Ohio Rep. Crystal Lett, D-Columbus, said shutting down troubled youth residential treatment centers will not by itself protect children. She called for every child in these facilities to have access to an independent professional who can report abuse and neglect to police and state regulators, The Marshall Project reported Nov. 11.
Ms. Lett spoke at a Children and Human Services Committee hearing the week of Nov. 9 on HB 811, a bill she sponsored. The bill would require the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health to revoke the licenses of residential treatment facilities that show a pattern of serious violations, abuse, neglect or exploitation.
Ms. Lett cited The Marshall Project’s investigations into two of the state’s largest facilities. They are Fox Run Center for Children and Adolescents in St. Clairsville, Ohio, and Mohican Young Star Academy near Loudonville, Ohio.
“These are not isolated incidents,” Ms. Lett said.
The Marshall Project analyzed Fox Run’s self-reported data from January 2022 through June 2025. It found at least 40 incidents involving police that were missing from state records. A later state review identified no violations and took no action. Ms. Lett also mentioned former Fox Run CEO Randall MacKendrick, who faces federal charges of possessing child pornography and attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. Mr. MacKendrick pleaded not guilty to separate state charges.
One option Ms. Lett proposed is connecting children with an adult advocate through a coordinator at OhioRISE, the state’s Medicaid managed care program for young people. Kerstin Sjoberg, president and CEO of Disability Rights Ohio, supported the concept. She questioned how it would be carried out, though, and described the department’s handling of abuse allegations as inconsistent.
The state began proceedings to revoke Mohican’s license and suspended its admissions in December 2025. The final hearing took place Oct. 26, and the department is waiting on the hearing officer’s findings.
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