After scrutiny, Crimson Heights agrees to close residential facilities serving minors in Utah

ST. GEORGE — For years, families entrusted Crimson Heights with the care of some of Utah's most vulnerable children. Now, under an agreement with state regulators, the company is shutting down its congregate care facilities serving minors following a series of licensing actions and alleged violations.

The closure comes months after KSL Investigates began examining the company's operations, reviewing state records and speaking with former employees, families and regulators.

As the closure deadline approaches, KSL Investigates traveled to southern Utah to speak with people whose lives have been shaped by the treatment provider.

For Lisa, the closure brings a sense of relief.

Sitting on her couch, she flipped through a photo album filled with memories of her son. Lisa, who asked KSL not to publish her last name to protect his privacy, said there is a gap in that collection, from the time he spent at a Crimson Heights residential facility just off Tuweap Drive in St. George known as Pad 3.

"He was a cutie," she said, smiling at one of the photographs.

Her son has Down syndrome and is nonverbal. Because he wanders at night, Lisa said he was zippered into a protective enclosure over his bed, unable to get out on his own.

She claims in 2024, Crimson staff members zipped him into the enclosure, closed his bedroom door and didn't check on him until morning.

"He was so wet that she had to have a towel following him. Diaper couldn't hold anymore," Lisa said.

She eventually brought her son home.

State records show the Utah Department of Health and Human Services issued a warning related to the incident, stating the zipping procedure was not an approved human rights restriction. According to the DHHS, "The zipping incident was investigated by protective services; they reported the incident to the Office of Licensing and law enforcement."

Despite that finding, the state did not list the incident among the reasons it later revoked that location's license in 2026.

Now, Crimson Heights is preparing to close all of its congregate care facilities serving minors. Under an agreement with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, the company has agreed to shut down those programs by the end of July.

The closure follows a series of licensing actions by the state.

In 2026, regulators revoked the license of the facility after authorities alleged a former employee had a sexual relationship with a minor client.

According to a DHHS inspection report, leadership at Crimson Heights was alerted to several reports of professional boundary violations involving a staff member and multiple residents between October and December 2025. The report describes allegations that included unprofessional text messages, disclosure of intimate personal information, and unauthorized, unsupervised late-night outings.

The report further states that after the employee was dismissed, Crimson Heights received warnings that the former staff member remained in contact with a resident.

DHHS inspection reports also allege the facility failed to maintain required staffing levels on multiple occasions, and that staff members falsified supervision records and provided false information to law enforcement.

Crimson Heights declined KSL's request for an interview but provided a written statement.

"We self-report and welcome and cooperate with licensing and oversight entities, promptly address any identified deficiencies, and continuously strengthen training, supervision protocols, and operational controls," the statement reads. "Because these matters can involve client privacy and personnel issues, we cannot discuss individual cases publicly. What we can say is that we are committed to compliance, accountability, and providing safe, high-quality care for the individuals we serve."

Crimson also stated that the staffer arrested, as well as those accused of giving false information to law enforcement and forging documents, no longer work at Crimson.

Crimson Heights provided KSL Investigates with three clients to contact. Melissa Merrill was the only one who agreed to an interview.

"I do feel really bad for those families and those people that went through that," Merrill said.

Merrill said her three sons participated in Crimson Heights' outpatient programs but never lived in one of the company's residential facilities.

At the same time, she said the treatment her sons received had a profound impact on her family.

"I don't even know how to put it into words," she said. "It's like night and day."

Merrill said she was so inspired by the experience that she changed the course of her own life.

"I saw the difference that it made in my own family, and I wanted to do that for other people," she said.

She eventually returned to school to become a therapist.

Lisa said she has also seen major changes in her son since he left Crimson Heights.

One of the people she credits is Tammy Teeples, a caregiver who has worked with him for the past five years.

Teeples previously worked for Crimson Heights but said she left shortly after her client because of concerns she had about the operation.

More than a year after Lisa's son left the facility, Teeples said he still becomes anxious when they drive past the building.

"He was not treated well there," she said.

Now, she focuses on helping him build confidence and create positive experiences. She is creating experiences Lisa hopes to document in her son's album.

"You hope he knows you did your best," Lisa said. "You did your best, and you got him out of there as soon as you knew there were big problems."

Under its agreement with state regulators, Crimson Heights may continue operating adult residential and adult day-treatment programs. The state says all congregate care facilities serving minors will close by the end of July.

Have you experienced something you think just isn't right? The KSL Investigators want to help. Submit your tip at investigates@ksl.com or call 385-707-6153 so we can get working for you.

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