Major fire code violations at state-contracted youth facility in Courtland, kids seen moving out
COURTLAND, Ala. (WHNT) — A state-contracted behavioral health facility for children and teens in Courtland has been cited for multiple fire safety violations and, witnesses saw kids being escorted from the facility Thursday afternoon by Alabama child safety workers.
The Brighter Path Courtland facility has been the subject of lawsuits and a scathing report about conditions, but it has continued to operate under a contract with the Alabama Department of Human Resources.
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The facility was also a part of a Department of Justice investigation in 2022.
News 19 called Brighter Path on Thursday but we received no response.
The facility is described as a psychiatric residential treatment facility, serving children placed in DHR custody by their families or children taken out of abusive homes by DHR.
Courtland fire officials tell News 19 that an annual fire inspection in March found a number of issues. The facility was given time to address those problems.
But last week DHR notified the same Courtland officials they had observed problems during their own inspection.
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Scott Norwood, Courtland’s fire chief and director of public safety went with the town Fire Marshal, to conduct another inspection on Tuesday. They found several major problems.
“We went in and we found the night shift supervisor, she couldn’t unlock the door that had the chain on it originally,” Norwood said. “She tried for several minutes and I told her that was ‘OK, let’s go ahead and go to the other egress doors and check on fire extinguishers and other inspection things,’ and we went to one of the other egress doors and it wouldn’t budge, it wouldn’t open.”
At least one of the doors was bolted from the outside, the fire chief said.
“The door was just basically bolted closed — with two-by-sixes and two-by-eight lumber,” he said. “So no one here — if they went to that exit door — they’re not going to be able to get out as a means of egress.”
Norwood was disturbed by what they discovered.
“They’re juveniles. They’re there for rehab,” the chief said. “They’re from the ages of 12 to 18 I believe. They’re young, young adults, so they’re children …”
“And I understand that this is a rehab facility, but it’s not a detention center. It’s not a prison. So if we have a fire or other emergency and they need to exit — then they need to be able to exit the facility.”
Birmingham-area attorney Tommy James has filed numerous lawsuits against the facility’s operator, Brighter Path which was formerly Sequel. He said the facility and others the company in the state have multiple, serious problems, including abuse and neglect.
“I think they really, it’s just a horrible place, and I think the fire code violations is the least of their concerns,” James said.
James said DHR officials have not addressed the problems despite a Department of Justice investigation and a 2020 probe into the Courtland facility by the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program.
“The most shocking thing of this is the DHR actually went in there to notify the fire department about this and they actually did an inspection,” he said. “I would suggest that the DHR go in there and do an inspection about what’s happening with these children on a daily basis …”
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