After months of scrutiny and legal proceedings, a settlement has been reached in the case of Alegend Jones, the 17-year-old who died at Youth Villages following a physical restraint. As reported by Action News 5, Youth Villages maintains that there was no intentional physical injury or abuse by staff leading to Jones' death, stating it was a "medical emergency" during a "therapeutic hold."
However, the resolution of the case appears not to be fully endorsed by Jones' family, particularly her mother, Shona Garner. Although details of the settlement have not been disclosed due to a nondisclosure agreement, Garner conveyed her dissatisfaction to FOX13, stating, "You should only believe half of what you read," when asked to comment on the joint statement released by Youth Villages and civil rights attorney Ben Crump claiming the resolution was "good."
Notably, the autopsy, as detailed by Local Memphis, lists "complications of restraint" with asthma as a contributing factor as the cause of death. Youth Villages has insisted that its staff follow all necessary therapeutic protocols and procedures throughout the investigative process.
Ben Crump had previously accused Youth Villages of concealing details from Jones' family and the public, as he told the media back in November 2023. According to Local Memphis, he alleged that Jones was "body-slammed" by a counselor after refusing to remove her clothes in front of male employees and that she was assaulted by multiple counselors, leading to her death. Youth Villages has resolutely refuted these allegations, stating that Jones was "in no way abused or beaten," and that such claims were "false and inaccurate," as reported in their December 9, 2023, response on their website. Despite the resolution, tension remains between the perceptions of the parties involved regarding the nature of Jones' tragic death.
