December 7, 2023
Mother Of Teen Who Died After Allegedly Being Attacked By Counselors At Tennessee Youth Center Demands Answers
Attorney Ben Crump said the teen suffered a brain bleed from the counselors' alleged attack, which caused extensive trauma.
Shona Garner, the mother of 17-year-old Alegend Jones, who died after allegedly being body-slammed by a male counselor in a Tennessee group home, is searching for answers.
According to Inside Edition, Garner said Youth Villages in Bartlett, Tennessee, haven’t answered questions about her daughter’s November 2023 death after she sent Alegend to the nonprofit to get help. Alegend had been diagnosed with PTSD, manic depression, and bipolar disorder stemming from a sexual assault she experienced as a child.
Alegend was allegedly asked to remove her clothing in front of two male counselors at the care facility. According to a statement from attorney Benjamin Crump during a Nov. 29 news conference, things turned horrific when the teen refused to undress.
“It is alleged that over a dozen counselors at Youth Villages assaulted and battered this teenage child,” Crump said. “We don’t know if there’s video that captured the interactions between the counselors, who were supposed to be trained to deal with troubled youth, and this teenager, Shona’s baby. But what we do know is whatever transpired ended up with the neurologists telling Shona that they believed the cause of death is that she died from a brain bleed.”
Garner was informed by witnesses that her daughter was body-slammed before the police were called. Witnesses told Crump that Jones was “brutally assaulted, battered and choked” before she was taken to the hospital where she died.
Crump released a statement that demanded a full investigation into the events leading to the death of the teen at the Youth Villages facility. The attorney stated that the girl’s family deserves answers and justice regarding the “heinous acts” that allegedly occurred. He also called for the public release of all footage from Youth Villages related to this incident.
The facility has denied all allegations.
“Many of the statements and comments circulating publicly about this incident are false and inaccurate,” a spokesperson for Youth Villages said in a statement to Inside Edition. “When the child exhibited symptoms of a medical emergency, our staff immediately responded following our protocols for emergency medical intervention. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) was also called and arrived onsite within minutes.”
In addition, according to Youth Villages, “there were no abusive or otherwise inappropriate interactions directed toward the young person” and that “the young person was brought to the health department by two female staff and was never alone with male staff or asked to disrobe in front of male staff.”
According to the Shelby County Health Department, “Patients are never required to remove clothing against their will. Any insinuation that any service would be provided in violation of the patient’s will and consent is inconsistent with SCHD’s core values and policies.”
On a GoFundMe page for Jones, Garner said the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services has agreed to cover funeral costs for Alegend. The family continues to seek donations to cover other costs related to the teen’s funeral.
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