VANISHING EMPLOYEES, CLIENTS ADD TO CHALLENGER WOES
Brent Israelsen and Lois M. Collins
The Deseret News
The Challenger Foundation - already beleaguered by criminal and civil complaints - has two new problems: employee walkouts and a vanishing clientele.
On Tuesday, members of the Challenger field staff, who haven't been paid since mid-July, met in Escalante and decided to start looking for employment elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Kane and Garfield County sheriff's officials, armed with subpoenas, planned to remove 17 children from the controversial wilderness therapy program for teenagers.
The employee walkout may deal the final blow to Challenger, which owner Steve Cartisano says has been the target of a vindictive ``witch hunt'' by state and local authorities bent on putting him out of business.
Challenger field director Lance ``Horsehair'' Jagger asked Department of Human Services officials Tuesday to take responsibility for the 29 youths enrolled in the program, said Human Services spokeswoman Terry Twitchell.
Although Jagger gave no specific reason for the decision, he indicated employees did not like the way the program was being administered, Twitchell said.
Pattie Henry, manager of the Challenger field office in Escalante, told the Deseret News that although money was a factor, she and several other employees were quitting primarily because of incessant conflicts between the state and Cartisano.
``This is ludicrous. Nobody cares about the kids anymore,'' Henry said. ``Steve's interested in getting the state and the state is interested in getting Steve. . . . They are acting like a bunch of kids who can't have their way.''
Henry said the staff members, who are ``torn about leaving,'' will not abandon their jobs until the children have been removed by the state or sent home, or unless Cartisano provides replacement employees.
Cartisano was in New York Tuesday taping a segment for ``Geraldo'' and could not be reached for comment.
The employee problems are the latest in a long trail of troubles Cartisano and his company have experienced this summer:
- June 19: A South Carolina girl filed a federal personal injury lawsuit against Challenger, claiming she was physically abused by staff members.
- June 27: Kristen Chase, 16, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., died of exertional heatstroke while hiking on the Kaiparowits Plateau as part of the program.
- July 19: Cartisano failed to appear at a hearing in California, where a female acquaintance has sued him for failing to reimburse her for $47,000 in charges he ran up on her credit card.
- Aug. 6: Challenger filed for bankruptcy protection against numerous creditors, including the Internal Revenue Service, to which Cartisano owes nearly $200,000.
- Aug. 8: Authorities removed two teenage boys from Challenger amid allegations of neglect and abuse.
- Aug. 13: Challenger, Cartisano and Jagger were charged with negligent homicide in Chase's death. They were also charged with five counts of child abuse.
- Aug. 23: Four more counts of child abuse were filed against Challenger, Cartisano and Jagger.
The program also faces a hearing Thursday in 4th District Court in Provo, where a judge will hear evidence in the state Department of Human Services complaint that asks Challenger be shut down. The complaint alleges false advertising, child abuse and licensing violations.
The 17 Challenger participants subpoenaed Tuesday will be questioned in connection with the Human Services complaint.