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I Was Sent To A Wilderness Program -- Can I Sue Years Later?

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Content warning!!!

Location: Georgia/Virginia

I (23F) was sent to a therapeutic wilderness program in Georgia when I was 17 years old. My parents sent me there, under false impressions of what the wilderness program really was, and I experienced essentially everything you see online. I was strip-searched, not allowed to contact any friends (who all thought I was dead), we had to use the restroom in a hole behind a tarp, we had limited food (and weren't allowed more than our rations), carried our dirty toilet paper with us, were permitted 1 shower a week (where we'd pour a pot of cold water on ourselves), drank dirty water, had to hike miles upon miles every day rain or shine -- the list literally goes on and on. I turned 18 in this program, and my parents got legal guardianship against me, so I wasn't allowed to leave despite making it clear that I was planning to. This was also in 2020 and I was supposed to vote in the election, and told I would be able to vote, but they never gave me a ballot and I lost my right to vote in this program.

I've kept in touch with some friends about this experience and we recently brought up the idea of attempting to sue this program for abuse. We still face trauma, PTSD, and mental health issues from this experience, and I even made an attempt on my life after this due to the depression that follows this program. In the program, one of my friends sprained her ankle on one occasion and tried running away due to the abuse we faced (but was brought back and forced to stay in isolation for weeks) and another had hypothermia with her toes being blue. I think in normal conditions, we really would have a case, especially given the lasting effects and me not being allowed to vote (which is 1000% illegal!!!). However, this happened in Sept-Dec of 2020. This happened in Georgia but I currently live in Virginia. Given that we still experience trauma from this, would we be able to sue? I really doubt they would take it to court given that the Troubled Teen Industry (TTI) is a multi-billion dollar company and they'd likely settle, but I don't know if I'd be able to sue for emotional damages/abuse this many years later. Any advice?

submitted by /u/Worldly-Frosting8990
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