The father of a teenager who died at a Utah boarding school has filed a lawsuit alleging the facility ignored his daughter’s complaints of “severe pain” leading up to her death.
Taylor Goodridge, 17, died December 20 after collapsing at Diamond Ranch Academy in Hurricane, Utah, in what her family believes to be sepsis.
In late December, Taylor’s father, Dean Goodridge, filed a lawsuit against the facility, which has since been placed on probation by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.
Dean claims staff members told the 17-year-old to “suck up” and claimed she was faking her pain by telling her to take an aspirin and drink water.
Taylor Goodridge, 17, died December 20 at Diamond Ranch Academy
The facility is billed as a “therapeutic boarding school,” according to its website
According to their website, Diamond Ranch Academy is a “therapeutic boarding school” that works with teens who have a variety of issues ranging from anger management issues to major depressive disorders.
A cause of death for the teenager has yet to be determined.
Taylor reportedly fell ill on December 20 and collapsed at the facility. When EMS officers arrived, Taylor was pronounced dead.
The girl’s father alleges in the lawsuit that she has been complaining to employees about severe abdominal pain for weeks, since November.
In response, the father says, the school and its staff claimed she faked the illness, though at one point she collapsed in her own vomit.
The lawsuit, filed by Alan Mortensen, representing Dean, argues the school violated the Utah Health Care Malpractice Act.
According to a lawsuit filed by her father, Taylor had complained of severe abdominal pain for weeks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me3bHivtDP8
The facility works with teens who, according to its website, have a variety of issues ranging from anger management issues to major depressive disorders
When Taylor entered the facility, she was in “very good health,” according to her father.
“Here’s that this young teenager from Washington state is being sent to Utah to try and help her get her life back on track,” Mortensen said.
“And before they know it, she died of what we believe will ultimately turn out to be sepsis. And without explanation,’ said the lawyer.
Aside from Taylor complaining about the pain, the teen also sought help from staff in the weeks leading up to her death, her father’s lawsuit says.
Even after Taylor collapsed in her own vomit and had a stomach that was “extremely bloated in a way that it was noticeable to others,” staff continued to ignore her.
At one point, Taylor reportedly became so ill that she collapsed in her own vomit
Taylor’s father claims her abdomen was noticeably bloated before her death
Lawyers believe the teenager died of sepsis and not a heart attack, as the school claims
Dean says through his attorney he believes his daughter’s treatment may reflect similar experiences of other students who are “often ignored or told they are faking their illnesses.”
Mortensen also says that school officials told the teenager’s family that she was taken to the hospital after suffering a heart attack and later died from the incident. Her family believes she died of sepsis due to an untreated abdominal problem.
The lawsuit alleges the father felt comfortable sending his daughter to school after reading the assurances the school had promised.
“We recognize how difficult it was for a decision to intervene for your child,” according to a Diamond Ranch Academy parent’s manual, the lawsuit states.
“We also know how difficult it is to put the care of your child in someone else’s hands. Please take comfort in knowing that we take our responsibilities very seriously,” the handbook continues.
The academy also promises parents that it will “treat every student as if they were our own daughter or son.”
It’s unclear exactly what Taylor is being treated for.
Dean Goodridge alongside Taylor (bottom right) and two of Taylor’s siblings
A cause of death for the teenager (left) has yet to be determined
In a Facebook post published on Christmas Eve, Dean shared the news of Taylor’s death with friends and said the family plans to get to the bottom of the situation.
“This is the hardest thing I’ll ever write,” Dean wrote.
“We don’t know what happened, we will find out what happened,” said the grieving father.
Dean, who lives in Washington state, said the young girl “meant the world to her family,” including her siblings, who loved her dearly.
Taylor’s father shared the news of his daughter’s death on Facebook the day before Christmas
In a statement, Diamond Ranch Academy said:
“We are fully and transparently cooperating with the State of Utah as they investigate this tragedy.
“Student safety is our top priority and we continually strive to provide the best possible care for our students and families.
It is Diamond Ranch Academy policy not to publicly comment on pending litigation.’
This is Dean Goodridge’s lawsuit
Dean claims the school ignored his daughter’s problems for weeks before her death
The facility, which shares rave testimonials on its website, costs over $7,000 a month, according to one outlet.
On Facebook, there is an entire Facebook group dedicated to those who have attended Diamond Ranch Academy.
The group, called I Survived Diamond Ranch Academy, has more than 1,000 members and was founded in 2011.
Diamond Ranch Academy opened in 1999 and promises to nurture and care for patients “with all the concern of a loving parent.”
“If you’re looking for a program for your teen that really works — that really makes a lasting difference — I invite you to seriously consider Diamond Ranch Academy,” the academy’s website reads.
“If it’s important to you to find a program that will watch over, care for and help your youth with all the concern of a loving parent, look no further,” the website continues.
Taylor’s family is seeking general, special and punitive damages against the facility
Taylor’s family is seeking a jury trial.
The lawsuit seeks general and special damages to be determined by the jury and attorneys’ fees to be paid by the Academy.
The family is also seeking punitive damages from Diamond Ranch Academy in “an amount sufficient to punish DRA and deter DRA and others in similar situations from engaging in such conduct in the future.”
No trial date has been set at this time.