Justice for Serj

Sergey "Serj" Blashchishen

Dec 4th, 1992 - Aug 28th, 2009

Lake County, Oregon, attorney general is considering bringing criminal charges from the death of Sergey Blaschishen, who died during a wilderness hike in another Aspen/CRC program, the Sagewalk Wilderness School. As the KTVZ article indicates, the lead sheriff’s investigator on the Sagewalk case recommended that homicide charges be filed by the Lake County district attorney. This death occurred in August, 2009, and two years later there is still no action by the district attorney.

The outcomes of both the civil and state legal action against MBA and the investigation of the death at Sagewalk are very significant as efforts continue to better protect youth who are placed, often against their own will, in therapeutic boarding schools, wilderness camps, and other related programs. While both of these cases took place in Oregon, the Aspen Education Group and CRC Health have programs throughout the country, and the resolution of these cases could have important implications for the “troubled teen” industry, an industry that has been the subject of hearings by the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee, and study by the Government Accountability Office. This is indeed, as Mr. Clark indicates, “a watershed moment in exposing organizations that have profited from broken promises to desperate families.”

Substantiated accounts include:

1) Staff members (identified as AP1 and AP 3) neglecting the care of Sergey by failing to provide medical care, which was likely to endanger his health or welfare. SUBSTANTIATED

2) SageWalk neglecting the care of Sergey by failing to provide medical care, which was likely to endanger his health or welfare. SUBSTANTIATED

3) CONCLUSION: Based on the totality of the evidence, the investigators concluded that there was reasonable cause to believe that SageWalk neglected the care of Sergey. End result.... Death.

Required Actions: None because SageWalk is closed.

In March 2010, the lead Sheriff deemed Sergey's death to be a homicide. To date, no homicide charges have been filed against any staff at SageWalk Wilderness Camp nor has any action been taken against Aspen Education Group, CRC Health, or Bain Capital - the corporation and parent of the corporation operating SageWalk.

4 Simple Action Steps

Help ensure Sergey's death was not in vain.

Join the "Justice 4 Serj" facebook group.
Sign the petition letter asking the Departement of Justice in Oregon to prosecute SageWalk, Aspen Education Group, CRC Health Group, Bain Capital and it's staff in the senseless death of Sergey.