Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, has renewed calls for a “complete and credible investigation into the staff, policies, procedures and executive mismanagement” at Green Hill School in Chehalis.
“In a single week in January, four students overdosed on fentanyl. More than one of those young men required multiple doses of the rescue drug Narcan to survive,” Braun wrote in a letter addressed to Gov. Jay Inslee. “Other students who have not used drugs in the past are being pressured to use by those who possess smuggled opioids, Xanax and other illegal substances. Riots are becoming more common. And gang activity is rampant.”
In response, a spokesperson for the governor said Friday that “as a larger review takes shape to address these issues, (the Department of Children, Youth and Families) will continue to collaborate with local law enforcement on strategies for preventing the smuggling of contraband and enforcing policies among youth and staff.”
At issue is the juvenile detention and rehabilitation system run by the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), which saw at least 10 riots in 2023 that have since been charged in Lewis County Superior Court, according to previous reporting by The Chronicle.