Author Topic: Teen on life support after assault at children's home  (Read 23687 times)

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Offline wdtony

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Teen on life support after assault at children's home
« on: December 22, 2011, 05:42:15 PM »
http://www.fox19.com/story/16376836/tee ... r-fight-at


Teen on life support after assault at children's home


Posted: Dec 22, 2011 8:53 AM EST
Updated: Dec 22, 2011 12:20 PM EST



FAIRFIELD, OH (FOX19) -


A teenager is on life support after an assault earlier this week at a Butler County children's home.

Chief Richard St. John with Fairfield Township Police says the assault occurred Monday night at One Way Farm on River Road.

According to the incident report, the 16-year-old victim suffered head injuries from a punch and being slammed to the ground by another juvenile at the facility. Witnesses say there was an argument over a flashlight that escalated to the assault.

The assault occurred between 7:30 and 8 p.m., but wasn't reported until employees were conducting bed checks at 11 p.m. and found the victim lying on the floor.

The victim was taken to Children's Hospital, where he has been placed on life support. The 17-year-old suspect is facing an aggravated assault charge and is being held at the Butler County Juvenile Detention Center.

St. John said reports that the teen had died are untrue.

According to its website, One Way Farm provides residential care 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, serving approximately 8,500 children since it opened in 1976. The agency provides an Animal Education Therapy Program, an Employment Training Program, Counseling Services and a Youth Program to further the healing of children.

One Way Farm's board president, Greg Elam, released the following statement:

"On Monday evening two of our children, ages 16 and 17, were involved in an altercation that resulted in the hospitalization of one of the children. As an organization that has been recognized as a leader in healing and helping children live a long and fruitful life, we are doing everything possible to understand and to cope with this unfortunate event that has affected these two children. The incident is currently under investigation by Fairfield Township Police and One Way Farm.  While it is being investigated, the instigator of the fight was removed immediately from One Way Farm and placed in the Butler County Juvenile Detention. We continue to work in the best interests of the children in our care and will be providing counseling to protect the progress they have made and to continue to support their emotional healing.

"We are extremely heartbroken over this event.  With more than 9,000 children coming through the One Way Farm, we have never experienced such loss."

Copyright 2011 FOX19. All Rights Reserved.
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Offline wdtony

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Re: Teen on life support after assault at children's home
« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2011, 05:43:25 PM »
Program Home page link:

http://www.onewayfarm.org/
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Offline cmack

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Re: Teen on life support after assault at children's home
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2011, 06:24:48 PM »
Quote from: "wdtony"
Program Home page link:

http://www.onewayfarm.org/

I saw this story earlier. Very sad. Thanks for providing a link to the program homepage.

This doesn't appear to be the typical kind of program discussed hear of fornits. I couldn't determine by reading their website the percentage of kids admitted by parents versus those committed by agencies or courts. However, it does seem that they accept and presumably mix abused and neglected children with those placed by the juvenile courts. On the surface this seems like a potentially dangerous practice which the above story seems to support.

http://www.onewayfarm.org/about.php

Quote
http://www.onewayfarm.org/programs.php?id=youth

The One Way Farm Children's Home is a non-profit organization located in Fairfield, Ohio, caring for the abused, abandoned, neglected, troubled youth, and children with disabilities and developmental disabilities in the State of Ohio without regard to race, color, sex, or national origin. The One Way Farm Children's Home is state-certified and provides the following services:

    Temporary/emergency housing for abused, abandoned, neglected or troubled children, many in need of medication/pharmaceutical administration.
    Meeting the needs of special education children.
    Long-term independent housing.
    Placement of children by the Juvenile Courts, Job and Family Services Department, and other placing agencies.
    An alternative to institutionalization for mildly troubled children, developmentally disabled and the physically challenged.
    Animal Education Therapy Program.

The children of One Way Farm Children's Home are abused, abandoned, neglected, or troubled and sometimes have other disabilities. One Way Farm Children's Home tries to reunite child and family whenever possible and coordinates family counseling if it is indicated. The One Way Farm Children's Home's primary objective is to break the present cycle of abuse or disruption and help every child to a normal and fruitful life.

