Lakeland Girls Academy Closes Two Years After Student's Death

LAKELAND, FL — A Christian boarding school for troubled teenage girls in Lakeland has permanently closed its doors.

The closure comes almost two years after Naomi Wood, 17, a student at Lakeland Girls Academy was found unconscious at the school and died the next day, according to a report by the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Its investigators ultimately ruled in Feb. 2021 that Wood had inadequate supervision and suffered from medical neglect.

She'd been enrolled in the Teen Challenge, a program some former students described as "brutal."

"I attended this program 15 years ago and was taken out after 11 months. This program literally traumatized me," one person posted to Google reviews. "I now have social anxiety and PTSD. I have been on and off of psych meds for 15 years. I came out far worse than I was when I went in."

Others, however, praised the program.

"We feel so blessed to have found such a good school that fit all of our needs," posted another Google reviewer. "Our daughter grew academically and spiritually. She now has the tools to make better choices in life with God by her side."

Meanwhile, Wood's adoptive brother, Nehemiah Wood, ultimately blames the school's program for his sister's death.

"My honest opinion is that Naomi was the victim of CRIMINAL aggravated child abuse at the hands of Teen Challenge Lakeland Girls Academy. I have the necessary facts and evidence to demonstrate that!" Nehemiah Wood posted to Facebook last week.

On Feb, 4, 2020, Wood came to the school from Vermont.

A little more than a month after her arrival, authorities said she became sick and was vomiting on the evening of May 18 and continued to be ill throughout the night and the next day.

According to authorities, staff members made Wood get up for meals and fed her soup, which is their protocol when children are sick.

They also prayed for her to get better. Facility staff did not seek any medical attention for the child until she was found in her room unresponsive, investigators said.

On May 19, 2020, authorities said Wood was found unresponsive in her room and 911 was called at 6:15 p.m. She passed away while being transported by EMS to Lakeland Regional Medical Center. She was pronounced dead at 7:16 p.m.

Her family told several news outlets Monday, including FOX 13, that it plans to file a civil suit against Teen Challenge in Polk County by the end of the week.

"The directors there terribly mismanaged the whole scenario with our daughter," Al Wood, the teen's adoptive father, told the TV station.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office investigated Wood's death; however, no charges were ever filed.

According to a memorial site created by her brother, Nehemiah, Naomi, who was adopted from Liberia, was described as "full of quirkiness, laughter and joy."

"Naomi wrestled with life to its fullest potential. The personal challenges she faced never stopped her from being friends to every person," the website reads. "We who knew Naomi carry in our hearts the joy and laughter she poured forth in life."