MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Civil rights attorney Ben Crump spoke to the media Wednesday with the family of a 17-year-old who died after a reported ‘incident’ at Youth Villages in Bartlett as the investigation continues into what happened.
Crump, who also represents the family of Tyre Nichols in their lawsuit against the City of Memphis and Memphis Police Department, now represents the family of Alegend Jones, a 17-year-old teen who died at the Youth Villages facility after Crump said she suffered a brain bleed from extensive trauma.
Crump spoke alongside Jones' mother and stepfather, demanding justice for Jones and transparency from Youth Villages, accusing them of withholding the truth of the incident from her family and the public at large.
Bartlett Police said Jones died after being taken to the hospital Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, after a “reported incident” at 7386 Memphis-Arlington. That’s the location of the Bartlett campus of Youth Villages. BPD said no further information is available.
“The details surrounding Alegend's death are both shocking and heartbreaking. No family should have to endure the pain of losing a child under such horrific circumstances,” said Crump in a statement. “We demand a thorough and impartial investigation into the events that led to Alegend's tragic death, including the public release of any and all footage from the Youth Villages. Her family deserves answers and justice, and we will continue to work on their behalf to ensure that those responsible for these heinous acts are held accountable.”
Crump said Jones was assaulted by more than a dozen Youth Villages counselors after being returned to the facility from the Shelby County Health Department. Crump said she refused to remove her clothes in front of male counselors for a medical examination, and was "body-slammed" by a counselor, which caused Health Department staff to call the police. It was then Crump said she was sent back to Youth Villages, where she was assaulted by staff, later suffering a brain bleed and dying. Crump said he's hired an independent doctor to determine if the cause of death is accurate.
"[Youth Villages staff] were supposed to help Alegend Jones, not kill Alegend Jones, and we're going to get to the truth, so we can get justice for Alegend," Crump said.
The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services confirmed it was investigating, saying in a statement, "The Department of Children’s Services is saddened any time there is loss of life involving a youth. We can confirm an investigation has commenced in this case, and we are working alongside our law enforcement partners."
A Youth Villages representative told ABC24 they are waiting on third-party investigations. In a statement posted to its website following the death, Youth Villages said, in part, “An incident occurred at one of our campuses on Thursday, Nov. 16. A young person in our care experienced a medical emergency. We do not know the cause of the medical emergency.
The young people in our care are continually supported by physicians, nurse practitioners and nursing staff. Medical staff, including a nurse practitioner, registered nurse and EMT, were on site during the incident. The young person received immediate emergency medical attention and was hospitalized. The young person passed away in the hospital.
Due to confidentiality laws involving children who receive mental and behavioral health care, we cannot discuss individual cases or health issues related to youth receiving help in our programs. However, we can confirm that many of the statements and comments circulating on social media now are false. Specifically, there were no abusive or otherwise inappropriate interactions directed toward the young person.”
“This heartbreaking loss once again underscores the urgent need for accountability and reform within our systems that are meant to protect and care for our young people – young people like Alegend Jones,” said Crump.
The Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) provided a statement saying they are "heartbroken" by the incident. They also said patients are never required to remove clothing against their will.
"All Shelby County Health Department services are provided with the consent of patients. Patients must consent to any physical examination or treatment," the SCHD said. "Any insinuation that any service would be provided in violation of the patient’s will and consent is inconsistent with SCHD’s core values and policies."
SCHD said they will not reveal private patient health information on the incident, upholding strict internal privacy and confidentiality policies. They are actively working with law enforcement in the ongoing investigation, according to the statement.