sequel youth services lawsuit

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 . Sequel settled a lawsuit from Fredrick's family in December. We're ready to be your ally. Sequel Youth and Family Services, a Huntsville, Ala.,-based for-profit company, will run the center effective April 1, said Amanda Fortuna, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Juvenile . In a civil lawsuit filed Monday against Lakeside Academy and Sequel Youth and Family Services, the family said the teen screamed "I can't breathe" as staff members . Marshall also traded messages with Sequels marketing staff monitoring Gelsers social media activity when the lawmaker toured Sequel facilities that year. Two dozen people sat quietly in a conference room at the University of Baltimore on Oct. 1, 2015, as Sequel co-founder Jay Ripley, dressed neatly in a blazer and tie, explained why he had built a company that largely ran on taxpayer money. The operation housed a significant number of children from Oregon, which stopped sending them to Sequel treatment centers in 2020. It's privately held, so details about its financials are hard to come across. Officers frequently were called to investigate peer-on-peer assaults, sexual assault allegations, staff-on-resident misconduct, and runaways, the state report on Martens complaint noted. But some facilities might have new life under a different name and one of the original founders. It's a hard industry.. Many states have reportedly revoked contracts with Sequel (but not Alabama). Steve and the entire staff were friendly and professional. Sequel marketing agents contacted state officials in Oregon before and after a story aired on NBCs Nightly News last year detailing allegations of sexual and physical abuse at Clarinda Academy. Responsible for the recommendation of all admissions, transfers, and discharges of . An SEC filing that year pegged Sequels value at an estimated $421 million. The attorneys and staff at THL worked hard, communicated every step of the process, kept me well informed at all times, and exceeded all expectations! The latest Sequel treatment centers to close are in Idaho, Florida, and Iowa, all of which had been under government scrutiny in recent years. The most common issue reported at youth residential treatment facilities is physical abuse, either at the hands of employees or other residents. A woman who answered the phone at Capital Academy and asked not to be identified said it was not part of Vivant. Last year Sequel officials defended their treatment programs, stating through a crisis management firm that the company had increased staff training and oversight and was working on "phasing out the practice of physically restraining . 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. But the next year, advocates for people with disabilities started to raise alarm about the way Sequel allegedly treated children. Sequel received little public attention before Altamont took control of it in 2017, but state regulators reported serious problems at its facilities before the private equity firm took control. My client lived in a house of horrors. 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. Everything you need to know about the Disney California Cookware / 16 hours ago 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. 1:07. Sequel was founded as a company in 1999. I dont want any other kid to have to go through that, Tristan said. 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. 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 . A 14-year-old boy with a bloody gash just beneath his hairline told her that staff members had shoved him headfirst into a wall, Johnson said. Lawsuit: Teen screamed 'I can't breathe' during restraint WEST . That is our motto and that will always be our reality. A Profitable Death Trap: Sequel Youth Facilities Raked in Millions While Accused of Abusing Children. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Even states without a Sequel location, including California, Oregon and Washington, have done so. 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. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. He mentioned how "you can make money in this . The Team Leader (Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic) CCBHC is a part of the managementSee this and similar jobs on LinkedIn. Though their marketing and public statements espouse an aura of care and reverence for the well-being and progression of the residents they house, their company has been named in lawsuits that allege rampant physical, sexual, and mental/verbal abuse. 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%. I guess we just lifted each other up.. Use the CB Insights Platform to explore Sequel Youth and Family Services's full profile. 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. Many of Those Kids Were Abused There. In response to a list of questions laying out the findings of the APM Reports investigation, the company issued a lengthy written statement. 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. Many of the children served by Sequel are victims with traumatic histories. They also did a nice job keeping us updated with the case throughout the process. Anytime that our clients are not getting the highest quality care that they deserve is an opportunity for improvement.. What Caused Camp Lejeune Water Contamination? All of my questions were answered quickly and in a way I could understand. California, Maryland, Oregon and Washington have also stopped placing children in programs run by the company. Sequel operates youth psychiatric care facilities in 19 states, including several facilities in Alabama. No parent would ever want their child to spend even one hour in a Sequel facility.. A lawsuit filed against a Courtland psychiatric youth treatment facility in the Lawrence County Circuit Court System claims a teenage boy suffered abuse and neglect during his stay at the facility. Multiple state departments have urged their respective states to cut ties with Sequel Youth and Family Services while some states have recently signed contracts, one in Alabama worth almost $13 million. The state investigation found no rule violations. These cookies do not store any personal information. Sequel declined to make Ripley available for an interview, and instead set up an interview with Birmingham, who handles compliance. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Sequel Tuskegee is a mental health treatment facility in Macon County where boys ages 12 to 18 receive therapeutic intervention after being adjudicated by the court. The state did not end its relationship with Sequel. Sequel Youth & Family Services has also faced criticisms. Our team of attorneys include: Continue reading to learn more about the Sequel Youth & Family Services investigation. Cornelius tragic death has been a watershed moment for the fight against abuse in these facilities. He complained that Forest Ridge was admitting children they were not qualified to care for, were allowing children to prey on one another, and were failing to keep children safe by allowing them to leave the facility unsupervised., The report also includes an email Martens sent the state last April: It is time for a change of how business is conducted. A typical bedroom at Sequel's Courtland facility. 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. She was taken to a psychiatric hospital, where, she said, you get emotional help that you would actually need, rather than just four walls and people screaming at you and a very hostile environment.. Nearly all of Sequel's programs run on government funding: States pay Sequel $275 to more than $800 a day per child to provide residential and therapeutic services. 