MORRIS HAYNES
Last week, theSenate Committee on Finance published a report, “Warehouses of Neglect.”
The report, two years in the making, calls attention tothe alleged systemic abuse in youth residential treatment facilities across thecountry and how taxpayers are funding this system.
The 130-page report also referenceslawsuits Morris Haynes partner Jeremy Knowles and outsideco-counsel Tommy James and Caleb Cunningham have broughtagainst residential treatment facilities (RTFs) and troubled teen industry(TTI) facilities in Alabama. These lawsuits allege thatunderaged clients were abused, neglected, and denied proper education.
Oregon senator Ron Wyden spearheaded the report and stated during a hearing, “Unfortunately, itseems that more often than not, abuse and neglect is the norm at thesefacilities, and they’re set up to let this happen.” He continued, “The systemis failing, except the providers running these treatment facilities, who havefigured out exactly how to turn a profit off taxpayer-fundedchild abuse.”
The report clearly lays out how companies like Vivant Behavioral Care andresidential facilities like Brighter Path in Courtland, Alabama, use Medicaidand government agencies to fund facilities in which abuse and neglect arerampant and education is a last priority. In fact, just last month Brighter Path was found to be violating safety codes andat risk of losing its business license.
Knowles knows that this report is just one step towards accountabilityand change. “The congressional report is a positive step. For decades, children have been abused at thesefacilities. For decades, the abuse has been silenced,”Knowles says.
He has been fighting for victims of abusive practices in these facilitiesfor years and knows that often litigation is the only way to hold thesefor-profit companies accountable, stating “The lawsuits we file against thesefacilities serve several purposes.” He continued, “1. Hold facilitiesaccountable. 2. Bring awareness to this systemic abuse. 3. Let victimsknow they are not alone and do not have to besilent.”
With years of experience in this field, Knowles has seenfirst-hand the hardships families go through after finding out that abehavioral therapy facility for their teenager hurt them instead of helpingthem. A father of five himself, Knowles is a passionate and tireless advocatefor children and underage victims of abuse.
If you are worried thatyour teenager is being abused or neglected at a behavioral correction center orschool that was supposed to help them, then please call us at (205) 324-4008 totell our attorneys about what is going on.
If you fear that your child could be inimmediate danger of physical abuse, then please call the local authoritiesfirst.
Our firm is here to help you understand your legal optionsand represent you through all steps of the claims process. While we get to workon your case and fight for full compensation and justice, you can focus onhealing your family and moving toward a brighter future together.
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