We provide a warm and loving shelter for children who have been abused, abandoned, neglected, and troubled. One Way Farm Children's Home houses a maximum of 20 youth, providing both emergency and long-term housing for children in crisis. Our agency provides Animal Education Therapy to further the healing of our children, a very unique program. We have served thousands of children since our beginning over 32 years ago. We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and are located in Butler County in southwestern Ohio. Our continuing goal is to provide for the best interest of the child.
Quote
http://www.onewayfarm.org/about.php?id=admissions

The residents of One Way Farm of Fairfield, Inc. have access to the following schools and educational programs:

    Alternative School
    Fairfield West Elementary School
    Fairfield Middle School
    Fairfield Freshman School
    Fairfield High School
    Butler Tech
    Hope Academy
    St. Aloysius
    Fairfield Intermediate


Otherwise, it seems that kids here have better protected rights and more freedom than those placed in the kinds of programs usually discussed on fornits. Per their admission forms:

http://www.onewayfarm.org/about.php?id=admissions

Quote
ADMISSION INFORMATION  (PAGE TWO)

Rule 5101:2-9-16
VISITATION:
   Youth may have contact with the following:

Father____  Mother____  Sisters____  Brothers____

Grandparents____  Aunts/Uncles____  Prev. Foster Family____

Friends____  Other____

List Names:___________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

VISITS:     on-grounds____  off-grounds____  Supervised____  Unsupervised____

Friday____  Saturday____  Sunday____  Overnight____  Day Only____

How Often?_____________________________________________________

List persons with whom youth is to have NO contact:
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

Rule 5101:2-9-12
Youth can go on overnight with friends?    Yes ?  No  ?
If on level 5,  can go on unsupervised on-grounds:   Yes  ?      No   ?
Amount of time:  1 hour____  2 hours____  3 hours____

If on level 4 or 5, can have unsupervised activities OFF-GROUNDS:   Yes  ?      No   ?
Can walk out for:  1 hour____  2 hours____

Can go to school functions (unsupervised by One Way Farm Staff):  ball game____
School dances ____  sports____  shopping____

Religious preference:  Catholic____  Protestant____  Jewish____  Other__________________


Quote
PLACEMENT AGREEMENT

NAME OF YOUTH:_________________________________PHONE;______________
LEGAL ADDRESS:__________________________________DATE:_______________

CLIENT CLAUSE:  I understand the rules and regulations of the One Way Farm and I agree to follow them.  I understand that I am able to go on home visits after I have been a resident of One Way Farm for at least two weeks and that visits may vary depending on situations in the home.  I do understand that I may send as well as receive mail from family and friends and that I do have phone privileges as long as  I don’t misuse the privilege.  I will work on trusting the staff and other residents as much as possible and I will be honest about my feelings.  With the help of the staff.  I will realistically explore what alternatives I have and will make the most responsible decision regarding my future.

                  ___________________________________
                     Client Signature
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Offline wdtony

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Re: Teen on life support after assault at children's home
« Reply #3 on: December 23, 2011, 03:24:51 AM »
I agree, mostly this does look like a decent place. There is a section on their website that states something about long term placement but it is very vague. I do not think this is a behavior modification program at this time. It is another news article about a child almost killed in a program and there was a 3 hour window after the assault that no staff checked on the victim.
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Offline cmack

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Re: Teen on life support after assault at children's home
« Reply #4 on: December 23, 2011, 04:21:34 AM »
Quote from: "wdtony"
I agree, mostly this does look like a decent place. There is a section on their website that states something about long term placement but it is very vague. I do not think this is a behavior modification program at this time. It is another news article about a child almost killed in a program and there was a 3 hour window after the assault that no staff checked on the victim.

Yeah, It sounds like a closed head injury. He appeared fine just after the altercation, but a small bleed or swelling can be deadly. I'm not medically trained but even I know that you aren't suppose to let people with concussions go to sleep. At the very least he should have been checked on regularly. Maybe if they'd gotten him to a hospital sooner the doctors could have done something to relieve the pressure and save the young man.

