#Wordsworth academy pa full

Neither the on-call physician nor the Wordsworth medical director was contacted the night of Hess' death. In its review of the incident, the Act 33 team noted failures in basic safety planning, training and supervision. Staff lied to both the responding nurse and emergency medics, according to the report, saying Hess “hit his head on the floor, took a deep breath, and then coded.” An ambulance didn’t arrive for 30 to 40 minutes, according to the report, and was delayed getting to Hess “because Wordsworth security did not know the floor where the emergency was occurring.” Once Hess had become unconscious, a call to the nursing staff went unanswered, and no one called 911 until a nurse responded several minutes later and couldn’t find the teen’s pulse. At one point an employee “grew physically tired, so he began doing chest compressions with his foot.' They did not properly administer CPR, using chest compressions but not mouth-to-mouth, the report says. The report also revealed how ill-prepared staffers were to handle an emergency situation. Three Wordsworth staffers were placed on administrative leave following Hess' death. It has been reported that three counselors were in and out of Hess’ room when he died.

The report noted, “There appeared to be an antagonistic relationship between David” and one of the staffers.īecause the names are redacted, it is unclear if the statements refer to multiple staff members or one person. The interviewee also questioned why an employee not assigned to Hess' unit that night had gotten involved in the situation and entered Hess' room. The night of Hess’ death, staff members said, he left a meeting without permission, angering a male employee, who “went off” for several minutes because he thought Hess had acted disrespectfully. “The case is over two years old, so what does that say? It’s up to them, but I doubt there will be a criminal prosecution.”

“For whatever reason, they decided not to pursue a criminal prosecution,” Marino said. Steven Marino, a lawyer for Hess' family, said he did not believe charges would be filed. Names of all staff members are redacted from the report, and two years later, no one has been charged in his death, which the Medical Examiner’s Office had deemed a homicide.īen Waxman, a spokesperson for the District Attorney’s Office, said in an email Thursday that prosecutors “are in the process of reviewing the investigation to make the appropriate charging decisions.' The panel of child welfare experts, doctors, and police review fatal and near-fatal incidents involving children. We provide students the continuity and customized coordination of service they need and deserve to lead productive, fulfilling lives as they choose to define them.The 17-year-old boy who died in a struggle with staffers at Wordsworth Academy in 2016 was pinned to the ground in a headlock before he lost consciousness, and then given chest compressions - at one point by a tired employee who used a foot - while an ambulance took more than 30 minutes to arrive, according to new details in a report about the death.ĭavid Hess, who had been sent to the residential facility for troubled young people due to his behavioral needs, also had apparently been inappropriately restrained by staff members in the weeks leading up to his death and had an “antagonistic” relationship with at least one staffer, according to the fatality review report, prepared by the Philadelphia Department of Human Services’ Act 33 team.

Fairwold Academy’s approach to education is holistic and team driven, with an emphasis on family, community, and school district involvement. Surrounded by a deeply caring and accepting community, students are empowered to rise above adversity and seek out opportunities best suited to their interests. Through The Academy and the Fairwold Academy SPIRT programs, students are surrounded by a deeply caring and accepting community and are empowered to rise above adversity and seek out opportunities best suited to their interests. We are an Approved Private School (APS) integrating curriculum based on Pennsylvania state standards to serve students facing a wide range of emotional, behavioral and intellectual challenges. Who We areįairwold Academy provides high-quality, comprehensive academics within a therapeutic framework.

#Wordsworth academy pa full

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