NEW WWASP JAIL-- MIDWEST ACADEMY ?!?

[Anonymous]

I also found the 48 Hours program with the spelling Viafauna.

[Anonymous]

Any opinions out there on why there is NO information specifically on Midwest Academy?  Its been open for 2+ years so you know students or staff have left there.  Do you think its because its so remote and closed down that no one's talking.  I can always hope.... but seriously doubt that Viafanua has changed his Paradise Cove practices when he started this "Academy".  I still have the hardest time with these places being called academies!!!!

[BuzzKill]

On 2005-08-26 05:17:00, Anonymous wrote:

"What does ISAC know, have they ever been to any of the schools, NO, all they do is take clippings from newspapers and post them on their websites.  How accurate is that??"

All they do?
Wrong again.

They take reports from teens who have been in these programs; and parents who have placed their children in these programs; and staff who have worked at these programs. They have been there.

And they post the news articles, as you mention. Its very nice to have a complete collection available when needed.

And on occasion, they have gone to take a look for themselves.

[Anonymous]

On 2005-08-27 05:58:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Any opinions out there on why there is NO information specifically on Midwest Academy?  Its been open for 2+ years so you know students or staff have left there.  Do you think its because its so remote and closed down that no one's talking.  I can always hope.... but seriously doubt that Viafanua has changed his Paradise Cove practices when he started this "Academy".  I still have the hardest time with these places being called academies!!!!"

I actually meant "tightly locked" down not "closed" down.

[Anonymous]

On 2005-08-27 05:58:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Any opinions out there on why there is NO information specifically on Midwest Academy?  Its been open for 2+ years so you know students or staff have left there."

With an average stay of 12 to 18 months most of the kids who went to Midwest are still there.  And even those who have left the facility have probably not left the program.  The program has now been transferred to their homes and is being administered by their newly-trained/brainwashed parents, possibly aided and abetted by "coaches" from Premier Educational.  Or maybe their parents still don't want them home and they have been sent to Pillars of Hope.  Even if they don't have the threat of being sent back hanging over them it takes some time for the brainwashing to wear off.

BuzzKill will tell you that when she sent her son to Dundee Ranch there was no negative information available about it.  Then it was raided and there was LOTS.

[Anonymous]

My brother has been in midwest for over 13 months now.. does anyone have ANY new info about any major red flags about Midwest Academy? My parents still think he is being "helped" there and I don't think it's healthy at all. I'm really worried and I don't know what to do.

[Anonymous]

Have your parents read what's on http://www.isaccorp.org. Midwest, and all other WWASPS facilties, are highly abusive and dangerous to children.

[Mochiko]

It's spelled Vaifanua, although it's misspelled so much you would probably get hits under Vaifauna, Vaifenua, etc etc.
There's not much information on Midwest Academy because it's in Keokuk, Iowa. It's in such a remote location that it's barely heard of, and everyone in town believes the lies that Vaifanua spreads during church, so there's never any opposition. In fact, Vaifanua recruits the townmembers to help him catch the runaways if they get that far.
The worst thing at Midwest is that they hand out consequences like candy, especially cat 3's. They try to keep the kids on Level 1 or in Intervention as long as possible, so that they can persuade the parents that the kids are defiant and they need to be sent to TB/Nevada. It's been the trend since Casa shut down and they've been swamped with students.

[CCM girl 1989]

Brian Vaifanua is a semi good looking guy with a lot of charisma. I knew him back in 1990 at Cross Creek Manor. That  guy was so full of himself, even back then!!!!

Probably the years of being in this business has hardened him. He was close along with his wife Angie to Bob Lichfield. I knew back in 1990 there were talking about opening up in Samoa. Bob used Brians connections to do so. Brian benefitted financially, and can't give up the money. It's great money!!!!

Also having your wife's family who is pretty well off questioning you for marrying a samoan dude. Come on, you know her family being from the midwest was thinking what the hell? Especially if they met his family back in Samoa and found out how they lived, compared to the estate Angie grew up in. Big difference!!!!

So Brian was like, whatever I'll show them! So, he runs kiddie prisons now, and gets paid lots of money for doing so. How do Angie's parents feel? They don't care, as long as there little girl is being taken care of in the manner she is accustomed to.

[Mochiko]

Poor Angie doesn't have a clue what goes on in the facility 20 feet away from her home. If her husband couldn't stop her, she could walk right in and shut the place down, but of course Vaifanua's got the same iron grip on his household.
He also has an exceptionally annoying habit of waving his success in other people's faces, especially when he's "testifying" in church...It's disgusting.

[CCM girl 1989]

Poor Angie??? I don't know about that!?!! She knows exactly what goes on!

[CCM girl 1989]

I wish I had Brian's email. I would email him in a heartbeat and tell him what a jerk I think he is!!!!

[Mochiko]

Well she sure as hell acts clueless about it.

[CCM girl 1989]

On 2006-04-11 05:50:00, Mochiko wrote:

"Well she sure as hell acts clueless about it. "

Well, I only know because she was my houseparent at Cross Creek Manor. She was somewhat nice, and we had some heart to heart talks.

But, she knew what kind of disipline practices went on. She knows that the owner Bob Lichfield has some issues.

I have to ask, how do you know them? Were you a student, or a parent? Or did you work at Midwest Academy?

[emaree]

Two days ago they had a support group meeting in Deforest, WI. Four upper level students from Midwest, called "interns" (the term they use for PC2 grads I guess), two boys and two girls, came to the meeting with a few staff. I ended up not going, which is the case most of the time, but now I wish I would have.

Anyway, this past fall I did speak to one 17 year old from Deforest who was pulled from Midwest after a little under a year. She seemed quiet, unhappy. She was sent back after only a month or so, I believe because she got back into drugs or her mom thought so. I didn't get to speak to her too much about the conditions there.[ This Message was edited by: emaree on 2006-04-12 15:26 ][ This Message was edited by: emaree on 2006-04-12 15:27 ]