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HURRICANE, Washington County — The Utah Department of Health and Human Services is placing a residential treatment facility for troubled teens on probation after a teenage girl died last week.
The department placed Diamond Ranch Academy in Hurricane, Washington County, on conditional status on Dec. 22 after a 17-year-old female student died the day prior.
Hurricane police said they were dispatched to the academy on Dec. 21 for a student who had been sick and collapsed. Despite school staff and emergency personnel extending life-saving measures, the student was pronounced dead.
Police said an investigation is ongoing and they are working with the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner to determine the cause of death. The student's identity has not been released.
A Notice of Agency Action from the department's licensing office declared Diamond Ranch Academy's license is now on conditional status and said it must notify all clients and their legal guardians of the status change.
The academy can no longer accept new clients, and it will be under increased monitoring inspections from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services' licensing office to make sure compliance with rules is maintained.
"We take the health and safety of those in licensed programs very seriously. We are actively investigating and coordinating with law enforcement," a statement from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services Office says.
"As of right now, we are working on gathering the facts so we can carry out our investigation," the statement continues. "It's important to note that the investigation conducted by law enforcement takes precedence, though our investigation is also underway. We are committed to a thorough investigation when it comes to this facility's license."
