US Judge Dismisses Forced Labor Claims Against Wilderness Training & Consulting

• Three former students of Utah treatment programs Solstice RTC and Journey Home West have filed a lawsuit against Wilderness Training & Consulting alleging forced labor, physical abuse, and neglect.
• The plaintiffs claim they were denied basic privileges and punished with isolation, exercise until exhaustion or sickness, and psychological abuse.
• The lawsuit seeks to hold the treatment centers accountable for their actions and potentially uncover evidence of widespread abuse in Utah's troubled teen programs.

A federal judge may allow the case to proceed, potentially uncovering evidence of forced labor and physical abuse at two Utah treatment centers.

Three former students of Utah treatment programs Solstice RTC and Journey Home West have filed a lawsuit against Wilderness Training & Consulting, alleging they were subjected to forced labor, physical abuse, and neglect while enrolled in the facilities between 2015 and 2020. The women claim they were denied basic privileges, including food, clothing, and hygiene, and were punished with isolation, exercise until exhaustion or sickness, and psychological abuse. They also allege that they were forced to provide free labor under threat of punishment, which is a violation of the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. The lawsuit seeks to hold the treatment centers accountable for their actions and potentially uncover evidence of widespread abuse in Utah's troubled teen programs.

The plaintiffs' claims are based on the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which prohibits forced labor and exploitation. The defendants argue that the plaintiffs have stretched the statute beyond recognition and that it cannot be used to circumvent the statute of limitations in Utah. However, plaintiff attorney Gareth Purnell disputed this, arguing that the generalized claims were made to show that many of the punishments and threats occurred around the students, leading to coercion of labor. The defendants also claim that the plaintiffs failed to show how the forced labor provided economic value, but Purnell argued that even indirect benefits, such as landscaping or deep cleaning, would have saved the defendants money by not having to hire someone else to do the work.

A federal judge may allow the case to proceed, potentially uncovering evidence of forced labor and physical abuse at two Utah treatment centers. This could set a precedent for similar cases in the future, particularly with regards to the use of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. Lawyers should watch this development closely, as it has significant implications for the treatment of minors in residential programs and the accountability of facilities that fail to provide proper care.

A federal judge may allow the case to proceed, potentially uncovering evidence of forced labor and physical abuse at two Utah treatment centers. Lawyers should watch for potential precedent on the use of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act in similar cases.

Source: Original reporting via Courthouse News