Lawsuit filed against West Ridge Academy

[wdtony]

http://www.fox13now.com/news/local/kstu ... 4397.story

Lawsuit filed against youth center claiming physical, sexual abuse


Aaron Vaughn, Web Producer

FOX 13 News

9:18 p.m. MST, January 11, 2012


WEST JORDAN, Utah—

Now 25-years-old, Eric Norwood says that Utah Boys Ranch employees held him against his will and abused him during his stay as a teenager. Norwood filed a lawsuit against the West Jordan based facility for troubled teens.

The lawsuit alleges child sex abuse, negligence, and physical abuse that nearly led to death of Norwood. Norwood says he is speaking up about the abuse at Rehabilitation Ranch, now known as West Ridge Academy, in order to save others from the alleged pain he has suffered during and after his time there. On Wednesday, Norwood discussed the allegations at a press conference.

"I was physically and sexually abused, systematically pretty much the entire time I was at the Utah Boys Ranch which is now called West Ridge academy from ages 15 to 18 and I left on my eighteenth birthday when they could no longer hold me," Norwood said.

The civil lawsuit was filed in district court in Los Angeles because the statute of limitation had expired in Utah. Norwood is from California.

West Ridge Executive Director Ken Allen says he denies all the allegations. He says the 47-year record at West Ridge Academy speaks for itself. However, others are making allegation against the academy too.

Christopher Wade says he was there for nine months when he was just 16. He has not filed a lawsuit, but the Salt Lake City man wants to see changes at West Ridge.

Wade spoke with FOX 13 via phone call Wednesday: "I ran laps in the snow in my underwear for hours, cleaning dumpsters in my underwear out in the snow, forced to line up naked under the guise of looking for drugs or whatever, it was really so they could humiliate you and poke fun at the way ou looked and throw rubber balls at our genitals while you were standing there."  

The lawsuit is asking for $11 million in damages for Norwood, including pain and suffering as a result of his time at West Ridge.

So far, no criminal action has been filed in the case.

Former Utah Senator Chris Buttars was the executive director at the academy at the time of the allegations. He too denies that any kind of abuse went on under his watch.

[wdtony]

Link for video here also:  http://www.fox13now.com/videobeta/b7ca8 ... id=5788734


Another copy of the video and transcript here for posterity:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX0dUuDzQMg

[Ursus]

Still from the video clip accompanying the above article in the OP:

Now 25-years-old, Eric Norwood says that Utah Boys Ranch employees held him against his will and abused him during his stay as a teenager. Norwood filed a lawsuit against the West Jordan based facility for troubled teens.

Video: Lawsuit filed against youth center claiming physical, sexual abuse (3:33)


Copyright © 2012, KSTU-TV
KSTU-FOX 13 - 5060 Amelia Earhart Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84116[/list]

[Ursus]

Comments left for the above article, "Lawsuit filed against youth center claiming physical, sexual abuse" (by Aaron Vaughn; January 11, 2012; KSTU-FOX 13):


grizzlypete at 12:05 AM January 12, 2012

Buttars got off by throwing snowballs at the genitals of teens?

Wasatch at 6:41 AM January 12, 2012

Ridiculous story.  Poor reporting Fox, how about a little more investigation, especially into the person making these wild allegations.  Giving a person like Eric Norwood a forum for his madness by not doing your due diligence is just poor reporting.

Jason Larsen at 7:51 AM January 12, 2012

I would love to see some more detail on why Eric was at West Ridge in the first place- that would add some spice to this story. I participated in Boys Ranch activities for several years growing up. I knew several of the instructors at west ridge so I got the pleasure of spending alot of time up there. While I don't know the details of the situation i can say that the people I knew up there were some of the best I've ever known. I have seen alot of kids turn their lives around at the Ranch. I have also seen some boys fail to do so. you go to the Ranch becasue traditional systems of corrections didn't work. it is often a last resort for some of these kids so obviously they arn't going to be able to use "time out" to correct deviant behavior. I have seen some kids just fight the system till they are blue in the face (or 18 like Eric) and still never change their behavior.

To Fox: Maybe get the opionion of some of the Boys who have had their lives saved up there. It doesn't work for everyone, but then again neither does prison which is where many of us would have ended up- jail or dead- if it wasn't for the Ranch.

gratitude at 1:39 PM January 12, 2012

As  grandparent, I can't say enough good about the help given to our family.  We have nothing but gratitude and support for Westridge.  It sounds like a troubled teen is still troubled and looking to cash in.

To Fox News:  Reporting without more information on Eric Norwood can ruin the reputation of a blessing in the lives of many.  I would like to see more responsible reporting.

BrianM at 8:39 PM January 12, 2012

As being a former "guest" of the Utah Boys Ranch, the same time period as Eric, I can say that his allegations are FACT! I myself was victim to the abuse and neglect in there as well. All of you can speculate all you want, but i was there!!
Eric, i'm so glad you're stepping forward finally and exposing what happened in the Boys Ranch. Lord knows that us former troubled teens were never given the time of day in the past. Not against the likes of upstanding pillars of the community that ran the place. Eric, i support you to the end and so do a lot of other "boys" that are talking about coming forward.
As for the rest of you, keep your illusions. The Boys Ranch did help quite a few young boys turn their lives around. But many of us were also deemed unimportant and left to rot. Speculate all you want. I WAS THERE.

Copyright © 2012, KSTU-TV
KSTU-FOX 13 - 5060 Amelia Earhart Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84116

[Ursus]

Another article from FOX 13 News, this one giving some airtime to pro-West Ridge sentiments... Was there, perchance, some pressure to accommodate local business interests?

