Cedar City group home's license revoked

CEDAR CITY — Citing three "serious" rule violations, state officials Monday moved to revoke the license of Maximum Life Skills Academy in Cedar City.

On March 8, two 17-year-old residents of the group home allegedly attacked counselor Anson Arnett, hitting him in the head at least twice with a baseball bat. The 31-year-old Arnett was flown to a Salt Lake City hospital with critical injuries and died the next day.

"We decided to go ahead with this action today based on the evidence we've been able to collect so far," said Ken Stettler, licensing director for the Utah Department of Human Services. "These are pretty serious violations that should be followed. If they're not going to follow basic rules, particularly in the area of having more than one counselor on duty at all times, then they should be shut down."

Academy director Adam Ah Quin, 24, could not be reached for comment Monday. Hurricane attorney Stephen Harris, who is listed on the Utah Department of Commerce's Web site as the company's agent, also was unavailable.

Jesse Simmons and Sean Graham have been charged with aggravated murder and aggravated kidnapping in Arnett's death. The teenagers are being charged as adults and could face the death penalty, if convicted.

Following the attack, the teens fled to Las Vegas, where they were arrested March 9. The boys also are accused of stealing a company van and some medication and cutting the home's phone lines. Arnett was found stuffed upside down in a locked closet nearly 1 1/2 hours after he was beaten, according to the charging documents filed in Cedar City's 5th District Court.

Four other boys in the home at the time of the attack ran to another counselor's home for help. Those teens have been interviewed by police and remain at the facility, which was licensed to enroll up to 11 boys ages 12 to 17.

A more thorough investigation will be conducted once the Cedar City Police Department issues a final report to the Iron County Attorney's Office, Stettler said.

Maximum Life Skills Academy, which was first licensed in May 2002, is accused of failing to follow at least three routine licensing rules, Stettler said.

Among the violations are:

• Failure to schedule more than one counselor per shift when state law clearly requires two counselors.

• Failure to obtain criminal background checks for employees, including Ah Quin, who failed to renew his own background screening, which is required on a yearly basis.