. >> reporter: sequel's marianne birmingham says the company's pay is in line with industry standards increased the starting pay by on average 10% and implemented programs to support staff in achieving higher education. >> sequel does not take care of its employees. the kids are commodities and the staff are commodities, as well. >> reporter: to senator sarah gelser, the company's claims are lip service. >> they train people to just control kids and pay just over minimum wage. >> can anyone get a job at a sequel facility in >> i had one staff person say to me if you're breathing and willing, you will get hired. >> what do you think should happen to sequel? >> umm, i don't think sequel should be running any youth facilities. >> reporter: an increasing number of states appear to agree. what happens to your body language when your underarms are cared for? ♪ ♪ it shows! our new dove advanced care formula is effective... and kind to skin, leaving underarms cared for and you... more confident and carefree. losing a tooth didn't stop you but your partial can act like a bacteria magnet, putti

sequel executive mariann birmingham defends the company. >> sequel is an agency, a company composed of thousands of people who committed their lives to helping some of our most underserved kids. >> reporter: a company that continues to operate in 19 states kate snow, nbc news, detroit. >>> up next, i'll have some reflections on faith in this season of hope. >>> in this season of hope, we've been reporting on faith across the platforms of nbc news this week, and so before we go, some thoughts about its meanings after all we have been through faith, few words have so many meanings to so many people, but in this season of renewal of nature's rebirth, we're led to ponder what do we believe in? where do we place our hopes, and where does our journey take us? the harder the times, the harder we are tested, and whether from the comfort of religious conviction or comfort from each other we all seek a rock to hold on to that assures us it gets better. invisible among the statistics in graphs, the one number we'll never know from this pandemic is how many prayers, how many silent pleas, how many

marianne birmingham is senior director of compliance and quality management. >> the use of restraintsid this is last resort, they didn't necessarily train what your other avenues were it just seemed like those restraints were your go-to. >> reporter: three former employees including the nurse were charged with manslaughter, all pleaded not guilty in a police interview, zachary solis said sequel management initially told him he'd done nothing wrong. >> they said everything was straight, you know, nothing was found, nothing went wrong. we did a good job. we did what we were trained to do. >> reporter: sequel says solis and other staff were swiftly terminated for their participation in the restraint. company composed of thousands of people who have committed their lives to helping, you know, some of our most underserved kids >> reporter: but meghan folkerson said there needs to be change. >> something needs to come of this i don't want cornelius's death to just go away. >> in a statement, sequel emphasized that they are constantly being monitored by regulatory and oversight bodies and sa