A student who died at a troubled teen facility in Utah last year was 'crying and groaning in pain,' but staffers refused to take her to the hospital, state investigators found

• A Utah teenager who died at a troubled teen facility was "crying and groaning in pain" leading up to her death.
• Still, staffers at Diamond Ranch Academy refused to take her to a hospital, NBC News reported.

A 17-year-old who died at a troubled teen facility in Utah in December was sick for weeks and "crying and groaning in pain" before she succumbed to a treatable illness, according to a report from the state's Department of Health & Human Services.

Still, staffers refused to take her to the hospital for more than a week, and she died before she could get medical attention, according to the report, which was first obtained by NBC News.

Taylor Goodridge died on December 20 at Diamond Ranch Academy from peritonitis, an infection that is typically treated with antibiotics, NBC News reported.

Goodridge was ill and vomiting for multiple days, but staffers at Diamond Ranch — which costs some $12,000 per month, a former staffer told NBC News — dismissed Goodridge's "complaints of pain and discomfort," the DHHS report found.

In the 12 days leading up to Goodridge's death, she vomited at least 14 times, including 7 times in one 11-hour period, the report found. She had been sick for weeks and complained of difficulty breathing and sleeping, DHHS interviews with Diamond Ranch staff found.

Despite her symptoms, the facility "did not take the client to see a physician or to the emergency room for further assessment. The client collapsed and passed away," the report said. A lawsuit filed against Diamond Ranch by Goodridge's father claims that she was only taken to the hospital after she died at the school.

An autopsy found that Goodridge succumbed to peritonitis, or infected abdomen tissue, which led to sepsis and ultimately death, according to NBC News. The autopsy also found Goodridge had been showing signs of illness since October.

Utah's DHHS placed Diamond Ranch on probation, suspending its ability to enroll new students, citing compliance issues. After unannounced visits by officials and an appeal from Diamond Ranch, that suspension was lifted in March — before Goodridge's autopsy was complete, NBC News reported.

Goodridge's parents, Dean Goodridge and AmberLynn Wigtion, said in a statement to NBC News that they were "dumbfounded" that state officials have "not held Diamond Ranch Academy accountable for Taylor's death, settling with Diamond Ranch Academy without any input from our family."

"We are devastated to learn that Taylor's death was entirely preventable had Diamond Ranch Academy cared," the statement continued.

Goodridge's father is suing the school to ensure "this does not happen to other innocent teens and their families," they told NBC News.

An attorney for the school told NBC News that Taylor Goodridge's death was a "tragic circumstance" and that the school disputed "many aspects" of the accounts contained in the DHHS report.

Diamond Ranch has asked for the case to be dismissed. In a filing on Friday, Goodridge's attorney asked that the school's request be denied, stating that Taylor Goodridge's death was a direct result of the academy's "refusal to provide health care when it was requested," according to court records.

Attorneys for the academy did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on Saturday.