Patient claims a Christian rehab facility kicked her out for kissing another woman
Kaylia Hevia
A Florida woman claims she was forced to go to jail after being kicked out of a court-ordered, Christian-based drug rehab center for kissing another woman.
Kaylia Hevia, 29, was sentenced to 120 days in Seminole County Jail last month for violating her probation at Teen Challenge, a "Christ-centered" drug and addiction program she attended as part of a plea for her February 2021 arrest, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
The program has a "no touching" rule" contained within the program agreement, prosecutors say.
Prosecutors claim that Hevia was kicked out of the program due to "dishonesty" rather than her sexuality.
In a lengthy statement, the State Attorney in Brevard and Seminole County said that she repeatedly denied having a relationship with another participant in the program. The other participant admitted to the relationship and expressed remorse for her actions.
"Teen Challenge only dismissed Hevia from the program, the other participant was retained. This clearly demonstrates that the action wasn’t based on sexuality, it was based on truthfulness and trust," the statement said.
A public defender is appealing the sentence but Hevia is likely to serve her entire 120-day sentence before her appeal is heard, her attorney told the newspaper.
Hevia was arrested in February 2021 for driving with a suspended license and felony possession of Alprazolam.