Investigator calls wilderness school reckless in teen’s death

[stevedeshazer]

A 16-year-old collapsed and died on an August hike in Lake County; a sheriff’s deputy says interviews indicate the school may have skirted disaster before

http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091020/NEWS0107/910200398/1041&nav_category=#

The investigation into the death of a 16-year-old Portland boy who collapsed on a hike with a Redmond-based wilderness school this summer is focusing on reports that the boy may not have had proper nutrition and medical care before and during his hike through a remote area of northern Lake County.

In an affidavit requesting a search warrant to seek documents and other evidence from SageWalk Wilderness School’s Southwest Obsidian Avenue office last month, Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Chuck Poré wrote that he believes Sergey Blashchishen’s death was a homicide and the result of criminal mistreatment and reckless endangerment by the school.

In an affidavit requesting a search warrant to seek documents and other evidence from SageWalk Wilderness School’s Southwest Obsidian Avenue office last month, Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Chuck Poré wrote that he believes Sergey Blashchishen’s death was a homicide and the result of criminal mistreatment and reckless endangerment by the school.

No charges have been filed against SageWalk or any individuals, and the investigation is expected to continue for another few months.

But Poré said Monday that the information he gathered to make his case for a search warrant — including interviews with school staff members who said Blashchishen started showing signs of distress hours before anyone called 911 — are still pointing him in the direction of a crime.

Blashchishen died on Aug. 28. About two weeks later, SageWalk Executive Director Mike Bednarz said the Oregon Department of Human Services had ordered the school to send all of its students home.

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Love your kids. Then, you won't have to send them to boot camp.

[LWolf]

1. SageWalk is a private school.

Just thought I'd point that out.

It's local. The local PUBLIC school districts have some excellent schools and programs for students dealing with emotional and behavioral issues, with a great track record for success. Of course, they are chronically underfunded, so can't serve all kids who have a need.

Too bad the national focus is on more privatization, instead of better support for PUBLIC schools.

Here is SageWalk's website. They sound great, don't they?

http://www.sagewalk.com/index.html

[stevedeshazer]

2. Yes, you are quite right.

I can't publicly discuss this, but I know much more than what I posted.

[LWolf]

3. I fall behind local news.

I dropped my subscription to the Bulletin because I can't get it one or two days a week, and I don't need it every day. So I read national and international news online, and miss a lot of local stuff.

This was actually the first I'd heard of this, although I drove right by the SageWalk building last weekend.

[jinto86]

6. I don't think likening this incident to all private schools is right....

Well certainly no more right then blaming all public schools for whenever a kid is assulted, killed, or raped at one.

[LWolf]

7. This school

does not have to hire qualified teachers, and does not have the same kinds of regulation that ensures that public school employees act to keep students safe.

Of course, an assault by a non-school employee is not the same as leaving a kid to die in the middle of a trail while you supervise setting up camp on the part of a school employee.

[jinto86]

8. Funny right now theres a thread about abuse of special needs students

Supposedly its a growing trend to lock them in closets sometimes for hours at a time... sounds like the same thing to me... now do you really want me to liken that to all public schools?

[LWolf]

9. If you are trying to make some kind a point

about my post referring to SageWalk, you might want to provide links to "growing trends," and tell me what that has to do with SageWalk.

Otherwise, your response is nonsensical.

[jinto86]

4. Isn't this the school that was on Brat Camp

I remember watching that show and feeling sorry for the kids (especcially the ADHD one who was A LOT like me at his age... or would that be then considering I wasn't that much older then him). It didn't occur to me until afterwords but looking at their diet, their insistence on exhaustion, and other things, they basically act like a cult trying to brainwash their followers...

[stevedeshazer]

5. Yes.

That's the one.