Teen, father win $3.6 million award on abuse charges from drug center

Houston Chronicle Tuesday, Aug. 13, 1991

By RAD SALLEE

Houston Chronicle

A Harris County jury has awarded a Houston teen and his longshoreman father $3.6 million from a defunct drug treatment center that allegedly abused their trust.

The lawsuit accused Westbranch Residential Treatment Center of deceptive trade practices, negligence, lying, breach of contract and intentional affliction of emotional distress.

The jury in state District Judge Lamar McCorkle's court decided Friday that the hospital owes punitive damages of $2 million to Eric Wasson, 18, and $1 million to his father, Richard.

The jurors awarded Eric another $100,000 for future medical expenses and $150,000 for mental anguish, and his father $98,000 for mental anguish and treatment costs for his son. Both also were awarded attorney's fees.

When he was 15, Wasson was admitted to Westbranch with a drug problem. His family was told that his treatment would be supervised by a qualified drug counselor, said one of their attorneys, Randy Reeves.

In fact, the counselor, Rick Cathey, had no expertise in drug counseling and, according to Reeves, officials at Westbranch knew Cathey had used illegal drugs.

During testimony, Cathey confirmed that he once experimented with drugs but declined to respond when asked if he had used marijuana and LSD during the past three years.

Cathey acknowledged having an affair with Wasson's mother, adding that he never intended for that relationship to harm the teenager.

The affair was blamed for the divorce of Wasson's parents. Another of his attorneys, Robert S. Bennett, said when Wasson learned of the affair "he became even more dysfunctional" than when he was admitted to Westbranch.>

quot;Westbranch Residential Treatment Center was a house of horrors," Bennett said, alleging that another counselor was arrested for soliciting prostitutes at the center, another came to work drunk and another was fired for performing lewd acts in front of a child.

"The Westbranch case is a clear warning to all substance abuse treatment centers that the public will hold them accountable for their professional conduct and treatment claims," Bennett said.

Westbranch closed In March, and Reeves said it is not clear whether Wasson can collect from the center's parent company, G.A.L. Laurelwood. Neither that firm nor attorneys for Westbranch could be reached for comment.

Contributing to this story was Chronicle reporter Julie Mason.