A news footage clip accompanying the below article:

Video: More speak out over West Ridge Academy lawsuit, claims of abuse (3:07)[/list]

-------------- • -------------- • --------------

KSTU-FOX 13 News
More speak out over West Ridge Academy lawsuit, claims of abuse

Aaron Vaughn, Web Producer  FOX 13 News
8:50 p.m. MST, January 12, 2012

WEST JORDAN, Utah— West Ridge Academy has been sued by a former client who was enrolled there as a teen. And after allegations of physical and sexual abuse were brought to light, the West Jordan facility for troubled youth has at least one person defending their treatment methods.

The civil lawsuit is asking for nearly $15 million for pain and suffering on behalf of the plaintiff, Eric Norwood, who was a resident there 10 years ago. But on Thursday, another West Ridge resident, Joseph Bresnan, says the rehabilitation center saved his life.

"Oh I'm definitely a different person, it was a good experience," said Bresnahan.

Bresnahan's father says his son was depressed before entering the facility.

However, Bresnahan graduates from the academy Friday, a year after treatment there. Norwood attended the boys treatment center years earlier.

Allegations for sexual and physical abuse in the lawsuit, filed on behalf of Norwood, came as a surprise to Bresnan and his father.

"There are claims in there that I can't believe because of my knowledge and experience. I've walked into West Ridge unannounced many times," says Bresnahan's father, Dave.

Joseph Bresnahan says he never witnessed any activity that could be described as abuse there.

Chris Wade was a resident at West Ridge 10 years ago, a time when Norwood claims he was physically and sexually abused at the academy. It was under different management at the time. Wade says he was also a victim of physical abuse, but is not filing a lawsuit. He just wants better oversight.

"The idea that you're being sent there as a troubled teen automatically discredits anything you say about the place and so nobody takes what you say seriously," Wade says.

However, the Bresnahans say West Ridge is a valuable life-changing experience for troubled teens.

"West Ridge is the kind of place more people need to know about it's a resource that can help save kids and why anybody would want to do damage to that I can't understand," says Dave Bresnahan.

The state office of licensing oversees places like West Ridge. They say that West Ridge is in compliance and it is required to renew its license annually. But because of budget cuts, inspectors only do spot checks once a year. In the past those unannounced checks happened more frequently.


Copyright © 2012, KSTU-TV
KSTU-FOX 13 - 5060 Amelia Earhart Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84116

[Anonymous]

.

[Anonymous]

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[eric]

I'll do anything I can to make sure he loses...

I spoke to Ken Allen today.

Fuck you Eric

[wdtony]

Another article from FOX 13 News, this one giving some airtime to pro-West Ridge sentiments... Was there, perchance, some pressure to accommodate local business interests?

A news footage clip accompanying the below article:

Video: More speak out over West Ridge Academy lawsuit, claims of abuse (3:07)[/list]

-------------- • -------------- • --------------

KSTU-FOX 13 News
More speak out over West Ridge Academy lawsuit, claims of abuse

Aaron Vaughn, Web Producer  FOX 13 News
8:50 p.m. MST, January 12, 2012

WEST JORDAN, Utah— West Ridge Academy has been sued by a former client who was enrolled there as a teen. And after allegations of physical and sexual abuse were brought to light, the West Jordan facility for troubled youth has at least one person defending their treatment methods.

The civil lawsuit is asking for nearly $15 million for pain and suffering on behalf of the plaintiff, Eric Norwood, who was a resident there 10 years ago. But on Thursday, another West Ridge resident, Joseph Bresnan, says the rehabilitation center saved his life.

"Oh I'm definitely a different person, it was a good experience," said Bresnahan.

Bresnahan's father says his son was depressed before entering the facility.

However, Bresnahan graduates from the academy Friday, a year after treatment there. Norwood attended the boys treatment center years earlier.

Allegations for sexual and physical abuse in the lawsuit, filed on behalf of Norwood, came as a surprise to Bresnan and his father.

"There are claims in there that I can't believe because of my knowledge and experience. I've walked into West Ridge unannounced many times," says Bresnahan's father, Dave.

Joseph Bresnahan says he never witnessed any activity that could be described as abuse there.

Chris Wade was a resident at West Ridge 10 years ago, a time when Norwood claims he was physically and sexually abused at the academy. It was under different management at the time. Wade says he was also a victim of physical abuse, but is not filing a lawsuit. He just wants better oversight.

"The idea that you're being sent there as a troubled teen automatically discredits anything you say about the place and so nobody takes what you say seriously," Wade says.

However, the Bresnahans say West Ridge is a valuable life-changing experience for troubled teens.

"West Ridge is the kind of place more people need to know about it's a resource that can help save kids and why anybody would want to do damage to that I can't understand," says Dave Bresnahan.

The state office of licensing oversees places like West Ridge. They say that West Ridge is in compliance and it is required to renew its license annually. But because of budget cuts, inspectors only do spot checks once a year. In the past those unannounced checks happened more frequently.


Copyright © 2012, KSTU-TV
KSTU-FOX 13 - 5060 Amelia Earhart Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84116

Are kids ever interviewed during these spot checks?  When it pertained to KHK/PFC the regulating authority (ODADAS) did conduct checks but did not speak with any of the children. I was informed that agents were instructed "not to disturb the group". When I pressed further, that mantra was repeated. That meant no kids were spoken to whatsoever during any checks. I wonder how any regulating authority might know of abuse at a program if the kids are not randomly interviewed and allowed to communicate abuses.