On Wednesday, Aug. 10, Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) removed the 11 youths it had placed at Eastern Oregon Academy (EOA), a residential treatment facility in Hines.

Assistant Director of OYA Community Services Phil Cox said OYA had received reports of allegations concerning the safety of the youths in the program that led him to the conclusion that the youths needed to be removed from EOA to allow an investigation into the allegations to take place. Cox stated it is a temporary removal of the youths at this time.

Cox said the removal of the youths is disruptive to the program, the youths, and families, and added, “We are custodians of someone’s children and we take that very seriously.”

Cox stressed the removal of the youth is not an indictment of the EOA program, and the investigation is being conducted by the Office of Adult Abuse Prevention and Investigation. Cox said OYA works closely with EOA to provide the treatment program and regularly sends people to EOA to discuss ways to improve the program and meet challenges.

The EOA program is voluntary, the youth are not in custody, and federal rules prohibit the youth from being confined.

Mark Reinecke, the attorney for EOA, said the staff at EOA is completely committed to working with OYA and the Department of Human Services (DHS), which also has youth placed at EOA. Reinecke said the allegations, which included concerns about protocol and mandatory reporting, have been addressed internally, and the staff at EOA were surprised by DHS and its imposition of conditions in regards to the allegations.

Reinecke said the youth under the direction of DHS are still in the program at EOA while the investigation continues.

DHS didn’t return calls regarding the allegations by press time.