(HorizonPost.com) – Teenage years can be a difficult experience for everyone, especially the teens themselves. Sometimes they and their families need a little outside help to navigate life. West Ridge Academy opened its doors in Utah in 1964, helping teens deal with emotional, social and educational issues. Now the camp is under suspicion for abuse stemming from allegations by a 15-year-old boy who accused a staffer of breaking his wrist.
The teen said the employee, Tyler Feinga, grabbed his hand because he wasn’t moving fast enough for his liking and bent it toward his wrist, snapping the bone. The boy’s mother is suing the facility.
A California mother is suing West Ridge Academy, alleging that a staffer broke her son's wrist and the facility ignored her son’s injury until another boy was also hurt in a similar hold. https://t.co/Ngdrpi8GZh
— The Salt Lake Tribune (@sltrib) November 19, 2021
Until May, the practice of using a gooseneck hold to keep resident teens in line was an acceptable practice backed by state law in Utah. Legislation has since changed the rule to ban the practice. Unfortunately for the boy in question, his incident happened in January.
Although the facility and state allowed employees to use painful restraints against the teens in their care, they’re only supposed to do so if they are a “danger to” themselves or others.
The academy fired Feinga for hurting the resident teen, and he’s now facing charges of child abuse. The mother’s case against the facility for denying her son immediate medical care and not properly training its staff is pending.
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