MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — A family thought their prayers were answered when they found Oak Plains Academy for their teenage daughter.
Mother Margaret Moonin wants to know how her daughter and another 15-year-old managed to break into a nurse's station, steal medication, overdose and die.
Even though the facility in Montgomery County is 4,000 miles from the family's home in Alaska, they sent her there because the center promised to keep 15-year-old Raiden Toms-Moonin safe.
"She was a very sweet and beautiful young lady. She was just really kind, caring, compassionate, and really smart. I was really excited to see the kind of lady she would turn into," Raiden's mom Moonin said.
Margaret misses her daughter Raiden.
"We never thought she could get her hands on something like this. No, we would’ve never sent her to a place that had this kind of reputation," Moonin said.
Margaret said Raiden was sent to Oak Plains Academy after she tried to die by suicide about 4 months ago.
Before the family decided to send Raiden to Montgomery County, they tried to place her in another facility. She kept running into one problem: they’re full.
"She had an interview. They were setting up plane tickets. She did her hair, got clothes ready to fly out that night or next and then they call and say we can’t take her because the medication she was on. She was so upset," Moonin said.
Margaret doesn’t remember who suggested Oak Plains Academy as an option for Raiden, but they traveled many miles to get her help.
She said in the short amount of time she was there, Raiden got into a fight with another girl and cut herself.
"I tried to get ahold of her before she died to talk to her to find out what’s going on," Moonin said.
She never got that phone call from her. The next call she got was from a nurse telling Margaret her daughter is on the way to the hospital.
She said the family was hopeful Raiden would pull through. She finally got the call from the doctor.
"They were saying that her body is failing, and I tried to go see her so I could be with her one last time, and I didn’t make it. I don’t know what to do," Moonin said.
Margaret said Oak Plains Academy staff was supposed to be watching her 24/7.
"I know she had so much pain in her, you know? We were trying to figure out why she was so hurt and where that pain was from. She said she was ready to open up. She was ready to do therapy and just get out of there and come home," Moonin said.
She now wants to know how this could happen. She thinks Oak Plains Academy needs to be held responsible.
"The people all involved the doctors, therapist this needs to be on their record, so people know you were here where maybe you weren’t doing the job you were supposed to be doing," Moonin said.
Margaret said a detective looking into her daughter’s death has been in contact with her.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office just executed a search warranton the property yesterday.
NewsChannel 5 reached out to Oak Plains Academy for a statement about the allegations against staff previously reported on and the overdoses.
"The leadership and staff of Oak Plains Academy extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the two individuals who passed away," CEO Larry Kirkland said. "When the incident occurred, we took immediate action to address the circumstances including speaking directly with the families. Per our facility protocols: Any allegations made by patients in our care are promptly and thoroughly investigated. Staffing is reviewed on a daily basis in order to address the needs of our patients. Due to state and federal patient privacy laws, as well as an ongoing investigation, we cannot provide further details. We are committed to our mission of providing quality care to patients with special, and often complex, mental health needs."
NewsChannel 5 also found out Youth Villages has been on-site at Oak Plains Academy. Youth Villages is described online as a place that provides help for children and young people across the United States who face a wide range of emotional, mental and behavioral problems.
“Our involvement with Oak Plains initially included our Specialized Crisis Services program’s response to a crisis on the evening of Nov. 29, 2022," said Charmaine Kromer COO for Youth Villages said in a statement. We have continued to be available for crisis response or crisis assessment needs. Specialized Crisis Services provides emergency support for children under 18 across the state who are experiencing a mental health crisis.”
The overdose deaths are still under investigation.
