2 teens allege abuse and neglect in federal suit against Asheville Academy

• Two teenagers who attended Asheville Academy have filed a federal lawsuit alleging abuse and neglect at the now-closed Weaverville facility.
• In June, the facility closed following the deaths of two children in May.

Two teenagers who attended Asheville Academy for Girls have filed a lawsuit alleging they suffered abuse and neglect at the now-shuttered therapeutic boarding school and residential treatment center in Weaverville.

The lawsuit, filed Aug. 20 in U.S. District Court in North Carolina, accuses the program and its owner, Oregon-based Family Help & Wellness, of violating the teens’ civil rights and entering into a conspiracy to cover up a report of sexual exploitation. It also accuses Family Help & Wellness of rebranding the program to allegedly avoid accountability.

According to the lawsuit, the program rebranded from Solstice East to Magnolia Mill School to Asheville Academy for Girls while the two teens were enrolled in the program in 2023-24.

In 2021, the USA TODAY Network detailed allegations of neglect and abuse experienced by former clients at Solstice East. Asheville Academy closed after two children died by suicide there in May, the Citizen Times previously reported.

“Our goal through this lawsuit is not only to seek accountability for our clients, but also to bring greater public attention to this industry and drive meaningful reform,” Gareth Purnell, one of the attorneys representing the teens, told the Citizen Times in an Aug. 22 email.

A spokesperson who had previously represented Asheville Academy did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Family Help & Wellness.

In their suit, the teens, who the Citizen Times is not identifying because they might be victims of abuse, claim they both suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder because of enrollment at Asheville Academy. One teen accused the program of failing to protect them from a former staff member who solicited inappropriate photographs from the child. According to the suit, the program did not investigate the allegation or report it to the child’s parents or law enforcement, “constituting gross negligence and a failure to protect a minor in their care.”

Another staff member allegedly made inappropriate sexual comments about residents' bodies, which attorneys wrote “created a hostile and unsafe environment.” Another staff member also provided one of the teens a beverage with alcohol in it, according to the suit. The staff member was terminated, yet program administration claimed no alcohol was in the drink, attorneys wrote.

Both teens also claim they were both required to perform unpaid labor and neglected the teens’ medical needs. They are seeking punitive and compensatory damages under federal law.

Asheville Academy’s owner, Family Help & Wellness, has been at the center of other allegations of neglect and abuse, which attorneys for the company have disputed in court filings and previous comments to the Citizen Times.

In March, a former camper who attended Trails Carolina, a wilderness therapy camp in Lake Toxaway, filed a federal lawsuit accusing one of the camp’s adult male field instructors of sexual abuse during the child's time as a camper there in 2015. The child was 12 years old, according to the suit.

Two months later, another camper who attended the camp filed a lawsuit in state court alleging they were sexually assaulted by an older camper who held a “metal object” to their throat while the two shared a tent.

The camp closed after the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services revoked its license following the February 2024 death of a 12-year-old camper. Another camper died there in 2014.

In June, a camper who attended both Trails Carolina, and later enrolled at Asheville Academy, filed a federal lawsuit alleging they suffered abuse and neglect at both programs.

Need help?

The 988 suicide and crisis hotline provides free support 24 hours a day. Call 988 or 800-273-8255.

For those who have experienced sexual violence, assault or abuse, the following nonprofits and government resources are provided to Western North Carolina residents: 

Mountain Child Advocacy Center: Therapy and education for abused children and their families. Call 828-213-9824. 

Our Voice: Asheville rape and sexual assault crisis center for ages 13 and older. Call the 24-hour hotline at 828-255-7576.

Buncombe County Family Justice Center: Call 828-250-6900 or go to the center at 35 Woodfin St., Asheville. 

RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) is a national organization. Contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673 or access an online chat at online.rainn.org.

Jacob Biba is the Helene recovery reporter at the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected].