Investigation of Camp Shane prompts more questions

KENT — In the wake of a dual state agency investigation of Camp Shane, local and state leaders are wondering how a camp that began without a license and was later found not to have proper medical certifications, as well as a history of violations, was able to operate at a school in Kent this summer.

“The camp failed to fulfill its obligations and promises made to the children and their families,” wrote Sen. Saud Anwar, an East Hartford Democrat who co-chairs of the Children’s Committee, in response to Hearst Connecticut’s reporting. “We will work closely with the Office of Early Childhood and the Department of Children and Families to assess how the current laws can be strengthened to protect children and families.”

The weight-loss camp, located this past summer at the South Kent School, was shut down early by owner David Ettenberg, who later surrendered his camp license. A joint investigation by the Office of Early Childhood and Department of Children and Families into “concerns about the health, safety and wellbeing of children enrolled at the summer youth camp” was announced as the camp closed.

Ettenberg said over the summer the shutdown was due to staffing issues. He has not responded for further comment.

The OEC investigation was closed when Ettenberg surrendered his license, according to the department.

In the affidavit surrendering his license, Ettenberg denied all charges, but agreed that if he tried to reinstate or obtain a new license from the agency in the future, it would mean that the allegations in the investigation — which included missing campers and falsified documents — “would be deemed true.”

The OEC, which is in charge of granting camp licenses in Connecticut, said that camps are inspected prior to obtaining an initial license, and then every year after that. If a camp’s license lapses and the camp then applies to reinstate the license, they still undergo an inspection prior to reinstatement. Any change in location or the addition of a new location also results in an inspection prior to use, the OEC added.

The OEC licenses roughly 500 camps each year, according to OEC Licensing Division Director Debra Johnson.

The department typically receives about 24 camp complaints per year. This year, 12 complaints were filed against Camp Shane, according to the investigation summary obtained by Hearst Connecticut.

The camp was approved for licensure after an OEC visit on July 2. The camp, which had been operating without an active license before that date, had a history of previous issues, including violations and problems with documentation of policies and medical oversight throughout 2019.

When approving licenses, Johnson said that they “can take into consideration any compliance issues in the past in making that determination, but just because someone has had, let’s say a violation on a license in the past, that wouldn’t automatically disqualify them from being eligible.”

Camp Shane shut down 11 days after it was approved for a license, and surrendered the license 52 days later.

The OEC would not speak directly to issues that arose at Camp Shane, but spoke generally about their licensing practices, explaining that a license revocation was the most serious action the department could take against a camp.

In an investigation report obtained by Hearst Connecticut, an OEC camp licensing specialist said that “serious medical needs of the campers were not met” because the “operator failed to provide anyone trained to provide the necessary medications, failed to prepare the staff for emergency situations, and failed to seek medical assistance from trained professionals in a timely manner.”

The investigation also revealed that multiple campers reported experiencing injuries, including sprains, knee injuries, smashed toes, and serious sunburn.

“Obviously, there’s a breakdown here,” state Rep. Maria Horn, a Democrat who represents Kent, said of the events that led to Camp Shane’s closure. But where exactly that breakdown occurred, she did not know.

Since he started working at the American Camp Association’s New England chapter in 2017, Bud Copeland said this was the first state investigation into a camp that he has heard of. Copeland, the director of membership and engagement, called the occurrence “rare” in the New England that his position covers. Camp Shane was previously accredited by the ACA, but has not been for several years, he said.

Copeland explained that ACA accreditation serves as a helpful “third-party assessment of quality and safety and best practices.”

“The accreditation process that helps with identifying problems and that’s why people do it,” he said.

Local leaders respond

Kent First Selectman Jean Speck said the camp was located on the campus of a private school and none of the summer camp licenses or regulations go through her office. As such, she could not speak to the licensing or land-leasing processes.

“Certainly it should be the primary — very, very top priority — to protect the safety of our children no matter where they are, whether they’re walking down Main Street or attending a sleepaway camp,” she said.

“You put your trust in the staff and the people who are running the programs, and you have to trust that they’re being safe because they’re supposed to be properly licensed and properly trained, and it is very worrisome when something like that happens.”

It is not unusual for Kent-area schools to rent out their campuses during the summer months, according to Speck and Horn.

Still, schools should carefully vet those who seek use of their campus, Horn said.

“They ought to have some gate-keeping function to make sure the organization they’re renting it out to has all the proper licensing,” she said.

The South Kent School did not respond for comment.

In recent years, Horn said she heard of some area camps struggling with staffing, so when she first heard murmurs of the goings on at the South Kent School, the conversation was along those lines.

“It strikes me that one of the issues here was the certification,” she said, referencing investigation findings which included the fact that the operator of the camp failed to locate a medically trained individual to administer medications.

“It seems to me it ought to be something solved up front before a camp takes money from people and kids fly across the country.”

Inside the Office of Early Childhood

When it comes to medical problems that crop up at camps, Johnson said the OEC’s level of concern can vary depending on the reported issue.

“One medical issue might be very, very minor, and another one could be significantly concerning,” she said.

For instance, if the person giving out medication was not properly trained, as was the case with Camp Shane per investigation findings, Johnson said that “would be a concern, a significant concern.”

Any concerns the state investigator notes upon visiting a camp are first reported to that employee’s supervisor for review and discussion, according to Johnson.

“If it’s very concerning, then they would raise it to my attention,” Johnson said.

On July 10, an investigation summary notes that the investigator called and spoke to Johnson directly after receiving information about an 8-year-old who suffered a serious head injury at camp and had to be transported to a hospital.

Johnson could not say if any other departments or agencies were taking further actions against Camp Shane, but she confirmed that the OEC was no longer involved.

H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo The South Kent School, a boy’s boarding school, was the brief home of Camp Shane, a weight-loss camp that closed in July and was investigated by the state.