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Montrose Daily Press
AYA surrenders license to state after
boy's death July 24, 2007
By Katharhynn Heidelberg
MONTROSE — The Alternative Youth
Adventures program, under investigation following the death of a
participant, voluntarily surrendered its license to the state.
The surrender did not include an
admission of wrongdoing. AYA's parent company, Community Education
Centers, Inc., also announced long standing negotiations to sell the
Montrose facility to its current director.
The AYA is a wilderness therapy
program for at-risk youth. It came under the investigation of the
Colorado Department of Health and Human Services, Colorado Attorney
General and local district attorney after Jensen, 15, succumbed to a
staph infection while camping with a group on Little Red Mountain
May 2. The program's licenses for residential childcare and
therapeutical childcare were suspended the following week.
"Since May 9, the date that our
license to operate was suspended, we have not maintained or accepted
any other children into the program. As a result, we have continued
to carry expenses and salaries for a program that is no longer
receiving revenues," John Clancy, chairman and CEO of CECI wrote in
a July 11 letter to the state.
Clancy wrote that quality programs
were important and the company has not been able to renew its
customer contracts because of AYA's suspended status.
"We wish to keep our reputation
intact. In that regard, it was our initial intent to pursue
reinstatement of our license, as it is our firm belief that our
program and its staff performed exactly as it should have and at all
times in full compliance with the regulations that govern it,"
Clancy's letter stated.
"We are...without admission of
wrongdoing of any sort, surrendering our license to operate the AYA
Colorado facility."
He said the decision to surrender
the license was a business one and that, despite its "noble
mission," the AYA program wasn't achieving financial gains. Clancy's
letter also said CECI had already decided to sell the Montrose
facility to program director Jim Omer when Jensen tragically died.
The surrender does not address any
possible criminal cases that could arise from Jensen's death, state
officials said.
"It essentially takes care of the
administrative side of the issue," Nate Strauch, spokesman for the
Colorado Attorney General's office said. "It wouldn't affect any
criminal proceedings. It's a favorable outcome for the state."
District Attorney Myrl Serra said
he is still investigating and considering whether to pursue charges.
"I will make an independent decision when my investigation is
complete. It (license surrender) has no effect on how I want to
proceed or not," he said.
Bill Palatucci, CECI's senior vice
president and general counsel, said he could not comment beyond the
confines of Clancy's letter. He previously called Jensen's death a
tragedy and said the company did not believe anyone had done
anything wrong.
Contact Katharhynn Heidelberg via
e-mail at
katharhynnh@montrosepress.com
http://www.montrosepress.com/articles/2007/07/24/news/doc46a58b35dbdcc296658895.txt |
