Death at TN Juvenile Facilty Ruled Homicide

The Chad Youth Enhancement Center in Middle Tennessee has seen continuing reports of abuse of its juvenile clients and now a death there has been ruled a homicide. The company which operates the for-profit facility is King, based in Prussia, PA and also has 110 'behavioral health' facilities in 33 states.

Tennessee medical examiner Bruce Levy says a 17-year-old from Philadelphia, PA died this summer from strangulation after a fight with two staffers at Chad. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:


"Tennessee child-welfare officials have already cited Chad over the confrontation, saying the facility's workers needlessly provoked Leach.

The officials said a Chad staffer should have given Leach space to calm down June 2 when Leach had retreated to a dorm after a fight with another resident.

Instead, the staffer, Randall D. Rae, 22, ordered Leach to leave the dorm, and Leach attacked him, according to investigators. The two struggled for a period. At some point, Rae turned his grip on Leach over to another aide, Milton G. Francis, 31.

Police said the aides had told them that they put Leach face-down on the floor with his hands pulled behind his back in a restraint method taught as part of routine Chad procedure. Neither Rae nor Francis could be reached for comment.

The procedure is known as the "Handle With Care" system. According to the instruction manual at use at Chad, the system is "an incredibly effective and safe restraint method."

Investigators will present evidence of this case to a Grand Jury. Meanwhile, officials with Chad say:

"Chad said it had a "nurturing and positive environment," but would hire more staff."