Utah Siblings Lock Themselves in Room for 54 Days to Avoid Allegedly Abusive Father

In 2023, two young siblings in Utah were ordered by the court to reunite with their allegedly abusive father. Instead, they came up with a unique way to protest and defied the order by locking themselves in a room for nearly two months.

Ty Larson and Brynlee Larson first accused their father, Brent Larson, of emotional and s—-- abuse in 2018. At the time, Brent was caught up in a messy custody battle with the children’s mother, Jessica Zahrt. Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services investigated the accusations and found them to be true.

However, despite the evidence, a judge ordered the family to follow a reunification plan in 2023. Ty and Brynlee, who were aged 15 and 12 at the time, were mandated to go into Brent’s custody for 90 days. They were also told to not contact their mother during this period. The judge added that police could use force to place the children in Brent’s custody.

However, the siblings refused. The two devised a plan to barricade themselves in Ty’s bedroom so that authorities could not force them to be with their father. For 54 consecutive days, Ty and Brynlee stayed in his room and did not step outside. They went to great lengths to survive, including breaking a wall to access the washroom and cooking simple food with sink water.

Meanwhile, Ty live-streamed the entire protest, and it went viral on TikTok. “My own word does not matter, and they don’t believe my truth. The court system isn’t trying to save us; nobody’s trying to keep us safe. I am the one that’s going to have to choose my own safety,” Ty said in a social media video.

As the news spread, it sparked widespread outrage, leading to protests at the Utah Capitol. After 54 days, the judge delayed enforcement of the order until the abuse allegations against Brent were investigated. Ty and Brynlee then finally ended their protest and came out of the room.

As for why charges were not filed when the children first reported abuse in 2018, prosecutors said there was not enough evidence against Brent. However, a 150-day restraining order was issued against him at the time, which barred him from meeting his children.

As the custody battle continued, Brent accused Zahrt of parental alienation, claiming she brainwashed their children against him. This prompted the court to side with him, resulting in the reunification order. After the order was delayed, Ty had to file for emancipation and move out of Zahrt’s home in April 2023.

He had to take up multiple jobs to survive, while also taking classes to graduate. “It was stressful. It was a hopeless time in my life where I felt like I was working for nothing, because nothing was working,” Ty said in an interview with People Magazine.

Now 18, Ty has moved back in with his mother, who has also gained full custody of Brynlee. He now posts travel videos on TikTok and has more than 50k followers on the platform.