Adult Survivors of Utah Troubled-Teen Programs: Your Options

If you were sent to a Utah wilderness program, residential treatment center, therapeutic boarding school or youth ranch, you may still carry what happened there. Maybe you were taken from your bed in the middle of the night. Maybe your calls home were monitored. I'm Frank Stucki, Esq., MBA. You're not alone, and you don't have to keep it to yourself. You also get to move at your own pace.

What a civil case is

A civil case is a lawsuit for money damages. It's separate from any criminal case, and you don't need a criminal charge or conviction to bring one. Depending on what happened, a case might name:

• The person who harmed you
• The company that owned or ran the program
• A parent company, management company or investor group
• Businesses that transported, referred or contracted with the program

The goal is accountability: making a program and the people behind it answer, under oath and on the record, for what happened.

Being a minor then matters now

Utah law treats harm to children differently. Sexual abuse claims have their own rules, and other harm, like physical abuse, neglect or dangerous restraint, has different rules. Some of these laws have been challenged in court or changed. Deadlines apply and depend on your facts, so it's worth asking early, even if you aren't ready to decide anything.

"But it was licensed," or "My parents signed something"

A license isn't a defense to abuse. Utah has added rules over the years limiting restraint and seclusion, but older rules and general duties of care still matter if your time came first.

Many parents signed enrollment contracts with waivers or arbitration clauses. A paper you never saw doesn't automatically end your case. Whether it applies is a legal question.

A first step that's yours

• Write down what you remember, when you're ready. Dates and names can come later.
• Keep any letters, photos or records you have.
• Talk with someone you trust, or a therapist, if that helps.
• You can live anywhere and still bring a case about a Utah program.

A confidential conversation doesn't commit you to anything. You decide what to share and when.

If you're in crisis, call or text 988.

Read the full guide: https://slcsurvivorlaw.com/resources/utah-troubled-teen-program-adult-survivor-rights

Call 385.585.5SLC

Frank Stucki, Esq., MBA

This article provides general legal information, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

By Frank Stucki

Frank is a trial attorney licensed in Nevada, Washington, and Utah, handling personal injury, institutional abuse, and catastrophic injury cases. California and other states are handled with local co-counsel.

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