sequel youth services lawsuit

The company kept growing by taking over other youth facilities and programs, fueled by investments from a handful of private equity firms. Most notably, the estate of Cornelius Fredricks filed a $100 million lawsuit against Sequel for his death. He named his new business Sequel because it was his second foray into the industry. For more information about potential legal action, you can contact an experienced Sequel abuse lawyer at TorHoerman Law for a free, no-obligation case consultation. Attorneys at TorHoerman Law have first-hand experience with these sorts of facilities and can help you gain justice and compensation. You may be eligible to file a Tylenol Autism ADHD Lawsuit / Acetaminophen Autism ADHD Claim if you or a loved one used Tylenol and/ or Acetaminophen during pregnancy, and your child was subsequently diagnosed with ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorder. Those included sexual abuse by staff, bullying by residents, inappropriate physical restraints and employees sleeping on the job, according to records. 'Treated like animals' Sequel Tuskegee is set back from the road on Highway 29, about 45 . Nearly all of Sequels programs run on government funding: States pay Sequel $275 to more than $800 a day per child to provide residential and therapeutic services. 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. Those treatment programs were also shut down in recent years. 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. Both Altamont and Sequel said the sale would help Sequel expand to serve more children. The state pays Sequel Youth and Family Services about $330 per day, per child, the lawsuit states. 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. Personally, I am enraged when I find out that people have treated my kids that way, if that allegation turns out to be substantiated, she said. Its part of what we do, Jarrett Shoemaker, a Sequel marketing agent, wrote to a Washington state child welfare official in 2014. But the next year, advocates for people with disabilities started to raise alarm about the way Sequel allegedly treated children. Multiple lawsuits have been filed in Alabama, alleging rampant abuse in Sequel's . Our firm is about people. 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. Three employees of the facility were charged criminally in . At Courtland, where conditions had nauseated Johnson, state agencies received dozens of incident reports from 2018 to this summer detailing troubling allegations, including that children there had sustained injuries, such as a broken toe, a fractured ankle and a concussion, because of restraints. In response to questions about allegations of abuse and negligence at Sequel facilities, Altamont said in a statement: We conducted significant due diligence prior to our initial investment and are confident that Sequel Youth and Family Services is one of the best operators in the industry. 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. In Alabama, where Sequel is headquartered, records reveal that reports of troubling conditions in the companys facilities have been made to state agencies for years, including mandatory child abuse and injury reports and whistleblower accounts by former Sequel employees. The company told investors it was well positioned to serve as industry consolidator, thanks in part to its clean regulatory and litigation history.. 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.. The treatment centers were run by Sequel Youth & Family Services, a "for-profit, $500-million company backed by Bay Area investors." . Sequel Youth and Family Services, the company that runs Lakeside (and is also a named defendant in the lawsuit), operates at least 55 other facilities from Arizona to Maine. 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.. I just want people to be held accountable, Patricia said. TorHoerman Law was responsible for handling a medical case for our family. We're ready to fight for you. The lawsuit states the boy "had a propensity to engage in . Rappleyeis a reporter with the Investigative Unit at NBC News, with a focus on criminal justice, social issues and the environment. Sequel staff members shared the companys side of the issue and discussed how to deal with concerns among state lawmakers. 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. 38% of employees would recommend working at Sequel Youth & Family Services to a friend and 28% have a positive outlook for the business. 2, 2022 at 8:08 PM PDT. 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. 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. Youth Counselor Supervisor (Former Employee) - Courtland, AL - August 17, 2022. (Sequel said the free trips are not standard practice.). Tyler Kingkade is a national reporter for NBC News, based in Los Angeles. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. IE 11 is not supported. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Enter your email below to receive notifications of new stories. Jun 27, 2019, 15:09 ET. 97. All rights reserved. But the marketing push could not overcome concerns several states had after Cornelius Fredericks death this year. And the company vowed to reduce the use of physical restraints on children. 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. Illuminating Journalism from American Public Media. They may be trying to drum up business, but ultimately, Birmingham said, Sequel employees care about the children. In July 2020, the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program sent a letter to DHR leaders, which stated Sequel's . But rather than get better, Laurie said, girls at Owens Cross Roads seemed to get worse. California, Maryland, Oregon and Washington have also stopped placing children in programs run by the company. 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. 2.6. An employee at a Sequel facility in Utah was arrested for sexual battery and showing pornography to minors. Many of the children served by Sequel are victims with traumatic histories. 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. Sequel was founded as a company in 1999. Thank you TorHoerman Law! Fredricks' family filed lawsuits after his death against Lakeside Academy, school owner Sequel Youth & Family Services and employees. Sequel settled a lawsuit from Fredricks family in December. Can I represent a loved one or family member in a Sequel abuse lawsuit? 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. These residents were allowed to attack Tevin nightly. 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. 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. I was banging and kicking on the door, trying to get someones attention, he said. Based on 511 reviews. Posted 6:12:41 PM. Tommy James, an attorney representing the boy identified only as Hunter C., said his client lived at Sequel TSI of Courtland in 2018 and 2019, where . You can also call us at (205) 843-5086 or fill out an online contact form to schedule a free consultation. 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. 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. The hardest part of the job was working long hours. Plus, you will join a work environment where collaboration and support come naturally. The company has offered all-expenses-paid trips to state employees to tour the companys facilities. The sheriffs frustrations are similar to those expressed by local law enforcement about Sequel treatment centers in Ohio and Wyoming. 1:07. Laurie didnt know it at the time, but her future husband, Tristan Broadrick, was also struggling in Sequel facilities in Alabama. Employee at Teen Behavior Facility Arrested for Sexual Battery, Showing Porn to Minors. C-Suite Team Hired to Accelerate Growth of Industry Leading Behavioral Health Company. Sequel Confronts More Abuse Allegations amid Concerns about Its Finances. 2.9. 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. The Alabama Department of Youth Services contracts with the facility as a private provider, placing boys there for a maximum stay of 120 days. Sequel subsequently closed the facility. Can I sue a Sequel facility that is closed? It's a hard industry.. 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. 3. Begin Your Path To Healing & Justice. The staff is kind, considerate, professional, and very experienced. 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 . With the goal of continuous improvement and our support, the company has consistently invested in quality and safety initiatives and in its staff to raise the bar and drive positive outcomes for thousands of individuals trusted to its care.. They contacted me the next day. Sequel Youth and Family Services, which operates numerous youth treatment and residential facilities in several states. 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. 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. 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. Published: May. 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 . At TorHoerman Law, we believe that if we continue to focus on the people that we represent, and continue to be true to the people that we are justice will always be served. Story continues. OWENS CROSS ROADS, Ala. (WAFF) - The Sequel TSI facility in Owens Cross Roads will close on Saturday. If you or a loved one suffered injuries from an Exactech implant device, you may be entitled to financial compensation. He was forced to go to the bathroom on his own breakfast tray, he said. 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! See Monitoring Report for Sequel Youth and Family Services of Courtland, Ala. Disabilities Advoc. 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