Trails Carolina Abuse: What You Need to Know

Trails Carolina is a wilderness therapy program for troubled teens located in North Carolina. It claims to offer a “therapeutic, nurturing, and safe environment” for adolescents who struggle with various emotional, behavioral, and mental health issues. However, there have been numerous allegations of abuse and neglect at Trails Carolina, ranging from sexual assault, medical neglect, emotional abuse, malnourishment, and severe punishments. In this blog post, we will explore some of the disturbing incidents that have been reported by survivors and their families, as well as the legal actions that have been taken against the program.

Sexual Abuse at Trails Carolina

One of the most serious allegations of abuse at Trails Carolina is sexual abuse. According to a lawsuit filed in June 2023, a 14-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by a male staff member while she was enrolled in the program in 2019. The lawsuit alleges that the staff member groomed the girl by giving her special attention, gifts, and privileges, and then raped her multiple times in his tent. The lawsuit also claims that the staff member threatened to kill the girl if she told anyone about the abuse.

The lawsuit further accuses Trails Carolina of negligence, breach of contract, fraud, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. It alleges that the program failed to conduct proper background checks on its staff, failed to supervise its staff and students, failed to report the abuse to the authorities, and failed to provide adequate medical and psychological care to the victim. The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for the girl and her family.

This is not the only case of sexual abuse at Trails Carolina. In 2017, another lawsuit was filed by a 16-year-old boy who was sexually assaulted by another student while he was enrolled in the program in 2015. The lawsuit alleges that the program was aware of the perpetrator’s history of sexual aggression, but failed to protect the victim from him. The lawsuit also claims that the program ignored the victim’s complaints of pain and bleeding, and failed to provide him with proper medical attention.

Medical Neglect at Trails Carolina

Another common allegation of abuse at Trails Carolina is medical neglect. Many survivors have reported that they suffered from various physical ailments and injuries while they were enrolled in the program, but did not receive adequate medical care or attention. Some of the examples of medical neglect reported by survivors include:

• A girl who developed a severe urinary tract infection that spread to her kidneys, but was denied antibiotics and painkillers by the staff.
• A boy who broke his arm while hiking, but was forced to continue hiking for several days before he was taken to a hospital.
• A girl who suffered from an allergic reaction to a bee sting, but was not given any antihistamines or epinephrine by the staff.
• A boy who contracted Lyme disease from a tick bite, but was not diagnosed or treated until he returned home.
• A girl who developed frostbite on her toes after sleeping in wet socks in freezing temperatures, but was not given any warm clothing or footwear by the staff.

These are just some of the examples of medical neglect that have been reported by survivors of Trails Carolina. Many survivors have also reported that they were denied access to their prescribed medications or had their medications changed or discontinued without their consent or knowledge. Some survivors have also reported that they were forced to drink contaminated water or eat spoiled food, which caused them to suffer from dehydration, diarrhea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal problems.

Emotional Abuse at Trails Carolina

Emotional abuse is another form of abuse that has been alleged at Trails Carolina. Many survivors have reported that they were subjected to various forms of psychological manipulation, coercion, humiliation, and intimidation by the staff and peers at the program. Some of the examples of emotional abuse reported by survivors include:

• Being forced to participate in “attack therapy”, where they were verbally attacked and criticized by the staff and peers for their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and past experiences.
• Being forced to write letters of apology or confession to their parents or other authority figures, admitting their faults and failures.
• Being forced to perform humiliating tasks or rituals, such as digging their own graves, carrying rocks with negative labels on them, or wearing signs with derogatory messages on them.
• Being isolated from their peers or denied contact with their families as a form of punishment or reward.
• Being threatened with physical harm or expulsion from the program if they did not comply with the rules or expectations of the staff.

These are just some of the examples of emotional abuse that have been reported by survivors of Trails Carolina. Many survivors have also reported that they suffered from low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal ideation as a result of the emotional abuse they endured at the program.

Malnourishment and Severe Punishments at Trails Carolina

Malnourishment and severe punishments are another form of abuse that have been alleged at Trails Carolina. Many survivors have reported that they were deprived of adequate food, water, clothing, shelter, and hygiene while they were enrolled in the program. Some of the examples of malnourishment and severe punishments reported by survivors include:

• Being given insufficient or unpalatable food, such as oatmeal, rice, beans, or peanut butter, or having their food rationed or withheld as a form of punishment or reward.
• Being given insufficient or contaminated water, or having their water rationed or withheld as a form of punishment or reward.
• Being given insufficient or inappropriate clothing, such as shorts, t-shirts, sandals, or no shoes, regardless of the weather conditions or terrain.
• Being given insufficient or inadequate shelter, such as tents, tarps, sleeping bags, or no shelter at all, regardless of the weather conditions or terrain.
• Being denied access to basic hygiene items, such as soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, sanitary pads, or tampons.

These are just some of the examples of malnourishment and severe punishments that have been reported by survivors of Trails Carolina. Many survivors have also reported that they suffered from hunger, thirst, fatigue, hypothermia, heatstroke, sunburn, insect bites, infections, and other physical complications as a result of the malnourishment and severe punishments they endured at the program.

Legal Actions Against Trails Carolina

As a result of the allegations of abuse and neglect at Trails Carolina, several legal actions have been taken against the program by survivors and their families. Some of the legal actions that have been taken include:

• A class action lawsuit filed in 2018 by 10 former students and their families, alleging that Trails Carolina violated their civil rights and consumer protection laws by engaging in false advertising, fraud, negligence, breach of contract, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
• A lawsuit filed in 2019 by a former student and his family, alleging that Trails Carolina failed to protect him from sexual assault by another student and failed to provide him with proper medical care
• A lawsuit filed in 2020 by a former student and his family, alleging that Trails Carolina failed to protect him from physical abuse by a staff member and failed to provide him with proper medical care.
• A lawsuit filed in 2021 by a former student and her family, alleging that Trails Carolina failed to protect her from sexual abuse by a staff member and failed to provide her with proper medical care.

These are just some of the legal actions that have been taken against Trails Carolina by survivors and their families. There may be more lawsuits pending or in progress that have not been made public yet.

Conclusion

Trails Carolina is a wilderness therapy program for troubled teens that claims to offer a therapeutic, nurturing, and safe environment for adolescents who struggle with various emotional, behavioral, and mental health issues. However, there have been numerous allegations of abuse and neglect at Trails Carolina, ranging from sexual assault, medical neglect, emotional abuse, malnourishment, and severe punishments. These allegations have been reported by survivors and their families who have suffered physical, psychological, and financial harm as a result of their enrollment in the program. Several legal actions have been taken against Trails Carolina by survivors and their families who seek justice and compensation for their damages.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of abuse or neglect at Trails Carolina or any other wilderness therapy program for troubled teens, you may be entitled to legal recourse. You should consult with an experienced attorney who can advise you on your rights and options. You should also seek professional help from a qualified therapist who can help you cope with the trauma and heal from the abuse. You are not alone. You deserve to be heard. You deserve to be healed. You deserve to be happy.