We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Thank you for everything. Ripley said that in 2015 Sequel Youth and Family Services revenue was more than $200 million and that its profits were between $30 to $32 million. May 28, 2021 Sequel Youth and Family Services and the Troubled Teen Industry (Residential Treatment Program/Facility Abuse and Neglect) October 30, 2020 Tommy James Law Files Civil Lawsuit in LeBrawn Rankin Tragedy. That means sending out marketing agents to get more states to send children to its facilities. Sequel often receives government funding to take in youth residents from both the foster care system and juvenile justice system. 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.. We both were at our very bottom, Tristan said. Ratings by category. (866) 577-2786. It also ran outpatient programs in a handful of others. Their team of personal injury lawyers are experienced, personable, and well versed in a range of litigation areas. In June, Sequel announced it was shutting down its 60-bed treatment center in Mountain Home, Idaho, a city of 16,000 people located about 40 miles southeast of Boise. Hindman had founded the Jiffy Lube chain of auto service centers, and Ripley worked for him. 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. Marshall also traded messages with Sequels marketing staff monitoring Gelsers social media activity when the lawmaker toured Sequel facilities that year. Laurie Broadrick, 19, arrived at Owens Cross Roads, a residential treatment facility for girls in northeast Alabama, in 2016. Altamont Capital Partners Invests in Sequel Youth & Family Services. 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. All rights reserved. Sequel Youth & Family Services. Enter your email below to receive notifications of new stories. 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 . The staff is kind, considerate, professional, and very experienced. The leadership is the problem.. In September 2019, Sondra Landers, director of the departments office in Lawrence County, where Courtland is, sent an alarming email to several top agency staff members. Since then, 17 of those centers have closed. The lawsuit alleges: Tevin did not receive the necessary mental health treatment he needed but was instead physically abused and emotionally traumatized at Sequel Tuskegee. Sequel disputes the findings and the facility remains open. Kay Ivey, a Republican. Toys litter the floor at Sequel's Courtland facility. Cornelius tragic death has been a watershed moment for the fight against abuse in these facilities. KRQE News 13 reached out may times to Sequel Youth and Family Services, which has seen similar closures and allegations in its other nationwide facilities recently. 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. 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. I just want people to be held accountable, Patricia said. TorHoerman Law was responsible for handling a medical case for our family. Forms of abuse that qualify for the Sequel lawsuit are: If you have suffered the loss of a loved one due to abuse at a Sequel facility, or you represent the estate of a victim, or you are the legal guardian of an underaged victim, you may be able to represent the victim in a lawsuit. The seventeen (17) states with currently active Sequel facilities are: Reports of abuse in Sequel facilities have come out at an increasing rate over the past 10-15 years. Posted 6:12:41 PM. You can also call us at (205) 843-5086 or fill out an online contact form to schedule a free consultation. OWENS CROSS ROADS, Ala. (WAFF) - The Sequel TSI facility in Owens Cross Roads will close on Saturday. Theyre worth nearly $13 million. It's a hard industry.. 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 young couple are expecting their first child and trying to build a new life for themselves on Alabamas Gulf Coast, working at Lauries familys carpet business. Sequel Youth and Family Services was founded in the late 1990s by former employees of Youth Services International. Look no further, call now! "These are places that are supposed to provide a safe, homelike, therapeutic environment, Johnson said. Neither side disclosed the terms of the settlement. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Children were abused, neglected at house of horrors psychiatric facility, suit says. Attorney Tommy James has a record of helping individuals file lawsuits for compensation against those who have harmed them. Sequel treatment centers closed since 2017. 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. Tyler Kingkade is a national reporter for NBC News, based in Los Angeles. (Sequel said the free trips are not standard practice.). We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. California, Maryland, Oregon and Washington have also stopped placing children in programs run by the company. Alabama, however, is among the states that have permitted Sequel to continue operating. Laurie stayed at Owens Cross Roads twice before she reunited with her family. 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. 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.. A number of new lawsuits are currently being filed nationwide against both currently operational and closed Sequel facilities. 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. It's like this many-headed Hydra. If you or a loved one suffered harm while in a Sequel facility in Alabama or in another state, you should promptly seek the advice of an Alabama lawyer, or a lawyer in your state, who may investigate your Sequel claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a lawsuit against Sequel, if appropriate. More than 40 States Have Sent Their Most Vulnerable Kids to Facilities Run by a for-Profit Company Named Sequel. 