A residential treatment school for girls in the Mountains of North Carolina has closed after a state investigation and the death of two of its students who took their lives.
The Asheville Academy announced Tuesday that it launched all its students from its Weaverville campus last weekend, saying that the decision to close voluntarily was difficult.
The closure occurred a few days after the mental health officials of North Carolina ordered the academy to stop taking new students until the school could demonstrate that it protected girls from damage, abuse and negligence and was properly supervising employees.
That order occurred after the launch of a state investigation into the Asheville Academy that began on May 8, five days after a 13 -year -old girl committed suicide at school, authorities said.
The letter of the Department of Health and Human Services of North Carolina did not detail the problems that the agency found, and officials have not published additional information, including the findings of the investigation.
The State ordered the Asheville Academy to stop taking new patients on May 27. Two days later, the authorities said that a 12 -year -old girl committed suicide at school, the second death in less than four weeks. The Academy said it launched all its students two days after that.
“We are completely disconsolate for the loss of a young life and share our deepest condolences with the family and all the ones touched by this tragedy. Out of respect for those afflicted and in deference to the ongoing investigations, we cannot give more comments at this time,” said on Saturday of the Asheville Academy in a statement.
The school has 27 girls and was licensed to keep up to 90 students, according to the latest state report on the school published to the public in March.
The owner of the Asheville Academy had a residential therapy program based on children’s nature. Closed by North Carolina officials last year. The Carolina traffic license in Transylvania County was revoked after a 12 -year -old boy found dead In a cabin in February 2024, the day after arriving.
Family aid AND The well -being in Oregon, which has both North Carolina schools, declined to comment on Tuesday.
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Editor’s note: This story includes the discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, national suicide and crisis crisis in the US 988lifeline.org
