Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Parents of Biruk Silvers, a 17-year-old who died by suicide, announced plans to sue Discovery Ranch Academy.
- They allege that gross negligence and systemic failures contributed to his death.
- The lawsuit aims to highlight issues in Utah's troubled teen industry.
MAPLETON — Biruk Silvers, 17, is remembered by his parents as a bright and talented boy with a bright future ahead of him.
"He was everything to us," his mother, Kathryn Silvers, said Monday.
Biruk, born in Ethiopia, was adopted by Joshua and Kathryn Silvers who live in the Chicago area. He struggled with his mental health, but his parents said they were always by his side and committed to helping him.
In April, the Silvers sent Biruk to Discovery Ranch Academy in Mapleton, a teen residential treatment program.
"We were assured we'd be partners in his care and kept informed every step of the way. But they broke that promise. They kept us in the dark about the very things we needed to know to protect our son," Kathryn Silvers said.
On Nov. 5, Biruk was found deceased in his room. His death was ruled to be a suicide by asphyxiation.
"And now, almost two weeks later, we know this was not an inevitable tragedy. It was a preventable one," Silvers said.
On Monday, the Silvers and their attorney, Alan Mortensen, held a press conference to announce a notice of intent and notice of claim against Discovery Ranch Academy, several counselors and staff members, and the University of Utah that employs the facility's staff psychiatrist. The Silvers are alleging that gross negligence, medical malpractice, and systemic failures at Discovery Ranch resulted in Biruk's death.
"Discovery Ranch learned that Biruk had developed a detailed plan to harm himself and end his own life," his mother said, adding that after workers learned this information, she assumed she would have received a call from Discovery Academy.
"For us, that call never came. Our son needed help and he was forced to suffer alone while we, his family, were left in the dark and deprived of an opportunity to do anything in our power to help Biruk when he needed us the most. They knew of his plans to hurt himself for two weeks. They never informed us, which prevented us from getting him the appropriate care," she said while fighting back tears.
According to the family, "basic safety precautions" were ignored by the academy, including prescribing Lexapro and allegedly allowing him to participate in game called "space monkeys," a choking game also known as a pass-out challenge.
Silvers says despite expressing their concerns to staff members, they were dismissed as "unimportant and irrelevant."
"In what might be the most egregious act of negligence by Discovery Ranch Academy, our son had access to a belt to keep his pants up after knowing of his plan to end his life, which included asphyxiation," she said. "Now, on the brink of the holiday season, our family is left with a hole that can never be filled. Our family believes that Biruk's death was not the result of his mental health struggles. It was the result of systematic failures, gross negligence and the utter disregard of those entrusted with his care.
"This is not about Lexapro, suicide, or space monkeys. This is about Discovery Ranch knowing of my son's struggles and intent and not responding to them. This is not about the result, but how this could have happened and been prevented," Silvers continued. "We're pursuing this legal action to bring to light the systemic failures and to seek justice, not just for our sweet, sweet Biruk, but for all children who deserve safety and compassion."
In a prepared statement to KSL.com on Monday, Discovery Ranch Executive Director Clinton Dorny said: "A 17-year-old male student committed suicide at Discovery Ranch on the afternoon of Nov. 5. We are deeply saddened by the loss, and we grieve with the family. We are supporting our students and our staff, including offering therapy, having extra therapists on site, and calling in extra staff to be with the students. We thank the emergency responders for their quick response and their professionalism. We are thoroughly investigating the incident internally, and have been fully cooperative with the authorities and their ongoing investigation."
Also attending Monday's press conference was Meg Applegate, the CEO of the group Unsilenced, which raises awareness about issues within the troubled teen industry.
Utah, she said, "has become the epicenter of the troubled teen industry," but the state's oversight of these facilities "is dangerously inadequate."
"This is a public health crisis that demands immediate action. This is not care; it is abuse. This is not healing; it is harm. This is not treatment; it is trauma. This isn't only about Discovery Ranch, it is about a system, a system that Utah has allowed to thrive under the guise of treatment," Applegate said while alleging that profit outweighs safety at many facilities.
"It's time for Utah to step up. This state should not be known as the epicenter of the troubled teen industry," she said.
