authorities , and other governmental actors which have the power to commit children . The facilities are paid local , state , or federal tax dollars for housing the children and earn between $ 130 and $ 800 per day per child .
Cornelius Frederick One such child was Cornelius Frederick . Sixteen-year-old Cornelius was placed in a facility that was for at-risk youth as a ward of the state . Within 6 months at the facility , Cornelius died by asphyxiation after staff members restrained him for throwing food in the lunchroom . To state more directly , a 16-year-old child was crushed to death by six to seven male staff members for throwing food .
Cornelius ’ body was examined by a staff member and another 12 minutes passed before they called 911 . In the 18 months before Cornelius ’ death , emergency services were called 237 times to this facility . Nine days before Cornelius ’ death , a runaway from the facility pleaded with police not to take him back as the child feared for his safety .
Progress Blocked At Every Turn
When you have an unregulated industry , driven by profit , involving vulnerable children , it is no surprise that it has become a shameful , national nightmare . The lobbying efforts of the industry , however , have prevented meaningful change . It is also easy for the industry to differentiate themselves with imaginary nomenclature . A facility may be called a wilderness retreat , a faith-based conversion camp , a juvenile psychiatric home , a therapeutic boarding school , a residential facility , and many , many other names when , in reality , they are all operating in the same industry .
Until meaningful regulation and oversight are imposed on this industry , individual litigation and class actions are the primary means of effecting change and redress . Many survivors are unaware they have a path to justice or are too traumatized to speak openly about their experiences .
Lawsuits As A Means To Affect Change
Educating ourselves so that we can educate our clients , our friends , and our communities is the first step in tackling this industry . The next step is to use the only tools at our disposal : lawsuits . It is well within the current legal framework to bring actions for negligence , recklessness , false advertising , medical malpractice , and the myriad other failures that have led to so many injuries . Importantly , however , we must see the injuries not as one-offs but as an almost necessary recurrent outcome of a vile industry .
These abuses are not regrettable outliers . Rather , they are the predictable outcome of an industry left to its own devices prioritizing profits over safety . Certainly , the culpability of the participants and organizations in the exploited teen industry are made all the more reprehensible when viewed through the macro lens of history and context .
* Citations available on request
52 x The Trial Lawyer