LAKE TOXAWAY, N.C. — A beleaguered nature-based therapy camp in western North Carolina has lost its license more than three months after a boy died there.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services sent a letter to Trails Carolina Friday officially revoking the camp's license, which will take effect within 60 days. NC DHHS said in its letter the camp failed to follow state law regarding client rights for people living with mental illness, developmental disabilities, or substance abuse.
Trails Carolina can appeal the revocation by filing for one within 60 days of the letter's mailing. However, the right to appeal is lost if a petition isn't filed within that time frame. Additionally, the camp can settle disputes through informal means if it makes appropriate outreach to the state within the same time limit.
The key rules Trails Carolina is accused of breaking include:
- Providing for additional rights in a 24-hour facility
- Meeting medication requirements
- Following incident response requirements
- Providing protections from harm, abuse, neglect or exploitation
- Seeking least restrictive alternatives
WCNC Charlotte has requested a comment from Trails Carolina on this letter. Additionally, the camp's website is apparently no longer public, requiring a username and password to access it. WCNC Charlotte has asked the camp about this.
The death of a 12-year-old boy at Trails Carolina in February 2024 sparked investigations by both local and state officials. Reporting at the time revealed that 9-1-1 was called the day after he was enrolled after he was found unresponsive and unable to be resuscitated by camp staff.
In the wake of the boy's death, Trails Carolina was barred that same month from taking in new admissions and saw all existing kids removed from the camp. Amidst this, a former student also sued the program, claiming her time in 2016 saw staff members dismissing her claims of sexual assault by another camper while also being denied her basic needs.
At the time, Trails Carolina defended itself in a statement shared with NBC affiliate WYFF-TV, claiming DHHS "threatened and intimidated parents" by asking families to pick up children or see them in DHHS custody. The camp also claimed the kids enrolled in its program "were receiving high-level clinical care for complex mental health diagnoses" that demanded professional care.
The camp was later hit with an $18,000 fine tied to violations discovered by DHHS in late March 2024. That was also when the agency said it intended to revoke Trails Carolina's license. At that time, Trails Carolina told WCNC Charlotte it was "surprised and disappointed" to learn of the move by DHHS, further claiming that "more than 2,500 children and families have benefited" from the camp's programs.
In April 2024, a report from the state was released that claimed camp staff failed to check to see if the boy who died was breathing while being required to sleep in a "bivy" tent, a type of single-person tent.