trouble, and again, the government has to figure out a way to take care of them, Ripley explained, according to a video recording. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. According to reporting, Alabama pays Sequel about $330 per day to house each child and has paid Sequel in excess of $30 million since 2018. TorHoerman Law was responsible for handling a medical case for our family. In Iowa, licensing inspectors found on multiple visits over the past two years that the Woodward Academy staff had put residents in inappropriate restraints without justification. That means sending out marketing agents to get more states to send children to its facilities. Both of his eyes are black; one is swollen shut. 1 (July 2, 2020) (hereinafter "ADAP"). Kate Snow is a national correspondent for NBC News. I dont want any other kid to have to go through that, Tristan said. The company has offered all-expenses-paid trips to state employees to tour the companys facilities. Thank you TorHoerman Law! Very nice people! If you or a loved one suffered injuries from an Exactech implant device, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Alabama Sequel Facility a House of Horrors for Foster Child, Lawsuit Claims. An Altamont press release said Ripley would "remain involved with the business as chairman of the board through its next phases of growth." 38% of employees would recommend working at Sequel Youth & Family Services to a friend and 28% have a positive outlook for the business. Sequel Youth and Family Services was founded in the late 1990s by former employees of Youth Services International. No parent would ever want their child to spend even one hour in a Sequel facility.. Today, Sequel has all but vanished. In Alabama, the Alabama Department of Youth Services and the Alabama Department of Human Resources place at-risk children in the Sequel facility to receive medically required mental health care. A Profitable Death Trap: Sequel Youth Facilities Raked in Millions While Accused of Abusing Children. After their release, they stayed in touch and fell in love, they said. Sequel was established to operate Clarinda Academy in Iowa, but soon expanded to operate dozens of youth residential treatment facilities around the country. Tax dollars are being used ultimately to abuse and mistreat children who are in need of serious therapeutic services, and weve sent them to these services for that, said K. Ricky Watson Jr., head of the National Juvenile Justice Network, which has advocated against for-profit juvenile detention. He was physically restrained by workers putting their full body weight on his torso, leading to a cardiac arrest and his death two days later. 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.. The name isn't the problem. They also did a nice job keeping us updated with the case throughout the process. Steve and the entire staff were friendly and professional. Theyre worth nearly $13 million. Can I sue a Sequel facility that is closed? When you think about the amount of money that these facilities and Sequel are receiving, he said, it makes you wonder: Where exactly is that money going?. Sequel formerly ran the following facilities: Multiple lawsuits have been filed against Sequel Youth and Family Services, alleging abuse of all sorts and negligent behavior of staff and management. Anytime that our clients are not getting the highest quality care that they deserve is an opportunity for improvement.. John Jay Ripley, one of Sequels founders, established Vivant Behavioral Healthcare in order to buy a majority of Sequel and eventually rebrand the company. The lawsuit states the boy "had a propensity to engage in . He was forced to go to the bathroom on his own breakfast tray, he said. In the past three weeks, Sequel announced plans to shutter Clarinda Academy in Clarinda . A number of new lawsuits are currently being filed nationwide against both currently operational and closed Sequel facilities. They are supported by a dedicated team of staff that are as equally friendly and helpful. They described physical abuse by staff, Johnson said, and being denied medical care. In 2020, a lawsuit filed on behalf of a 14-year-old against the Sequel facility in north Alabama alleged that the teenager suffered long-term abuse at the hands of staff and other children residing at the facility. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Many of Those Kids Were Abused There. Sequel Youth and Family Services Lawsuit: Reports of Abuse, Independent Fundamental Baptist Resources, Disclaimer / Terms Of Service & Privacy Policy, 24/7 support with a caring legal staff dedicated to protecting your confidentiality, employees or "whistleblowers" of the facilities, Multiple children report being slammed to the ground and held facedown, One boy described his head being caught on a nail in the wall during a violent restraint, Reports of being called names, threatened, and comments such as "you gonna go to jail", Report of being in solitary confinement for 72 hours, with no access to a bathroom, Report of lack of access to medical treatment, dental treatment or eye care, Report of lack of access to clean drinking water, Lack of education, school work and career training, Filthy conditions and hazardous living conditions, Residents in inappropriate restraints without justification, and even the death of one resident at a Michigan facility. Sequel, and similar for-profit companies that run youth behavioral health centers, can be paid up to $800 a day per child they take into their facilities, turning a profit of millions each year. The records revealed reports of child abuse and injury reports had been made to state agencies in Alabama, yet the facilities would still pass inspections. The statute of limitations for each state determines the amount of time that a victim has to file an abuse lawsuit. Visit our website or call us toll-free in the United States at 800-295-3959 to find local attorneys in you state who may assist you with your claim against Sequel. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. In a statement, Sparkman wrote that the agency investigates allegations and that subsequent investigation records are confidential based on Alabama law.. Here's everything you need to know about "The Grinch" sequel, plus the best books your kid can check out now. Sequel settled a lawsuit from Fredricks family in December. Michigans governor ordered state agencies in June to never do business with Sequel. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Fredericks went into cardiac arrest April 29. