The Fox Run Center CEO is accused of unlawful sexual contact after police say he drove nearly 200 miles to meet someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl, only to encounter law enforcement.
According to police and court records, Randall J. Mackendrick, chief executive of Fox Run Center for Children and Adolescents in St. Clairsville, Ohio, was arrested on Aug. 29 by North Ridgeville police in Lorain County. Investigators say he traveled about 175 miles from St. Clairsville, where he lives and where the facility is based.
Authorities said the 59-year-old was released Monday after posting a $125,000 bond. He faces charges of unlawful sexual contact with a minor, importuning, disseminating matter harmful to a juvenile, and possessing criminal tools.
Court records did not list an attorney for Mackendrick as of Tuesday. He did not respond to phone calls and messages seeking comment.
Police say initial contact with the person Mackendrick believed was a teenager began on June 2. A preliminary hearing that had been set for Sept. 2 was rescheduled to Sept. 9, according to court documents.
Fox Run Center CEO no longer employed, company says
Universal Health Services, which owns Fox Run, said Mackendrick is no longer employed by the organization and no longer has access to the residential treatment facility. In a statement, a spokesperson said the matter appears to be personal and alleged to have occurred outside the facility, not involving current or former patients.
The company said it is reviewing the circumstances and will evaluate relevant policies and practices as appropriate.
The Ohio Department of Behavioral Health, the state licensing agency for the facility, said it is aware of the arrest. The agency declined further comment, citing the ongoing criminal investigation.
Fox Run is a 100-bed residential treatment center that admits children as young as 5. Many residents are survivors of sexual assault and receive mental health care related to trauma, according to public information about the facility.
Prior scrutiny of Fox Run Center operations
In July, an investigative report detailed allegations that children at Fox Run were subjected to unsafe restraints, physical and sexual assaults, and medical neglect. Local police records documented multiple emergency responses, including hospitalizations and arrests, that were not reflected in the state’s incident database.
The report prompted a wave of community discussion online, including posts from former patients and staff, as residents of St. Clairsville and beyond reacted with concern and support. The dialogue intensified over the weekend as news of Mackendrick’s arrest spread.
“Randy Mackendrick may have a legal case to answer to, but Fox Run survivors have been carrying out their own stories for years. We want answers, too,” said Paitin Pahoundis, who spent three years at the facility during her teens in the pandemic.
Addison Torrence, a former resident of a now-closed youth facility who serves on a state committee reviewing the placement of children in residential programs, said he was “alarmed and sickened” by the charges. He said he plans to ask state licensing officials how they are responding to the arrest and what steps are being taken to ensure children’s safety at Fox Run in light of the previously reported issues.
State licensing officials have also faced wider questions about children’s safety and oversight in other high-profile cases, including the Meta $17.1 billion settlement that set new child safety rules for online platforms.
Fox Run’s licensing and regulatory oversight falls under the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, which coordinates with other agencies on residential treatment standards.
Universal Health Services, based in Pennsylvania, operates hundreds of behavioral health facilities nationwide and provides details about its network of centers on its official website.
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