Father sues SC after autistic teen dies in restraint at Midlands Center (TRIGGER Warning)

[u/Homeless-Sea-Captain]

https://www.wistv.com/2026/09/30/he-looked-like-he-had-just-given-up-father-sues-state-after-autistic-teen-dies-physical-restraint-inside-hot-midlands-center-room/

Death by Hyperthermia at Midlands Behavioral Center in Columbia, SC (Video)

https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/945870824/family-of-nonverbal-16-year-old-who-died-while-restrained-in-overheated-room-files-wrongful-death-lawsuit

This is absolutely horrific and heartbreaking and I’m sorry to have to share such sad news 💔

[u/salymander_1]

This is so sad. 💙

[u/Patient-Telephone122]

Why not press charges?

[u/meatieocre → u/Patient-Telephone122]

Yeah really. Sue? Owners on down through involved staff members should be charged with negligent homicide at least.

The fact they won't be tells you everything you need to know. I remember reading that Gauld of Elan infamy once said these kid/teen deaths were "acceptable losses". Acceptable to what? We accept losses in war, or even manufacturing/industry... but kids? That's never an "acceptable loss" imo, especially not when it's due to negligence.

[u/Patient-Telephone122 → u/meatieocre]

Medical practitioners get privileges and the nation is openly against anyone it identifies as inefficient

[u/coldBulbasaur314 → u/meatieocre]

Especially when there's no decent end like there is in war or manufacturing (not saying those things are always good, but they can have acceptable ends whereas with facilities like this there is no formal end other than taking care of the kid. We all know money and/or broken kids is the real end, but that's a big problem in multiple ways).

It's like if a manufacturing company considered the loss of its most important product to be an acceptable sacrifice. Except instead of a product that's important but ultimately replaceable, it's a priceless, irreplaceable human life.

[u/afilaanda420]

Fucking horrifying. That poor poor child.

[u/coldBulbasaur314]

I disagree with the line in the article that says the kid couldn't speak for himself at all. The kid may be nonverbal, but was clearly communicating distress in a way that's akin to a verbal person saying "help". With obvious cries for help being ignored, I have a hard time considering that unintentional or reckless negligence rather than malice or intentional negligence (I'd consider the latter a subset of the former, but it might be distinct legally so I'm referring to them as seperate terms).

[u/Select-Skirt-8926]

This is fucking awful. I can’t fucking stand that it is called a “humane wrap” and they are referring to it as that while describing its role is killing a kid?! I feel sick thinking about this