Why is Diamond Ranch Academy in Utah shutting down? License renewal denied amid concerning death

Diamond Ranch Academy will soon shut down to renew its license after the same was rejected by the state government in Utah. All the children admitted to the facility will be discharged according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services and the institute will shut on August 14, 2023.

The news of the facility's license not being renewed comes months after Taylor Goodridge died in December 2022. The decision was made by a panel, which included three medical professionals at the Utah Department of Commerce.

Following an investigation by the Department of Commerce review panel, it was determined that Taylor's demise could have been avoided if certain steps were taken and the panel questioned residential treatment facilities for the adolescents. Two more kids from the institute passed away before Taylor and Diamond Ranch Academy's license was put on probation twice by the state for the same.

The Executive Director of the facility, Ricky Dias stated that they were treated unfairly by the government.

"The decision to cease operations has been spurned by unfair treatment from the State of Utah which has consistently demonstrated its lack of concern for the safety, well-being, and treatment of youth in programs," Dias said.

Diamond Ranch Academy was established in 1999 and it admits children of ages 12 to 18 to seek help for issues like anger management and depression.

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Taylor Goodridge was sick before she died inside Diamond Ranch Academy in December 2022

Taylor Goodridge passed away on December 20, 2022, after falling sick and collapsing inside the Diamond Ranch Academy at around 5 pm. Hurricane City Police received a call about a girl who was sick and they rushed to the location. The cops revealed that one of the staff members performed CPR on Taylor.

Goodridge was admitted to the facility in October 2021 to get therapy and seek help for her behavioral problems.

The autopsy report revealed that she had an infection in the abdomen, leading to sepsis, as per Law&Crime. An investigation was later launched and officials learned that Taylor had been vomiting for days before she died and the facility failed to get her the medical attention she needed.

Taylor also had an elevated heart rate, fever, and low blood pressure. Her skin color had become pale and her stomach was distended. Goodridge's blood sample was taken on the day she died but the lab results arrived only after her death.

The facility's medical director Dr. Danny Worwood was scheduled to check on Taylor every two weeks but the last time he visited her was in February 2022, as per NBC. Taylor's parents later filed a civil lawsuit against the Diamond Ranch Academy for not attending to Taylor's health problems. The parents' lawyer Alan Mortensen said that they found evidence hinting that Taylor's death "was not accidental."

Mortensen revealed that Taylor requested help after suffering from her health issues but she was punished for the same. She was also not allowed to make weekly phone calls to her parents.

With Diamond Ranch Academy set to shut next month, Taylor's family has expressed their satisfaction with the same. The facility on the other hand is attempting to get the lawsuit dismissed.