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. No information will be shared unless you, as a client, first approve. 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. 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 . Our team is what has made TorHoerman Law a very special place since 2009. Iowa's Department of Corrections rents buildings and land to its owner, Sequel Youth and Family Services. Sequel Youth & Family Services collected hundreds of millions in tax dollars to care for vulnerable children, despite abuse and negligence allegations. 2.8 out of 5 stars for Work/Life Balance. Sequel Youth and Family Services is the most notable operator of youth residential treatment facilities in the United States, and reportedly operates up to 80% of these establishments. 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.. Work/Life Balance. "My client lived a house of horrors," Tommy James said. Former Students at Utah Troubled-Teen Centers Say Their Reports of Sex Abuse Were Ignored. Today, Sequel has all but vanished. The same facility will reopen under a new name with new services while an attorney prepares to file another lawsuit against the facility. The company later said in an email that in cases where a child's safety is threatened, "we take all necessary actions from employee termination, to policy and process changes, to staff-wide retraining to ensure we live up to our high standards of care for the youth we serve.". The attorneys at THL were extremely helpful with the legal aspects of setting up my small business. 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. OWENS CROSS ROADS, Ala. (WAFF) - The Sequel TSI facility in Owens Cross Roads will close on Saturday. KALAMAZOO, Mich. The family attorney for Cornelius Fredericks's estate fought to enter new evidence in the on-going civil lawsuit against Lakeside Academy and Sequel Youth Family Services, but . That's not what we saw.". 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. Red Rock Canyon School, another Sequel-ran facility, closed in 2019 after reports of abuse surfaced and a riot among residents ensued, resulting in area SWAT teams responding. If they cant get qualified people to do their job, they need to shut them down.. 4. If you or a loved one was the victim of abuse at one of these facilities, contact TorHoerman Law for a free, no-obligation case consultation with a member of our team or use our chatbot below to receive a free instant online case evaluation today. Sequel declined to make any of its leaders available for interviews. They did not return our calls . We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. After her mother received a terminal cancer diagnosis, she became depressed and defiant, and struggled with suicidal thoughts. 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 . At that point, I was so depressed I didnt know what to do, Laurie said. Sequel, a company with locations in 20 states that turned a $25 million profit in 2016, markets itself as a national leader in providing specialized care for at-risk youth. Sequel shut down treatment centers where alleged abuse surfaced. The agency declined to explain what action it took in response to the email. 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. Washington, California, Oregon and Minnesota stopped sending kids to the companys treatment centers. Even if a facility is closed, victims can still take legal action against parties involved in the facilities. Kay Ivey, a Republican. The report included photographic proof of the Dickensian conditions that the states most vulnerable children were forced to live in: broken doors, missing floor tiles, blood smeared on the walls and thin mattresses laid on top of concrete platforms. Our firm is about people. Toxic chemicals in Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF Firefighting Foam) have been linked to numerous types of cancer, including: AFFF Firefighting Foam lawsuits aim to hold manufacturers accountable for putting peoples health at risk. There is poor supervision, staff bullying and intimidation of the children. Those contracts, which Ivey signed, allow Sequel to continue to run Courtland through September 2022. lawsuits and interviews with former residents, staff . Sequel Youth and Family Services received nearly $9 million in reimbursement payments from the state of Michigan in 2019, according to the state. 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 . Sequel is a frequent presence at conferences for probation officers, judges, social workers, school safety professionals, attorneys and others involved in court cases. 3. 137. Ask a question about working or interviewing at Sequel Youth and Family Services. 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. Ripley did not return a voicemail message seeking comment, and Altamont didnt answer an email inquiry. If you or a loved one suffered injuries from an Exactech implant device, you may be entitled to financial compensation. The defendants, Lakeside Academy and Sequel Youth and Family Services the company that supplied the academy with management services and staff members declined to comment on the lawsuit . Attorney for Cornelius Fredericks Files Civil Lawsuit against Youth Facility Where He Died. Laurie and Tristan Broadrick are expecting their first child. 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. KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) The family of a Black teenager who was restrained at a western Michigan youth center and died two days later of cardiac arrest has settled a second wrongful death lawsuit in the case. The firm went above and beyond. After their release, they stayed in touch and fell in love, they said. Altamont invested nearly $40 million over the past three years, not the past two years. A lawsuit was filed Wednesday against Sequel Youth and Family Services, LLC in Macon County, Alabama Circuit Court, asserting claims of severe abuse and neglect of a 15-year-old boy at Sequel's . Video Shows Fatal Restraint of Cornelius Frederick, 16, in Michigan Foster Facility. University of Baltimore Merrick School of Business, according to Kansas City public radio station KCUR. 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. On top of those attacks, the suit states, a staff member once restrained Hunter so violently that his head hit a concrete wall and reopened an existing cut, requiring stitches. 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. In a civil lawsuit filed Monday against Lakeside Academy and Sequel Youth and Family Services, the family said the teen screamed "I can't breathe" as staff members placed their weight on his . Sequel Youth & Family Services provides a broad spectrum of treatment programs to people of all ages with behavioral, emotional, and physical challenges. 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. And when we identify circumstances in which we are not providing care to the par that we expect it to be provided, we intervene with it. I could understand and instead set up an interview, and discharges.. According to Kansas City public radio station KCUR City public radio station KCUR tax! A Profitable death Trap: Sequel Youth & Family Services your preferences and repeat visits since 2009,,! Voicemail message seeking comment, and discharges of to raise alarm about the way allegedly... 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