Laurie didnt know it at the time, but her future husband, Tristan Broadrick, was also struggling in Sequel facilities in Alabama. 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.. By clicking ACCEPT ALL, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 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. A civil rights lawsuit has been filed against a Kalamazoo youth home after a 16-year-old boy was restrained and later died earlier this year. They did not return our calls . Thank you for everything. Sequel Youth & Family Services specializes in treating children with mental disorders, intellectual disabilities and trauma, which makes these findings disturbing. We both were at our very bottom, Tristan said. There were feces on the floor, stuck inside the doorframe, stuck around the window.. Christy Johnsons heart dropped in February when she first stepped into a facility for children with serious mental and behavioral health issues in Courtland, a few miles from the Tennessee River in northern Alabama, run by Sequel Youth & Family Services. 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. 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. For what theyve done, and what theyre not doing. 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. But some of Sequels operations are continuing under new ownership. Potential defendants in the Sequel Youth and Family Services abuse lawsuit may include one or more of the following parties: To best determine potential defendants, consult with an experienced attorney. TorHoerman Law is an extraordinary law firm a firm that truly makes the clients best interests the primary concern. Theyre worth nearly $13 million. 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 . Two years later, Marshall sent cookies to other Sequel employees as a gift, emails show. One firm, Altamont Capital Partners, which has investments in health care companies, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and clothing brands like Billabong, purchased a majority stake in Sequel for an undisclosed amount in 2017. Enjoy a rewarding career where you can gain new skills and build your career with the guidance of a mentor. They come out worse than they were when they went in, said Patricia, whose last name is being withheld to protect her sons privacy. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Vivant, which does not have a website or any listed phone numbers, sent APM Reports an email asking for questions in writing, but it did not answer them. The lawsuit states the boy "had a propensity to engage in . Contact TorHoerman Law for a free, legal consultation today. Our team of attorneys include: Continue reading to learn more about the Sequel Youth & Family Services investigation. Its part of what we do, Jarrett Shoemaker, a Sequel marketing agent, wrote to a Washington state child welfare official in 2014. Headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, the company currently operates youth behavioral centers in 17 states, totaling 34 establishments. Dont' waste time, contact our law offices today. 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. 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. 38% of employees would recommend working at Sequel Youth & Family Services to a friend and 28% have a positive outlook for the business. Attorney for Cornelius Fredericks Files Civil Lawsuit against Youth Facility Where He Died. A wonderful and professional legal team. 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 . 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. These children are re-traumatized daily by continuous abuse and neglect.). 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. Nobody joins our industry, you know, unless they're actually here for the kids, she said. Sequel Youth & Family Services. Tommy James is an attorney representing a 16-year-old named Hunter who lived at a Sequel facility in Courtland for 10 months. 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. 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, 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. In response to a list of questions laying out the findings of the APM Reports investigation, the company issued a lengthy written statement. Ask a question about working or interviewing at Sequel Youth and Family Services. I was banging and kicking on the door, trying to get someones attention, he said. Those contracts, which Ivey signed, allow Sequel to continue to run Courtland through September 2022. Today, youth counselors at Sequel facilities start off making $12 to $15 per hour, depending on the location. A majority stake in Sequel was bought by Altamont Capital, a private equity firm located in California, in 2017. "At Sequel Youth & Family Services, we have dedicated our careers to helping this nation's most vulnerable youth. 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. There is poor supervision, staff bullying and intimidation of the children. What Caused Camp Lejeune Water Contamination? 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. 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 . 5. 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.". After their release, they stayed in touch and fell in love, they said. IE 11 is not supported. 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. This was the first time experiencing a situation like this and Tor Hoerman law did an excellent job from start to finish. It's like this many-headed Hydra. Both of his eyes are black; one is swollen shut. Courtland was one of the last facilities Tristan Broadrick lived in before he aged out of the foster care system. He said the attorney for the Sequel Youth Services of Michigan has refused to provide the Fredericks family the video of the incident that resulted in the teen's death. 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. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. It's privately held, so details about its financials are hard to come across. The first morning he woke up in the room, Tristan said, he waved his arms at the camera, pounded on the door and shouted for the staff to let him out to use the bathroom. I highly recommend this law firm! 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. Since 2016, the company has secured contracts worth more than $68 million from the states Department of Human Resources. After her mother received a terminal cancer diagnosis, she became depressed and defiant, and struggled with suicidal thoughts. 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. 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. Fredericks went into cardiac arrest April 29. An SEC filing that year pegged Sequels value at an estimated $421 million. The facilities at the heart of the issue are run by Sequel Youth and Family Services. Multiple lawsuits have been filed against Sequel Youth and Family Services, alleging abuse of all sorts and negligent behavior of staff and management. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. These cookies do not store any personal information. 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.. If you are representing a victim who is under the age of 18 and falls under your legal care, you may qualify to file a lawsuit. 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. When Tristan was 16, he tried to run away, and when he was caught, he said, Sequel employees put him in solitary confinement as a punishment. Since 2019, 10 Investigates has found at least a half dozen facilities operated by Sequel Youth Family Services that have either closed or faced other sanctions like having their admissions . They still struggle with anxieties, nightmares and the feeling that theyre behind their peers. A National Alliance Of Sexual Abuse Lawyers, Proud Members Of The Following Trusted Organizations. Both options are completely confidential and completely discrete. Many states have reportedly revoked contracts with Sequel (but not Alabama). Posted at 1:38 PM, Jun 21, 2020 and last updated 2020 . CORRECTION (Dec. 16, 2020, 5:17 p.m. 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. Falcon Ridge Academy, where these crimes occurred, is meant to house teenage girls with behavioral issues usually resulting from trauma. Vivant is using the change of ownership to fight litigation against the treatment centers formerly owned by Sequel. 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. 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. Before he aged out of the APM Reports investigation, the company has contracts... Tristan Broadrick, was also struggling in Sequel was bought by Altamont,... A gift, emails show company issued a lengthy written statement in Courtland for 10.! He aged out of the issue are run by Sequel black ; is! Academy, where these crimes occurred, is meant to house teenage girls with behavioral issues resulting! Civil rights lawsuit has been filed against a Kalamazoo Youth home after a named. 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