News Summary
Asheville Academy in Weaverville, NC has encountered severe penalties from the NCDHHS after violations led to the tragic suicides of two students. The facility voluntarily surrendered its license, facing a $45,000 penalty and mandates for improved safety measures. Reports revealed serious concerns about staff training, supervision, and inadequate protective measures for residents. Despite implementing new monitoring protocols following the incidents, the facility has discharged all students and plans to close permanently, as further investigations into safety compliance continue.
Weaverville, North Carolina – Asheville Academy, a therapeutic school located in Weaverville, is facing significant repercussions after the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) found the facility in violation of licensing rules, resulting in $45,000 in administrative penalties. This investigation was initiated following the tragic suicides of two students, aged 12 and 13, that occurred within a month in May 2025.
In light of these findings, the facility voluntarily surrendered its license on June 4, 2025, and has been ordered to comply with various stipulations following this grave investigation. The violations cited by the NCDHHS include breaches related to Article 2 and Article 3, which pertain to licensing rules for mental health services and clients’ rights for individuals with mental illness, developmental disabilities, or substance abuse problems, respectively.
The parent company of Asheville Academy, Wilderness Training & Consulting LLC, faces a 60-day window to pay the penalties and a 30-day period to appeal the state’s decision. A recent annual complaint survey conducted on June 5 substantiated three complaints regarding the facility while two were deemed unsubstantiated.
Among the documented deficiencies in the state’s report are serious concerns about inadequate supervision of paraprofessional staff, as well as the failure to protect residents from harm, abuse, and exploitation. It was also revealed that staff training and supervision were lacking. Notably, one mentor was found not to have CPR/AED and First Aid training prior to the first suicide incident, indicating critical gaps in emergency preparedness.
Additionally, a shift coordinator reported being the only medication-trained staff member present during certain hours and lacked current CPR certification. The report also indicated that significant portions of the staff training and supervision records had been redacted, raising further concerns about transparency and accountability.
Following the incidence of the two suicides, Asheville Academy implemented policy changes aimed at enhancing the monitoring of clients. New regulations mandated that staff check on students using the bathroom every five minutes and maintain verbal communication, termed the “Cracked and Counting” protocol. This set of regulations followed previous scrutiny of the facility for earlier incidents, which included both a suicide attempt and reports of abuse and neglect.
In light of these circumstances, the facility decided to discharge all students effective May 31, 2025, and announced there is no plan to reopen. The North Carolina DHHS Secretary has made it clear that investigations into the events surrounding the suicides will continue, underscoring the ongoing concern for safety measures within such facilities.
The NCDHHS report highlighted that Asheville Academy’s procedures and controls were misaligned with the needs and maturity levels of the clients they served. Families of the deceased children have voiced their alarms regarding the oversight and standards of care at the facility, which serves girls aged 10-18 experiencing issues such as anxiety, depression, and trauma, with a capacity for up to 90 children.
Further investigations have revealed that some mentors were unaware of critical emergency equipment like AEDs, despite claims from the executive director asserting that staff received training regarding their location. Testimonies from former residents indicate a mixed experience at Asheville Academy, with some reporting negative encounters involving bullying and mistreatment, while others noted positive changes from the program.
In light of these tragic events, the NCDHHS continues to evaluate safety measures and compliance standards across similar facilities in an effort to address and mitigate concerns related to a safe and supportive environment for vulnerable children.
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