Residential treatment school closes in North Carolina after deaths of 2 girls

A residential treatment school for girls in the North Carolina mountains has closed after a state investigation and the recent deaths of two of its students who took their own lives

A residential treatment school for girls in the North Carolina mountains has closed after a state investigation and the deaths of two of its students who took their own lives.

Asheville Academy announced Tuesday that it released all of its students from its Weaverville campus this past weekend, saying the decision to voluntarily close was difficult.

The closing came a few days after North Carolina mental health officials ordered the academy to stop taking in new students until the school could show it was protecting girls from harm, abuse and neglect and was properly supervising employees.

That order came after the launch of a state investigation into Asheville Academy that began May 8, five days after a 13-year-old girl killed herself at the school, officials said.

The letter from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services did not detail the problems the agency found, and officials have not released additional information, including the investigation's findings.

The state ordered Asheville Academy to stop taking new patients on May 27. Two days later, authorities said a 12-year-old girl killed herself at the school — the second death in less than four weeks. The academy said it released all of its students two days after that.

“We are utterly heartbroken by the loss of a young life and share our deepest condolences with the family and everyone touched by this tragedy. Out of respect for those grieving and in deference to ongoing investigations, we cannot provide further comment at this time,” Asheville Academy said in a statement Saturday.

The school has 27 girls and was licensed to hold up to 90 students, according to the last state report on the school released to the public in March.

The owner of Asheville Academy had a nature-based residential therapy program for boys closed by North Carolina officials last year. The license for Trails Carolina in Transylvania County was revoked after a 12-year-old boy was found dead in a cabin in February 2024, the day after he arrived.

Family Help & Wellness in Oregon, which owns both North Carolina schools, declined to comment Tuesday.

___

EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org