'I WANT JUSTICE'
Dr Phil’s TV show guest claims she was sexually assaulted at ranch for troubled teens host told her to attend
A YOUTH residential treatment center, backed by Dr Phil in the past, is being sued after a guest on his show claimed she was sexually assaulted there.
Hannah Archuleta, who was 17 when she appeared on the show in 2019, attended Turn-About Ranch in Escalante, , which markets itself a Christian residential treatment program for troubled teens.
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Archuleta alleged that in 2019 she was taken to the ranch, recommended by Dr Phil, where she was sexually assaulted multiple times by a male staff member.
Dr Phil, whose real name is Phillip Calvin McGraw, is not accused of any wrongdoing, nor was he mentioned in Archuleta's statement.
The 19-year-old has filed a lawsuit against the ranch, saying she wants "justice and I do not want what happened to me to happen to anyone else" in a February 24 .
She alleges that within two weeks of her arrival, a man working at the ranch groped her in one of the facility’s barnyard areas.
In the lawsuit Archuleta claims that after she reported the abuse to staff at Turn-About Ranch they "took no remedial action" and "retaliated against Ms Archuleta by subjecting her to both physical and emotional abuse to silence her."
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The residential treatment program for troubled teens, says it teaches “real values” through a combination of therapy, education and cattle farming.
Archuleta, who is originally from , was transported to the ranch, after appearing on the show on October 22, 2019
“At that time, I was seventeen years old and suffering from many life traumas.
"I had recently learned that my mother was terminally ill with liver failure, and I was very vulnerable and heartbroken,” she said in a statement.
After allegedly suffering another sexual assault at the hands of one of the staff members Archuleta confided in staff but was met with physical abuse that included being unable to use the facilities.
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“I was required to spend extra time picking up horse manure, walking in circles around a horse corral, and sitting at a desk facing a wall for hours,” said Archuleta in the statement.
“I also had to do forced labor outside in below-freezing temperatures, and sleep on a wooden plank with no pillow.”
Turn-About Ranch’s website has a post that boasts it “is frequently featured on Dr Phil’s TV show” and invites readers to “learn more about the teens who he recommends to participate in our program.”
The Sun reached out to Dr Phil and Turn-About Ranch for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
However, the ranch issued a lengthy statement to , "strongly denying the allegations put forward in Ms. Allred’s press conference."
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"Though Ms. Allred’s office has spent months soliciting a cash settlement, we were unaware that a suit would be filed," it read.
"Upon learning of this young woman’s accusation, we took immediate action. Unfortunately, her father removed her from our facility before we could conduct a full inquiry."
The ranch said after interviewing other students and staff, they wren't able to corroborate Archuleta's story and cooperated with Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.
The facility noted that there was no contact with Archuleta and that "the next communication we received was a demand for cash payment in order to avoid litigation some months ago."
Turn-About Ranch said they didn't take her claims lightly but because the incident is the subject of litigation, they would be responding in full at a later date.
"It is important to note that these allegations were fully investigated and that the account given by opposing legal counsel to the media was incomplete, to say the least," their statement concluded.
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Archuleta's dad Tony alleged that cops "swept this under the rug without even bothering to interview Hannah as a victim," but Garfield County Sheriff Danny Perkins clapped back saying "these people are obviously dishonest."
Archuleta said she felt she was able to come forward publicly with her allegations after hearing testify before the Utah Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee earlier this month.
Gloria Allred, Archuleta’s lawyer, filed a lawsuit this week in which she alleges an instructor at the ranch twice sexually assaulted her client.
“We think it is long overdue for Turn-About Ranch to be held accountable for what happened to Hannah when she was there,” Gloria told reporters.
Turn-About Ranch for a comment about the allegations but they did not respond.
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In September last year, alleged she was "tortured" and "abused mentally, emotionally and physically" by staff at a school in the late 1990s.
The heiress has made the shocking allegations in
Speaking to magazine she has now opened up on .
Paris described how she was sent to Provo Canyon School in Utah by her parents when they realized they could no longer manage her behavior as a teenager.
After the allegations were made, Provo Canyon School responded in a statement.
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“Originally opened in 1971, Provo Canyon School was sold by its previous ownership in August 2000," it read. "We therefore cannot comment on the operations or patient experience prior to this time.”
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Paris said that her parents were unaware of the true scale of what happened there, as staff would reportedly rip up letters and end phone calls, telling students that "no one would believe them."
"From the moment I woke up until I went to bed, it was all day screaming in my face, yelling at me, continuous torture."
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