A Utah school for “troubled” teens — where a 17-year-old girl died from a curable illness last year — shuttered its doors on Monday, nearly a month after the state’s Department of Health and Human Services revoked its license.
Washington state teen Taylor Goodridge died from peritonitis on December 20, 2022, after suffering from severe symptoms for more than a week while Diamond Ranch Academy staff begged management to take her to a hospital, as CrimeOnline reported.
Peritonitis is treatable, but treatment must begin immediately. Untreated, Goodridge’s illness turned to sepsis, which spread to “all of her vital organs causing complete organ failure,” according to a lawsuit filed by her family in April.
The state Department of Health and Human Services put the academy on probation while it investigated, ultimately declining to renew its license on July 31, KCPQ reported. A separate state medical review panel report released earlier that same day determined that Goodridge died from “breaches in the standard of care” at the facility.
The so-called “therapeutic” schools are big business in Utah, bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars, according to British tabloid The Daily Mail, which said nearly one third of the students in such schools in Utah are from out of state.
Celebrities like Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris Jackson and Paris Hilton — both of whom spent time at Utah “therapeutic” schools as teens — have campaigned for more accountability for the facilties. Advocates say at least 26 teens have died at the boarding schools since 1989.
Shay Penn, who attended Diamond Ranch Academy in 2015, told KCPQ that what happened to Taylor Goodridge wasn’t an isolated incident.
“Having the doors closed at Diamond Ranch Academy, it was like an enormous win for Taylor’s family and the survivors who have been to the school, too,” Penn said. “But yeah, the conversation is far from over.”
Penn is suing the school for negligence, assault and battery. She said a punishment from the staff left her with permanent nerve damage to her face. She recalls being taken into a room after she had an argument with a staff member. As she entered, she said, she was knocked to the floor.
“I just hit the floor and then they were on top of me like immediately,” Penn said.
“I left that place, but that place never left me,” Penn said.
Penn’s lawsuit goes to trial next year. Meanwhile, she advocates for new legislation to regulate such schools and help more children who have been damaged by them.
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[Featured image: Taylor Goodridge/handout]