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources. To learn more about how our law firm helps the injured, check out our Frequently Asked Questions Page. Once the child has an accident they are then humiliated by staff members in front of the other children and made to sit in their urine or feces., Local police, the employee told Landers, called Courtland a death trap., Landers referred questions to the Department of Human Resources. Run by Sequel Youth & Family Services a for-profit, $450 million company backed by Bay Area investors Lakeside had promised to put the boys "on a pathway to lead healthy and successful . 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. You can also sue facility staff members who are no longer working for Sequel. Mr. Roussos brings nearly two decades of experience building and leading healthcare organizations with vibrant service-oriented . The Alabama Department of Human . Sequel settled a lawsuit from Fredrick's family in December. 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 . Physical abuse at these facilities often includes: Northern Illinois Academy in Des Plaines, operated by Sequel, was closed because of reported abuse by staff, and improper restraints were highlighted in news reports surrounding the closure. Sequel is a privately-owned, for-profit operator of behavioral healthcare facilities for children and youth in the United States. 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. 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. Sequel Youth and Family Services, which operates numerous youth treatment and residential facilities in several states. Ohio recently revoked the license of a Sequel psychiatric facility in Columbus over multiple instances of violence. And we're ready to start right now. Information Request: Best Method to Contact You? Sequel Youth and Family Services is a private for-profit operator of behavioral healthcare facilities for children and youth in the United States. Attorneys at TorHoerman Law have first-hand experience with these sorts of facilities and can help you gain justice and compensation. Sequel Youth & Family Services collected hundreds of millions in tax dollars to care for vulnerable children, despite abuse and negligence allegations. A residential school operated by Sequel Youth and Family Services is set to permanently shutdown its operations. A 16 year-old resident named Cornelius Fredricks was killed at a Kalamazoo, Michigan facility run by Sequel. Captured on silent surveillance camera video, the death of Cornelius Fredrick Jr. was compared by some to the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police that same year, and the public pressure on Sequel increased. Today the Sequel brand has been removed from almost all its former treatment centers web sites. Sparkman, the Alabama Department of Human Resources spokesman, said the agency could not comment on individual cases. We encourage the following groups of people to step forward in confidence: An NBC News investigation sorted through more than 10,000 pages and records from 14 states, and interviews with former Sequel residents and parents showing how Sequel became one of the largest behavioral health youth facilities in the United States. Altamont Capital Partners Invests in Sequel Youth & Family Services. 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 . Employee at Teen Behavior Facility Arrested for Sexual Battery, Showing Porn to Minors. Children at Sequels other facilities in Alabama Montgomery, Owens Cross Roads and Tuskegee also had stories to tell. Most notably, the estate of Cornelius Fredricks filed a $100 million lawsuit against Sequel for his death. They hope to raise awareness by speaking out. Birmingham said Sequels marketing agents play a key role in receiving feedback from state officials and in helping the facilitys staffers get what they need to care for their residents. Responsible for providing leadership to the program. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals . Everything you need to know about the Disney California Cookware / 16 hours ago A woman who answered the phone at Capital Academy and asked not to be identified said it was not part of Vivant. After acquiring a new facility, Sequel uses its marketing arm to increase capacity and occupancy, as Ripley put it in a 2017 call to investors. These residents were allowed to attack Tevin nightly. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. There were feces on the floor, stuck inside the doorframe, stuck around the window.. Sequel cares for more than 9,000 clients across the U.S., including foster children, children whose parents are unable to handle their behavior and children in the states juvenile justice system. IE 11 is not supported. Violence, Often Instigated by Staff, Has Become Common at Red Rock Canyon School in St. George for Troubled Children. Iowa's Department of Corrections rents buildings and land to its owner, Sequel Youth and Family Services. Washington, California, Oregon and Minnesota stopped sending kids to the companys treatment centers. 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 lawsuits reinforce the findings of a recent Huffington Post investigation that revealed more than two decades of abuse and neglect inside private prisons operated by Youth Services International and other companies run by its founder, James Slattery. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These children are re-traumatized daily by continuous abuse and neglect.). 2.8. "These are places that are supposed to provide a safe, homelike, therapeutic environment, Johnson said. If you or a loved one suffered from abuse at a Sequel facility, camp, boarding school, or treatment center, consider contacting TorHoerman Law for legal help. He has a bulging, bloody laceration on his forehead. An NBC News investigation sorted through tens of thousands of documents and found dozens of reports of sexual and physical abuse. Oregon state Senator Sara Gelser has spent years demanding accountability for Sequel, and she is continuing the crusade against Vivant. Multiple lawsuits have been filed in Alabama, alleging rampant abuse in Sequels Courtland and Tuskegee facilities. Work/Life Balance. Patricia took photos during a visit showing Hunter, a thin, slight child, sitting on a couch at the facility in a Spider-Man T-shirt. Records show that the problems at Sequel facilities go beyond Alabama. Kay Ivey, a Republican. Nineteen-year-old Tevin Pike filed a civil lawsuit against TSI Sequel of Tuskegee and several other entities Wednesday, alleging that he was abused and treated with negligent care during his . SHERIDAN Normative Services Academy, Inc. will close its doors March 22 "after an evaluation of viability of the Normative Services program," according to a press release sent Wednesday morning by NSI Executive Director Clayton Carr. Turn to us when you dont know where to turn. If you have been abused at a Sequel Youth and Family Services facility, or a similar facility, contact our experienced team of attorneys today to learn more about your legal rights. 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