It doesn't really matter what kind of policies are in place or how well intentioned the people are invariably the line staff who work directly with the kids are low-paid and ill-trained. This is just another reason I'm opposed to any kind of involuntary commitment of teens or adults. If that young man had gotten mugged or into an altercation on the streets and then not sought treatment the outcome would have been the same, but the responsibility would have been his for not seeking treatment. (Of course in this case the responsibility for the injury belongs to the 17 year old who attacked him over a flashlight.) But whoever placed the boy in this program stripped him of his decision making powers. The program assumed the awesome responsibility of making potentially life and death decisions for this young man and they failed. The boy couldn't have done any worse if left to his own devices and he probably wouldn't have gotten the injury to start with.

According to Dr Robert Epstein somewhere around 13 or 14 kids are capable of making just as good decisions as adults. It's time we as a society start recognizing teens as young adults deserving of basic human rights of self-determination and not just as big children who need to be protected from themselves. I firmly believe that most of the social pathologies we lament concerning teens is the direct result of the powerlessness they feel in society. In past generations teens were active, contributing members of society, working, getting married, and otherwise getting on with the business of life. Freedom is the answer, while paternalism and overprotectiveness is the problem.
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Offline wdtony

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Re: Teen on life support after assault at children's home
« Reply #5 on: December 23, 2011, 06:15:54 AM »
Yeah, I really agree with what you wrote. Accidents do happen but when I am caring for a child and he might get assaulted by another kid, I would be cautious and have him checked out at the ER. I have had closed brain injuries myself so I really freak out if a kid gets a knot on his head...I will usually be constantly checking vitals, pupil dilation etc. and I am not a program staff. Too often many programs place low priority on medical care.
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Offline cmack

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Re: Teen on life support after assault at children's home
« Reply #6 on: December 23, 2011, 11:53:07 AM »
http://www.oxfordpress.com/news/crime/s ... 02838.html

Severity of beating prompts removal of teens from group home

Police confirm Thursday he is still alive.

By Hannah Poturalski, Staff Writer Updated 7:57 PM Thursday, December 22, 2011

FAIRFIELD TWP. — The severity of an incident this week at a group home for wayward teens has prompted Butler County Children Services to remove some of its juveniles and place them in other care.

A 16-year-old male brutally assaulted between 7:30 and 8 p.m. Monday at One Way Farm on River Road remained on life support Thursday night at Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati, said Fairfield Twp. Police Chief Richard J. St. John. Medics were called to the home about three hours after the incident — around 11:30 p.m. — when the victim was found unresponsive, St. John said.

“It’s an important aspect that the victim stood up, was talking and walking around and didn’t seem to be injured,” St. John said.

A 17-year-old male is accused of punching the victim, throwing him to the ground - where he landed on his head - and laying on top of him before punching him repeatedly in the head.

The suspect, a ward of Warren County Children Services, was arrested late Monday and is being held at Butler County Juvenile Justice Center on the felony charge of aggravated assault. A court date at the juvenile center is set for Jan. 3.

St. John said the investigation is ongoing and detectives would be meeting with the prosecutor’s office.

Jeff Centers, executive director of Butler County Children Services, said the two juveniles involved do not have current or past cases with the department. After the severity of the incident became known, Butler County removed three of its juveniles from One Way Farm and placed them in different care.

St. John said the teens “were fighting over a flashlight that each one claimed was his,” he said.

The victim, a Fairfield High School student, has been in the hospital’s intensive care unit since Monday evening.

St. John said initial reports received Wednesday night said the boy had died, but he learned Thursday the information was false.

Both teenagers are residents of One Way Farm, St. John said. According to police reports, the teen charged in the assault weighs about 70 pounds more and is eight inches taller than the victim.

Greg Elam, board president of One Way Farm, said fights of this severity are “rare events” at the facility. Elam said counselors are on hand to help any juveniles at the facility who might be having a hard time coping with the events.

“As an organization that has been recognized as a leader in healing and helping children live a long and fruitful life, we are doing everything possible to understand and to cope with this unfortunate event that has affected these two children,” Elam said. “With more than 9,000 children coming through the One Way Farm, we have never experienced such loss.”

