ASHLAND CITY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Earlier this week, two 15-year-olds overdosed on Benadryl and died at Oak Plains Academy, according to Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. This revelation has brought forward a family who is now speaking out about the abuse their son faced while at the residential treatment facility.
NewsChannel 5 found out there have been lawsuits filed against the facility claiming staff members don’t protect kids from bullying and fights.
This mom said her son experienced it first-hand, but she didn’t believe him at the time. She wishes she would’ve listened to her son when he told her he was being bullied at Oak Plains Academy.
She said he was injured on three separate occasions while he was staying in the facility in 2021. NewsChannel 5 is not revealing the mom's identity.
"The stories that they would tell the parents they made them sound believable. I feel bad now because all the other stuff I didn’t believe him about stuff going on," she said.
During the first incident, her son received two black eyes. The mom said when she asked the staff what happened they said he was pushed into the wall.
She said the next month she went to visit him he had a massive bite mark on his shoulder, and the next month a big gash on his face.
Staff members told her he was pushed into a door.
"Obviously the staff members aren’t paying attention to them like they’re supposed to because if they were my son wouldn’t have got hurt like this," she added.
Her son complained about the bullying at the time, but she admits she didn't take it seriously.
"Anywhere you are even school like fights break out but the experience I had — the fight didn’t last long. A staff member was right there. They paid attention and actually cared," she said.
She wishes she could have done more to protect her son. It's why she's speaking out now to protect other kids.
"I want parents to know if you have a kid in residential if they tell you something believe them. Investigate it. Find out what is going on. Because this probably caused my son more trauma than what he already had," she added.
NewsChannel 5 reached out to Universal Health Services, the company that owns Oak Plains Academy again about the overdose deaths and recent accusations. NewsChannel 5 tried several times on Thursday and Friday.
Requests for comment haven't been returned.
