Boot camp sued over Latino boy's death -- 15 Years Old--- died after a week at Missouri school
/The parents of a Santa Rosa boy who died at a Missouri boot camp for
troubled youths have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the
operators and some employees of the facility. The boy's parents, Victor
and Gracia Reyes, filed the suit Friday against the Thayer Learning
Center Boot Camp, its affiliated Parent Help referral agency, and three
boot camp employees. The lawsuit, filed in Buchanan County, Mo., states
Roberto M. Reyes, 15, was "subjected to sadistic, cruel, and harmful
acts. ... He was thrown into solitary confinement, refused bathroom
facilities, and forced to (lie) in his own excrement for extended
periods of time." An autopsy of the 6-foot-2-inch teen "documented
numerous bruises, cuts, and ulcerations consistent with physical
abuse," the suit alleges. "As you can expect, the death of any
15-year-old from any cause would be a tragedy," said the Reyes family's
lawyer, James T. Thompson of Kansas City, Mo. "But the circumstances,
as they appear to come to light, are difficult for anyone ... to
comprehend." Thayer Learning Center and the Parent Help referral agency
are owned by Willa and John Bundy, of Kidder, Mo. The couple could not
be reached for comment. Missouri officials are investigating whether
the teenager was physically abused by camp counselors and provided
insufficient medical care. He died on Nov. 3, less than a week after he
arrived at the camp, in Kidder, 60 miles north of Kansas City. State
and county officials said in December that earlier medical treatment of
Roberto Reyes, who died of a spider or insect bite, might have
prevented his death. [more]
