Diamond Ranch Academy was a therapeutic boarding school just outside the town of Hurricane, Utah, United States. It admitted adolescents, 12–18, with various issues, including anger management issues and major depressive disorder. Diamond Ranch Academy was founded in Idaho Falls[4] in 1999 by Rob Dias and later moved to southern Utah,[5] where it occupied a 200-acre (81 ha) ranch.[6][7][8] It closed in August 2023 after a decision by Utah officials not to renew the school's license.[2]
| Diamond Ranch Academy | |
|---|---|
 The football field at Diamond Ranch Academy | |
| Address | |
 | |
433 Diamond Ranch Pkwy , 84737 United States | |
| Coordinates | 37°9′34.2″N 113°23′4.2″W / 37.159500°N 113.384500°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Therapeutic boarding school |
| Motto | Healing Families, One Youth at a Time. |
| Established | 1999 |
| Founder | Rob Dias[1] |
| Closed | 14 August 2023 [2] |
| CEEB code | 450132 |
| NCES School ID | A0702299[3] |
| Director | Ricky Dias |
| Principal | Reeve Knighton |
| Faculty | 8 |
| Grades | 7 - 12 |
| Age range | 12 - 18 |
| Enrollment | 130 |
| Color(s) | |
| Teams | Football, Baseball |
| Team name | Diamondbacks, Lady Diamondbacks |
| Accreditation | Northwest Accreditation Commission |
| Website | www |
Its education programs were accredited by the Northwest Accreditation Commission, The Joint Commission, and its courses generally lasted between ten and twelve months. Activities included various sports, including interscholastic competition, as well as caring for farm animals.[8]
Diamond Ranch Academy charged a tuition fee of $12,000 per month.[9] Some students who required special education services had their tuition fees covered by school districts in California and Washington.[9]
In 2022 a student died at the school after a period of illness, and the Utah Department of Health subsequently issued an extreme level citation to Diamond Ranch Academy for failure to provide and seek necessary medical care for a client.[10]
History
When Diamond Ranch Academy first opened in 1999, it was a working ranch in Idaho. Students were expected to take part in a cattle drive.[11] During the first 2–6 weeks at Diamond Ranch Academy there was no educational component. Students would take part in a wilderness component to the program. Afterwards the student would receive "continuing education packets" that had been developed by Brigham Young University.[12] Enrollees aged 12 to 17 were housed in groups based on age and gender on four separate areas of the ranch.[6][7][8] Students who had reached the age of 18 before completing the program were housed in a fifth area.[8]
Diamond Ranch Academy had three locations where they ran their programs: Timber Creek Ranch, near the town of Salmon, Idaho; the Swan Valley Ranch near Jackson Hole, Wyoming; and the Pitchfork Ranch in Southern Idaho.[13]
In 2001, they moved to a campus outside of the town of Hurricane, Utah.[14] In 2012, a new campus was opened at a site about 5 miles (8.0 km) from Hurricane.[15]
In December 2022 a 17-year-old girl, Taylor Goodridge, collapsed and died from sepsis caused by acute peritonitis while attending the school, which resulted in media attention.[16][17][18] The State of Utah Department of Human Services found in a subsequent investigation that she had been ill since October 2022, reporting back pain, difficulty breathing, and difficulty sleeping because of the pain. Goodridge was found to have vomited at least 14 times in the 12-day period prior to her death.[16]
Goodridge's parents have since filed a civil lawsuit against the school, claiming that she "begged for help" multiple times before she died without being provided medical care.[19] Between December 2022 and March 2023, Diamond Ranch Academy was suspended from taking on new students by the State of Utah Department of Human Services while the student's death was investigated.[16]
In February 2023 Sky News published an article discussing Goodridge's death. It included claims by a previous client who alleged that she had suffered partial facial paralysis after being restrained by staff on the campus.[20] Goodridge's death was the third recorded fatality of a student at Diamond Ranch Academy.[21]
On July 11, 2023, the Utah Department of Human Services declined Diamond Ranch Academy's request for license renewal in the capacity of a Residential Treatment Center and Therapeutic Boarding School.[22] Diamond Ranch Academy officially closed on August 14, 2023.
In 2024, staff members and administrators from Diamond Ranch Academy were listed on a license application for RAFA Academy, a boarding school at the old Diamond Ranch Academy campus.[23]
School structure
Diamond Ranch Academy used a token economy system as part of its program. Students earn credits by completing school work, the reward being extra benefits and activities.[24]
Notable staff
- Chad Ryan Huntsman[25]
Former headteachers
Oversight
- State of Utah Department of Human Services
- National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs