A recently released autopsy shows that the death of a Native American girl after collapsing at Diamond Ranch Academy, a Utah boarding school, was the result of a serious infection that usually needs to be treated with antibiotics.
Taylor Goodridge, 17, died on December 20 and the state concluded in a subsequent investigation that the boarding school for troubled teens had failed to seek necessary medical attention for her when she vomited for several days.
An autopsy report completed this month by the Utah Medical Examiner’s Office concluded that Taylor died of peritonitis, an infection of tissue in the abdomen that led to sepsis, a life-threatening condition that arises from the body’s response to infection. The infection spread to her vital organs and caused them to fail, the autopsy found.
Peritonitis is a serious condition that must be treated promptly with antibiotics and sometimes surgery. Symptoms of peritonitis they include fatigue, nausea, vomiting and a bloated stomach, all of which Taylor complained of in the weeks before her death, according to former Diamond Ranch Academy staff members.
The autopsy report followed a Utah Department of Health and Human Services investigation report, obtained through an open records request, which found that Taylor had been showing signs of illness since October, and her symptoms had intensified in the days before her death. Diamond Ranch Academy, however, did not attempt to take her to a hospital until the day of her death, according to the report.
«In the 12-day period prior to the client’s death, program documentation recorded that the client vomited at least 14 times,» the department’s investigative report stated. «Nine days prior to the client’s death, documentation recorded that the client vomited at least 7 times in an 11-hour period.»
The reports angered Taylor’s parents, Dean Goodridge and AmberLynn Wigtion.
“We are devastated to learn that Taylor’s death was entirely preventable if Diamond Ranch Academy had cared,” Goodridge and Wigtion said in a statement.
Bill Frazier, an attorney for the school, said he could not comment on the autopsy because neither he nor the school had seen it. He previously called Taylor’s death a «tragic circumstance,» but the school was unable to comment further due to education and medical privacy laws. Frazier added that the school disagreed with «many aspects» of the former staff members’ accounts.
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services placed Diamond Ranch Academy’s license on probation and suspended its ability to enroll children after Taylor’s death. But in March, before the autopsy was complete, the state lifted enrollment restrictions. The agency said it made the decision after multiple unannounced site visits from December to February and an appeal by the school.
“DHHS inspections showed that DRA had made the changes necessary to comply and failed to show evidence to prevent the facility from accepting new customers,” the department said in a statement.
Through the end of July, Diamond Ranch Academy will be subject to additional inspections by the department, and the school risks losing its license if it violates state regulations.
The department said records of his appeal hearing are confidential and refused to release them in response to an open records request.
A department spokesperson added that it is still being determined whether the autopsy «is considered additional information related to» the Diamond Ranch Academy license.
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Taylor’s parents said in their statement that they were «stunned» that the state «failed to hold Diamond Ranch Academy accountable for Taylor’s death, settling with Diamond Ranch Academy without any input from our family.»
according to their website, Diamond Ranch Academy maintains its accreditation from The Joint Commission, a national nonprofit organization that sets standards for behavioral health and medical care facilities. The Joint Commission did not respond to questions about Diamond Ranch Academy beyond outlining its typical process for handling incident reports, which can include accreditation review and removal.
Taylor’s parents are suing Diamond Ranch Academy in federal court over her death «to make sure this doesn’t happen to other innocent teens and their families,» they said.
Diamond Ranch Academy has filed the case be fired for procedural reasons. A judge has yet to rule on the matter, and the case is pending.