Ryan C. Lewis - 2001

14-year-old Ryan C. Lewis was found hanging not far from a campsite class room. He was treated for depression and his parents had warned about the risk of suicide. Still he was left alone long enough to end his life. The management just closed the program down and founded a boarding school for girls instead. Wilderness programs can be dangerous because the teenagers are exposed to the elements. That claims the lives of lot of the teenagers as you can read on this blog.

But here the employees showed neglect. They should have watched. They didn't.

It was a tragedy for his parents who believed that they had found a treatment method for their teenage boy. It should not have been allowed to happen. He should have been allowed a long life.

May he find peace where he is now.

Sources:

• Teen's suicide settled (West Virginia Record)
• States Pressed As 3 Boys Die At Boot Camps (The New York Times)
• Teen, Interrupted (Brown Political Review)

Stephanie Duffield - 2001

16-year-old Stephanie Duffield died at Shiloh Residential Treatment Center in 2001. First it was ruled as an accident, but later when the number of children who died in the Daystar operated facilities started to pile up, investigation was reopened.

Many children like Stephanie Duffield died when adult employees tried to restrain them. The employees were not trained and the facilities had no motivation to train them as training cost money and it would reduce profit.

It is hard to conclude, what killed Stephanie Duffield was not so much what the employees did but also that the management saw profit as more important than the welfare and safety of the children.

While the investigation was re-opened, we have not seen whether it meant that she got the justice she deserved.

Her family lost her forever and she was not allowed to reach adulthood.

May she find peace where she is now.

Sources:

• Daystar Residential, Inc. & Shiloh Treatment Center v. Mark W. Collmer--Appeal from 270th District Court of Harris County (Justia)
• Closure of center for troubled kids follows years of woes (Houston Chronicle)