Rite Of Passage Investigated
State officials are investigating allegations that a juvenile home in Calaveras County delayed medical treatment for a teenager who is now blind in one eye.
The California Department of Social Services is accusing Rite of Passage in San Andreas of canceling several medical appointments for the 14-year-old boy. The department says that the home for juvenile offenders used the prospect of an eventual eye exam to change his behavior.
Lawrence Howell says the boy missed only one medical appointment, and the problem- “did not result in the loss of the young man’s vision.”
Department spokesman Blanca Castro says they are investigating three other serious complaints at the home.