Angie Woodward operated Trinity Teen Solutions, a Christian boarding camp for unruly children. Twenty-five former students filed a class-action lawsuit alleging they were not provided the residential counseling and treatment but instead were forced to work ten to twelve hours a day doing farm labor on the board camp ranch, for other ranches, at churches, and even at a coffee shop.
They also allege abuse. One even claims he was branded. To humiliate them, some were tied to a goat with a leash for days at a time. In Oct, 2022, the ranch closed in response to media reports on its abuse.
In seeking to defend themselves, Trinity Teen Solutions argued that parents gave their permission for forced labor, etc. A judge agreed and dismissed the case, but the plaintiffs have appealed and the DOJ filed an amicus brief in March 2023 making clear parental permission does not permit forced child labor.
- NBC: Teens were sent to Wyoming ranches for therapy. They say they found a nightmare of hard labor and humiliation.
- NBC: Wyoming ranch for troubled teens closes following abuse allegations
- US Dept. of Justice: Brief as Amicus: Sherman v. Trinity Teen Solutions
- Cody Enterprise: Fed case filed against teen centers
Casper, Wyoming · Wednesday, December 02, 2020
