Well. Here are the facts: George was already suicidal. He was clinically diagnosed as bipolar. How do I know this, as well as his name? Jayne Longnecker told me when I interviewed her back in Nov of 06 (so much for patient confidentiality. or student confidentiality, or whatever...)
Yup. He was clearly a danger to himself and he wanted to get help. He didn't. Instead, he was yelled at, berated, and browbeaten until he could no longer stand it and killed himself (according to multiple eye witness accounts). He should have gotten legitimate therapy, he should have felt accepted and loved. He didn't. Benchmark advertised to be able to help him and it was criminally irresponsible (IMO) for them to accept him in the condition he was already in. They told parents I have interviewed that they had qualified counselors on staff and 24 hour supervision (yeah, I got video tape) and all that jazz. They told my parents the same. They lied.
Psy,
I'm not a substitute for TheWho, or whatever you choose to call him. (God forbid, I'm very busy and have a family to support.) Consider me rather your average open-minded jury member.
First, you impress me as a sympathetic and articulate young man. I don't get the impression that you're an egotistical two-bit con artist playing the saint. On the contrary, I trust that your intentions are honorable and good.
Here's my gut feeling given the information in your post. If you had told me that George was the picture of mental fitness before going to Benchmark I would say, Hmmm, Benchmark might really be responsible for his suicide. But you candidly acknowledge that George was suicidal when he went to Benchmark. Now, as a jury member, I believe you've already lost your case. Given the bipolar disorder, the suicidal tendencies, and possibly even the suicide attempts, you would find it difficult to prove that Benchmark caused him to commit suicide. At most, I'd say, you could argue that it failed to prevent a suicide, that it's not a good place to send such a kid.
And having been through a program myself I know first hand that Benchmark may have factored into George's suicide. But I don't think you can convincingly claim that Benchmark, and Benchmark alone, caused George to commit suicide.
