Medical Staff At Atlanta Jail Sued For Autistic Teen’s Death

The NaphCare medical providers at Fulton County Jail are being sued alongside the facility for their alleged negligence that led to the death of Shane Kendall, an autistic 19-year-old inmate.

The family of Shane Kendall is suing the medical staff at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta for his death inside the facility. Kendall is said to have suffered from multiple mental health problems, and his family says he should never been put in the notorious jail.

According to The Appeal, Kendall was tried as an adult for fatally shooting his adoptive mother at 15, then moved to the Fulton County Prison at the age of 18 despite his family’s claims of severe mental disability. While inside the prison, he died at 19. Kendall’s family has since filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the medical staff provided by NaphCare, claiming they were negligent in reviving Kendall from an alleged suicide attempt. Others named in the suit were the medical providers in charge and the sheriff and employees at the sheriff’s office in Fulton County.

According to the court documents obtained by The Appeal, a NaphCare medical provider refused to perform CPR on Kendall due to having a bad knee. The incident reports detailed that one officer was “alarmed” by her unwillingness to perform the potentially lifesaving act. An additional provider who arrived more than 10 minutes later seemed “disorientated” as well.

However, NaphCare has denied any fault on its end for Kendall’s death and requested that the case be dismissed. The for-profit medical company has had other complaints in the past regarding negligent care toward unwell inmates. Despite being sued more than 300 times, in November NaphCare had its contract renewed with Fulton County commissioners and will net more than $33 million by the end of 2024.

Kendall’s family is adamant about seeking justice for the 19-year-old and others who were victims of inept care due to their status in society.

“It’s not just about Shane. There are so many lives in there,” said Margie Thorpe, the deceased teen’s stepmother. “The fact that we still contract with this medical company to take care of these people or not take care of them is a crime.”