Restraint images spark outrage in Wyoming Boys' School lawsuit
Recent court filings reveal horrific images of restraint
A child sits in a chair, face hooded, wrists, legs, waist, and neck strapped in complete mechanical restraint. Another child huddles in the corner of an isolation chamber. Meanwhile a staff member claims “The best part of the chair is watching the kids cry and scream like a fucking child . . . that’s what makes it worth it.”
These are not images from Abu Ghraib, though a casual observer could be forgiven for thinking so. These are images submitted as evidence in a lawsuit against the Wyoming Boys’ School in Worland, Wyoming, a state-run facility “designed to improve outcomes for at-risk boys in a highly structured, safe, supportive, and healthy environment,” per their website.
The quote above is attributed to Wyoming Boys’ School risk management officer Thad Shaffer.
These images just scratch the surface of the abuse alleged in the lawsuit. But tracking down any substantial, verifiable information on the facility’s use of physical, mechanical, and chemical restraints can be hard to pin down.
Falsification of Reports
During a deposition, former staff member Clark Les Urbin claimed that “[a]lmost every incident report” was falsified during his tenure at the facility from 2022-2024. According to the filling, Urbin claimed that WBS ordered staff members to downplay the level of force used by staff members during incidents, and that the use of euphemistic language covers up the reality of the situations.
“For example,” claims the lawsuit, “when staff threw a child headfirst into a wall, the incident report merely stated the child was ‘physically managed.’”
Urbin also frequently raised issues with his superiors about the quality and truthfulness of such reports. At one point, he claims to have told Shaffer that he would not sign a report because it was false. According to Urbin, Shaffer responded by saying “sign it or find a new job.”
Lawyers for the Wyoming Department of Family Services, which runs Wyoming Boys’ School, argue that Urbin’s personal observations are limited to his specific time at the program, and can’t be generalized to prove widespread, ongoing patterns.
Wyoming Boys’ School superintendent Dale Weber claimed in an affidavit that “[a]ny such conduct, if it occurred, was undertaken independently and contrary to WBS policies, training, and procedures.”
Solitary Confinement and Due Process
According to the court documents, WBS staff avoided using the term “solitary confinement.” Urbin describes the phrase as a “no-no word.” Instead, they use sanitized phrases such as “out-of-community status,” “detention status,” or “administrative holds.” However, the plaintiffs’ expert witnesses agree that the techniques used by the school constitute severe social and environmental isolation without any meaningful social interaction.
According to the June 12 filing, youth were kept in a small, 8-by-10-foot concrete cell, sometimes for 23 or 24 hours per day. Staff allegedly covered the small window in the door with magnets to eliminate any external visual stimuli.
During times of being “out-of-community” or in “detention,” the lawsuit also alleges that students would be denied basic necessities, such as bedding during the day, physical exercise, phone contact with family members, and any educational instruction or mental health therapy.
Former WBS independent living coordinator Robin McIntosh claimed in his deposition that “you’re removing a kid from other kids and you’re putting him by himself in a locked room without any contact from his peer group and limited amount of communication with staff.” To McIntosh, that clearly denotes solitary confinement.
Such punishment could allegedly be used to punish minor infractions. Documented infractions that the lawsuit alleges resulted in solitary confinement include sitting incorrectly in a chair, failing to raise a hand before speaking, and passive-aggressive behavior.
The plaintiffs also claim a lack of clear due process with the punishment, with no ability to appeal the punishment and often unclear expectations of how long the punishment would last.
While WBS does not deny the use of isolation rooms, and admits that it is generally aware that isolation can impact a person’s mental health, they claim that the use of such measures are not punitive but rehabilitative. The facility also claims that their use of solitary confinement is lawful.
Restraint Chair
The lawsuit draws on reported incidents to show that plaintiffs were confined to a restraint chair dozens of times during their stay. One plaintiff was placed in the restraint chair 8 times in 12 days during June 2021.
These restraints, complete with a hood over the face of the teen, would last for up to eight hours per day, despite a warning label on the chair claiming that detainees should not be left in the chair for more than two hours due to the risk of injury or death.
The defense denies that the restraint chair was used as a punitive measure, instead claiming it was a necessary tool used for transporting uncooperative youth, and that it was an approved, regulated piece of safety equipment.
Lawsuit Filings
As always, TTI Watch provides copies of all of the records we uncover during our investigations. Additional documents will be uploaded here as they become available.
Kelly Douglas, Public Information Officer for Wyoming Department of Family Services, responded to a request for comment on this lawsuit. We have included it here in full.
“The safety and security of the students and staff at the Wyoming Boys School is paramount. The Wyoming Department of Family Services cannot comment on an active court case. We will issue a statement after the case is completed.”
TTI Watch continues to investigate this story, as well as the current conditions at the facility. We have several open records requests and interviews scheduled, so this investigation will be updated in real time as more information becomes available.