A federal judge has approved a $2.3 million class action settlement resolving a lawsuit that accused Trinity Teen Solutions, a now-defunct Wyoming ranch for troubled girls, of subjecting teens to forced labor and abuse under the guise of therapy.
The case ends a four-year legal battle brought by women who, as minors, were placed at the facility by their families for behavioral and mental health issues. They say the ranch forced them to do grueling manual labor — including laying irrigation pipes, castrating livestock, and mending barbed-wire fences — while punishing those who resisted with humiliation and neglect of injuries.
Key Details of the Settlement:
- More than 250 former residents are eligible to receive a portion of the settlement.
- Individual payouts will depend on length of stay at the facility, typically one to two years.
- The agreement includes a nondisparagement clause, preventing recipients from publicly criticizing the ranch or its owners — although truthful statements about their experiences are still permitted.
- Trinity Teen Solutions and its owners deny wrongdoing, and maintain that physical chores were part of their therapeutic program.
Plaintiffs Speak Out
Lead plaintiff Amanda Nash called the settlement a form of closure:
“I was just very happy to be able to give the 15-year-old me a voice… and speak up for [others] as well.”
However, Anna Gozun, another former resident, is refusing her share due to the lack of accountability:
“This settlement feels more like a forced ending than a fair resolution.”
Background and Fallout
A 2022 NBC News investigation revealed that teens had reported concerns for years — to law enforcement, licensing agencies, and even on Yelp — yet state officials allowed the ranch to continue operating. Trinity also filed defamation suits against former clients who spoke out, which were quietly settled.
Though the Wyoming Department of Family Services later pledged more transparency, Trinity Teen Solutions closed in 2022 with its license still valid. A separate abuse lawsuit against a boys’ ranch operated by the same family was also settled out of court.
A Spotlight on the Troubled Teen Industry
This case adds to a growing reckoning over the “troubled teen industry” — a patchwork of unregulated private facilities offering reform and therapy for minors. Critics, including advocates and former clients, describe the industry as ripe for abuse due to lax oversight.
In response to mounting pressure, including from celebrity activist Paris Hilton, Congress passed a bipartisan measure in 2023 to investigate and regulate such programs.
What’s Next?
While the case is closed, survivors and advocates say true justice remains elusive. The industry, still largely unregulated, faces scrutiny but few concrete reforms — leaving many to worry that similar abuses will persist without broader change.
