‘It was chaos’: How an Ohio youth treatment center tried to put an end to rising violence

This article was published in partnership with The Marshall Project - Cleveland , a nonprofit news team covering Ohio’s criminal justice systems.

Screams and bangs echoed inside Ohio’s largest youth residential treatment center, buried deep in a state forest. A melee had erupted, with fighting in the hallways and between classrooms. Some children rushed outside to grab rocks. A teacher ushered her students into the cafeteria for safety, giving a lollipop to soothe one crying 11-year-old boy.

During the mayhem, another teacher texted her mother, pleading with her to call 911: “Call them. Call mom please.”

Volunteer firefighters arrived first at Mohican Young Star Academy, but waited for police to stop the violence before entering. A cavalcade of patrol cars from multiple departme