St. John said officers are called to the facility fairly often, but mainly on reports of runaway juveniles.

One Way Farm is licensed by the state and provides residential care 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. The agency has served about 8,500 children since 1976, according to its website. Earlier this year, One Way Farm was granted the 2011 Better Business Bureau Torch Award.

“When an agency has custody of a child they look at the needs and age of the child,” Centers said.

“They will try to place (the child) with family, then with foster care, then in a group home or a residential treatment facility.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2179 or [email protected].
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Offline Ursus

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One Way to Where?
« Reply #7 on: December 23, 2011, 12:18:40 PM »
Quote from: "cmack"
This doesn't appear to be the typical kind of program discussed hear of fornits. I couldn't determine by reading their website the percentage of kids admitted by parents versus those committed by agencies or courts. However, it does seem that they accept and presumably mix abused and neglected children with those placed by the juvenile courts. On the surface this seems like a potentially dangerous practice which the above story seems to support.
Quote from: "wdtony"
I agree, mostly this does look like a decent place. There is a section on their website that states something about long term placement but it is very vague. I do not think this is a behavior modification program at this time. It is another news article about a child almost killed in a program and there was a 3 hour window after the assault that no staff checked on the victim.
Hmm. I'm afraid that I am a lil less sanguine re. the alleged "lack of apparent abuse" that goes on at this place, not to mention whether or not they resort to methods of thought reform.

There is a disturbing amount of overly positive PR about this place. They must use the same marketing strategy that Boys' Town uses: crush the voices of complaint by rallying overwhelming community support behind the program's efforts to "save the children."

Don't get me wrong, maybe this all is "really for real," and I can then be safely labeled a dour suspicious ol' bear, but... I've known of folks who really have devoted their lives to endeavors of this ilk, and they don't get even a fraction of the press coverage or community service awards the founder of this place does. Ya gotta wonder, especially in Ohio, just how that comes to be.

I was also a lil taken aback to read how much of a fan of "tough-love" she is. Maybe she means something different by that term than everybody else does. Maybe not.
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Offline cmack

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Re: One Way to Where?
« Reply #8 on: December 23, 2011, 01:30:15 PM »
Quote from: "Ursus"

There is a disturbing amount of overly positive PR about this place. They must use the same marketing strategy that Boys' Town uses: crush the voices of complaint by rallying overwhelming community support behind the program's efforts to "save the children."

Don't get me wrong, maybe this all is "really for real," and I can then be safely labeled a dour suspicious ol' bear, but... I've known of folks who really have devoted their lives to endeavors of this ilk, and they don't get even a fraction of the press coverage or community service awards the founder of this place does. Ya gotta wonder, especially in Ohio, just how that comes to be.

I was also a lil taken aback to read how much of a fan of "tough-love" she is. Maybe she means something different by that term than everybody else does. Maybe not.

I think you must have access to sources I'm not familiar with, or somehow overlooked. I don't know who "she" is nor do I remember reading about "tough love". This information might change my perception of the place.

My earlier opinion that this was more of a group home type place versus a BM facility is largely based upon the fact that the kids appear to have unmonitored mail and phone privileges and go to public schools, and may have unsupervised excursions off campus.
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Offline cum guzzler

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« Reply #9 on: December 23, 2011, 01:39:58 PM »
.
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Offline Ursus

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Re: Severity of beating prompts removal of teens from group
« Reply #10 on: December 23, 2011, 02:18:08 PM »
From the above article, emphasis added:

    Greg Elam, board president of One Way Farm, said fights of this severity are "rare events" at the facility.[/list]
    Meaning... fights of this severity happen with some frequency?

      [Fairfield Twp. Police Chief Richard] St. John said officers are called to the facility fairly often, but mainly on reports of runaway juveniles.[/list]
      Always a good sign of a healthy, happy, loving home-like environment — lots of runaways.