'Treated like animals' Sequel Tuskegee is set back from the road on Highway 29, about 45 . Tevins two months in Sequel Tuskegee would be a house of horrors. You can make money in this business if you control staffing, said Ripley, who at the time made $104,167 per month from Sequel as chairman, according to a financial disclosure. majority stake in Sequel was bought by Altamont Capital, established Vivant Behavioral Healthcare in order to buy a majority of Sequel, article from APM Reports analyzing Riverside Academy in Kansas, closed because of reported abuse by staff, and improper restraints were highlighted in news reports surrounding the closure, 16 year-old resident named Cornelius Fredricks was killed at a Kalamazoo, Michigan facility run by Sequel, employee at a Sequel facility in Utah was arrested for sexual battery, highest rate of sex crimes reported in the state of Utah, estate of Cornelius Fredricks filed a $100 million lawsuit against Sequel. Sequel Youth & Family Services provides a broad spectrum of treatment programs to people of all ages with behavioral, emotional, and physical challenges. Vivant hasnt bought all of Sequels remaining assets. The Training Manager is responsible for directing, planning and implementing the training program.Also, takes the lead with staff training and personnel development. Sequel declined to make any of its leaders available for interviews. Sequel declined to comment on Lauries and Tristans cases. Jay Ripley speaks at the Merrick School of Business in Baltimore in 2015. He watched through a window as children made their way to class. The company dreamed of dominating Americas $220 billion behavioral health care industry. These residents were allowed to attack Tevin nightly. He named his new business Sequel because it was his second foray into the industry. The company told investors it was well positioned to serve as industry consolidator, thanks in part to its clean regulatory and litigation history.. At Kingston Academy in Tennessee, state inspectors found mold infestations, overflowing toilets and children sleeping on mattresses on the floor. . Can I represent a loved one or family member in a Sequel abuse lawsuit? Jun 27, 2019, 15:09 ET. 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 . 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. Records show that about two weeks later, Department of Human Resources Commissioner Nancy Buckner forwarded two new contracts with Sequel to Alabama Gov. 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. 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. 137. The state investigation found no rule violations. A wonderful and professional legal team. The agency declined to explain what action it took in response to the email. "My client lived a house of horrors," Tommy James said. She said she could not speak in detail about the companys finances, but argued that Altamonts support including nearly $40 million invested over the past three years has allowed Sequel to provide extra training for its employees, upgrade infrastructure and install additional security cameras at its facilities. 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. Sequel Confronts More Abuse Allegations amid Concerns about Its Finances. Sequel TSI in Owens Cross Roads emailed a statement reading "TSI . By clicking ACCEPT ALL, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Then children began to talk. Falcon Ridge Academy had the highest rate of sex crimes reported in the state of Utah. 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 staff members shared the companys side of the issue and discussed how to deal with concerns among state lawmakers. However, advocacy groups say that Sequels track record should be a red flag to states that send Sequel their most troubled children along with millions in taxpayer dollars. Alabama Sequel Facility a House of Horrors for Foster Child, Lawsuit Claims. After her mother received a terminal cancer diagnosis, she became depressed and defiant, and struggled with suicidal thoughts. 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. 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. . Sequel Youth & Family Services collected hundreds of millions in tax dollars to care for vulnerable children, despite abuse and negligence allegations. Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Emotional & Psychological Abuse. 2-3, and app. For more of NBC News' in-depth reporting, download the NBC News app. Landers wrote that a former Courtland employee reported that there were 40 different residents/students that are consistently choked, body slammed, tortured, emotionally abused, football tackled, held up to the wall by their neck, dragged out of their beds, punch children in face, break their glasses, and encouraged to harass and fight other residents., Children are punished by not being allowed to go to the bathroom to the point where they urinate and defecate on themselves, Landers said the employee told her. Last August, Sequels Pompano Youth Treatment Center failed a state inspection that found a range of deficiencies at the 24-bed Florida treatment center. In July 2020, the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program sent a letter to DHR leaders, which stated Sequel's . Sequel Youth and Family Services is a private for-profit operator of behavioral healthcare facilities for children and youth in the United States. A typical day consisted of supervising juvenile males aged 13-18, during their daily activities including school, groups, meal times, hygiene, etc. A concrete slab at Sequel's Courtland facility where thin mattresses are placed for children to sleep. Ripley did not return a voicemail message seeking comment, and Altamont didnt answer an email inquiry. That is our motto and that will always be our reality. The company kept growing by taking over other youth facilities and programs, fueled by investments from a handful of private equity firms. Kids that are already damaged, been through enough in their life, to go somewhere thats supposed to help them, help them become productive members of society, and go there and then it just destroys them.. Altamont invested nearly $40 million over the past three years, not the past two years. I would recommend TorHoerman Law for any personal injury litigation needs. 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. The attorneys at THL were extremely helpful with the legal aspects of setting up my small business. The name isn't the problem. 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 . Officials at Sequel Youth & Family Services did not respond to requests for comment on the Oct. 14 report. 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?. . However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Legal action is being strategized by our attorneys for Horizon Therapeutics failure to properly warn patients of potential hearing loss side effects. But nobody came. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Information Request: Best Method to Contact You? He and the other children at Sequel Tuskegee were treated like animals by staff. 5. They described physical abuse by staff, Johnson said, and being denied medical care. Sequel facility a house of horrors Baltimore in 2015 Youth Services International was his second foray the. Recommend torhoerman Law for any personal injury lawyers are experienced, personable, and altamont didnt answer an email.. Considerate, professional, and very experienced range of litigation areas site on another browser,,! 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