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CRH Media Statement (070621)
CRH Media Statement (070621)
The Children’s Receiving Home of Sacramento learned today that a lawsuit has been
filed against CRH and Sacramento County in the death of a 12-year-old girl who was
in the custody of CRH last year when she was killed after running onto Interstate 80.
“The entire CRH community remains devastated by the tragic death of Kendra
Czekaj in January 2020,” said Glynis Butler-Stone, CEO of CRH. “We have always
felt a deep sense of professional and personal responsibility for the children and
youths placed in our care.”
Author’s Address:
Cynthia Lawrence, Attorney A preliminary review of the wrongful death suit by CRH’s legal counsel, Cynthia
Sims, Lawrence & Arruti
2261 Lava Ridge Court Lawrence, shows that it contains a number of inaccuracies and misrepresentations,
Roseville, CA 95661 including some that were erroneously reported by news media at the time or in later
[email protected] stories. "Aspects of this complaint are blatantly false,” Lawrence responded, “and
obviously being used to bait the media into publishing false information about
Main: (916) 797-8881
Fax: (916) 253-1544 CRH.”
Mobile: (916) 548-6561
*California # 148927 CRH, by law, is not permitted to lock children onto the campus to prevent them from
leaving. Staff had adhered to the facility’s protocols under terms of its state licensing
in following Kendra after she left the campus without authorization, while urging her
to return.
Unfortunately, youth make poor choices and sometimes leave CRH. CRH’s state-
approved policy is to attempt to dissuade the youth from leaving, follow the youth if
they leave, encourage them to return and, if CRH staff lose sight of the youth, to call
and file a missing children’s report with authorities.
Kendra, who had been placed in temporary shelter care at CRH, was fatally struck
by a car after she followed a 16-year-old, who was not a resident of CRH, onto the
freeway. The teenager was not physically harmed.
At the time of the accident, the teen who had run onto the freeway ahead of Kendra
was under the care and custody of the county’s intake unit for Children’s Protective
Services, known as CPSU, a county-operated facility. CPSU until September 4,
2020, had been located for several years on a separately fenced and gated portion of
the otherwise privately run CRH campus.
www.Sims-Law.net
Because federal privacy (HIPAA) laws protect youths in our care, and because Kendra’s death
is under litigation, CRH is not making further comment about her case at this time.
CRH is fully licensed and nationally accredited. Since 1944, it has been dedicated to positively
impacting the lives of California children, youths and families affected by abuse, neglect,
behavioral health issues and trauma. It has cared for more than 75,000 children and teens in the
past three-quarters of a century and continues to serve hundreds of our region’s most
vulnerable youths each year.
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Sims, Lawrence & Arruti