        Earlier this year, One Way Farm was granted the 2011 Better Business Bureau Torch Award.[/list]
        I believe that was from the BBB of Cincinnati. An aside of possible interest, or not, is that a neighboring BBB, namely the BBB of Central Ohio, is headed by Kip Morse, a 1981 graduate of Hyde School, and good chum and twitter pal of Malcolm Gauld.

        Anyway, here's an announcement of being a finalist for that award on One Way Farm's Facebook page:

        Quote
        One Way Farm Children's Home
        We are proud to announce that we have been selected by an independent panel of judges to be a finalist in the 2011 Better Business Bureau's Torch Award For marketplace ethics. This prestigious award will be announced October 27, 2011 at the Duke Energy Convention Center. If you would like to share this evening with us, please give Brenda a call or e-mail at [email protected]
        Like · Comment · September 1 at 8:20am ·
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        Offline Ursus

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        Barbara Condo, One Way Farm - 2011 BBB Torch Award
        « Reply #11 on: December 23, 2011, 02:36:52 PM »
        Here's One Way Farm founder Barbara Condo receiving the 2011 BBB Torch Award for marketplace ethics:


          Barbara Condo, One Way Farm of Fairfield- BBB Torch Award Recipient
          [photo taken Oct 27, 2011; uploaded Nov 4, 2011][/list]

          Larger image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cincinnatibbb/6313223036/
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          Offline Ursus

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          One Way Farm - BBB Torch Award - Oct 27, 2011
          « Reply #12 on: December 23, 2011, 03:19:18 PM »
          More pics from that evening; presumably at least some of these other folk are also from One Way Farm:


            _DSC1005


            One Way Farm of Fairfield- Recipient


            _DSC0908


            _DSC0907


            _DSC0912[/list]
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            Offline wdtony

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            Re: Teen on life support after assault at children's home
            « Reply #13 on: December 23, 2011, 04:41:40 PM »
            It is a wonder why they took some of the kids out of the place. Thanks for posting the followup article.

            Ursus: I have researched programs solely by their websites before and thought they must be great places only to find out later from someone who had been there that it was all a hoax. So I am always suspicious of a program even if it does look benign.

            Like I said earlier, it states on their website that there are some long term placements and according to the article posted above, both of these boys are residents of One Way Farm. I wonder what resident means in this facility.

            I am concerned about police being called on runaways as a fairly often practice.


            "Long-term independent housing."
            on this page: http://www.onewayfarm.org/programs.php?id=youth

            "We have stay-awake staff twenty-four hours per day, seven days a week."
            on this page: http://www.onewayfarm.org/programs.php?id=counseling
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            Offline wdtony

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            Re: Teen on life support after assault at children's home
            « Reply #14 on: December 23, 2011, 04:44:20 PM »
            One Way Farm Press Release:

            http://www.onewayfarm.org/press/press-r ... 122311.pdf


              One Way Farm of Fairfield, Inc.

            6131 River Road Fairfield, Ohio 45014 or P.O. Box 18637 Fairfield, Ohio 45018
            www.onewayfarm.org  
             

            MEDIA STATEMENT
            From Greg Elam, Board President, One Way Farm
            One Way Farm Children’s Home provides year-round, 24-hour care for severely abused,
            abandoned, neglected and troubled children, many with mental and physical challenges.  
            On Monday (12/19/11) evening two of our youth, ages 16 and 17, were involved in an
            altercation that resulted in the hospitalization of one of the youth and juvenile detention
            of the other. Our deepest sympathies go out to the youth and their families. This
            unexpected event has affected many. Please keep all involved in your thoughts and
            prayers with us.    
            We are doing everything possible to understand and to cope with this unfortunate event
            that has affected these two youth. The incident is currently under investigation by
            Fairfield Township Police and One Way Farm. One Way Farm has served the community
            for 34 years and will continue to be a service to children and youth in need for many
            years to come.  We are working in the best  interests of the children now in our care.  
            They are receiving counseling to protect the progress they have made; this will continue
            to support their emotional healing.  
            We are extremely heartbroken over this event.  With more than 9,000 children and youth
            coming through the One Way Farm, we have never experienced anything such as this.
             visit www.onewayfarm.org
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