The tragic death of 17-year-old Taylor Goodridge at a Utah boarding school has left her family and the community at large reeling with grief and confusion.
Taylor had been sent to the Diamond Ranch Academy in Hurricane, Utah, to try and help her get her life back in order, but instead, she died from what is believed to be sepsis.
According to FOX 13 Seattle, in October 2021, Taylor, who was 16 then, was reported as a missing teen in Snohomish County, Washington. The local sheriff’s office reported that Taylor was last seen at a party with more than 100 people on a Saturday night. She was found safe the following Monday morning.
Taylor’s father, Dean Goodridge, has now taken legal action against the school, alleging that staff ignored her severe pain for weeks before her death. According to the legal complaint, Taylor told staff she had severe stomach pains, only to be told she was faking it and to take aspirin and drink water.
Goodridge family attorney Alan Mortensen told FOX 13, “Here is that this young teenager is sent down to Utah from the state of Washington to try and help her get her life back in order, and before they know it, she’s died from what we believe will ultimately prove out to be sepsis — and with no explanation. They had just called the family and said that she died of a heart attack.”
The day after Taylor died, the school was placed on probation by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, which is standard protocol. Ricky Dias, the director of the Diamond Ranch Academy, says the school is cooperating with state authorities and that the safety of students is their top priority.
Taylor’s death has left her family and the local community with many unanswered questions. The police are reportedly working with medical examiners to determine the cause of Taylor’s death.
