I don't know who Dolores is but Ill try to answer these if I know the answers to them
1) The only time I said something that wasn't true was when I was anonymous because I got tired of the personal insults from you and was trying to avoid that scenario by posting anonymous. So then you found out that a few posts were mine. Big deal. It wasn't that big of a secret anyway.
2) There are alot of my statements you have twisted to fit your agenda. You have stated that even though I shared my experiences that they could not have happened the way I told you they did. You stated that since you talked to a few people who didnt know me then I must have been making up being on campus. You stated that when I mentioned things that happened on campus that they couldnt have happened because a few students didnt remember them. You stated that since I didnt know some things about counseling that therefore I didnt know anything. You stated that Bill must have kicked me to the curb for a better wife when I told you we got divorced. How do you know I didnt divorce him? You take anything I say, make it sound like something else, then insult me. You twist alot Robert. Its fairly obvious.
3) You dont talk to "hundreds" of students. In addition, some of the students you talk to might have been at the school 10 or 11 years ago. They might not remember me if I wasnt their teacher or counseler. That doesnt mean that I wasnt on campus almost every day the 4 years I lived there. They probably just didnt know who I was when they saw me. I also was gone after Feb of 2001 so nobody after that would have known who I was. That doesnt mean I didnt work there or wasnt on campus. It means you are talking to people I didnt know or people who were there before we moved on campus or after I moved away.
4)I dont think everybody on here is lying. I have noticed however that the same story is passed around among a few students and its not hard to do that when you dont like a school and want it to sound bad. Get a story and pass it around so it looks like the same thing happened more than once. Funny though, Ive heard the same exact story with the same scenario from 2 different students. Too similar to just be the same experience from differnt angles. Too much like the same story. So it lends itself to a validity issue. In addition, some things I have seen posted on here I NEVER heard about while on campus, and trust me, with a radio in the house on at all times (24/7) we heard every time a kid ran away, every time a kid fought with another kid, every time anything happened while we were on campus, I heard it on that radio. So we knew what was going on almost all the time. And some of the things Ive seen on here, I never heard or saw while there so it makes me seriously doubt the validity of some things. (not all, but some).
4a)I dont think my testimony always bears more weight than others. I do think it bears more weight than some. YOu seem to think that it bears absolutely no weight when, in fact, I have just as much of a valid say of my experiences as you.
5) I know about the toothbrush issue because I never saw a kid in the dumpster and the dumpster belonged to a company and people werent supposed to go in it except to retrieve something that was not supposed to be thrown away. The company was responsible for the cleaning therefore there would have been no reason for students to even go in it, much less with a toothbrush. That would not have been allowed by the head counselor. I also asked around to some people I know and nobody ever remembered anything like that ever happening.
6) I know what work assignments consisted of because I saw them being done most of the time. One job was working on flower beds. Another job was watering plants by the front school sign. Another job was raking. Another job was picking up sticks that were lying along the main roads to make it look neater. Some was stacking rocks for rock walls. Sometimes the work assignments were things like working in the kitchen helping or helping maintenance do things. But once again, you made it sound as if they did ALL the maintenance and my father in law was head of maintanence and I know what his job entailed and trust me they did the absolute majority of maintenance and it was only marginally assisted by the students. NO matter what you say about that I know for a fact that maintenance did alot around campus.
7) I believe that the licensing issue is something that the state needs to clarify, and not the fault of HLA. Alot of things do not need licensing in the state of Georgia. That being said, I am not saying that is necesarrily a good idea. But, with the unique type of school that HLA is, it might be a gray area the state hasnt had a chance to address on how they want to license it or whether or not it needs this type or that. I do think things like schools should be monitored for safety issues, etc. But I think the licensing issue is a confusing one for the state with the school only because of the state's policies, and the dual type of school that HLA is, not because of anything shady. They have alot of different types of groups visiting the school, including govt entities, which to me means they do not need to worry about being inspected if they have so many people touring and visiting. They arent trying to hide anything, and that is what you keep on trying to insinuate. But as far as what they should be licensed exactly as, I dont know. that is a question to ask the state.
:cool:My answer above covers this question too.
9) Its not more information I need, its proof that I havent seen. I hear alot of stories, but no proof. You say you have pictures. That would be proof, but depending on what they look like, it would also be hard to prove what the pictures are of exactly. Atrocities, as you state have been committed, would have to be proven, for someone to be held responsible. It seems to me if they had actually happened, people woudl have been fired, things would have changed, etc. It also depends on what one would consider an atrocity. Being made to work during work restrictions is not an atrocity. Sexual abuse is. No dessert at dinner is not an atrocity. Sometimes what a 15 yr old considers horrible is not so horrible when you are an adult. Sometimes being made to clean your room is considered slave labor, to a 15 yr old. Im just saying the perspective on some of this may be a bit skewed on what is truly an atrocity and what isnt.
10) You stated it look 6 months to get things fixed. I personally know of issues that they were able to get a plumber or other company out in a week so the 6 months seems a bit exagerated. What specifically took 6 months to get done? There wouldnt be a reason to wait 6 months for something that was a legitimate maintenance issue. Im thinking it wasnt actually 6 months or it wasnt actually a legitimate maintenance issue.
11) I think a true pest problem would be treated by the school. However, that being said, you stated only dirty homes have mice, thats not true. Mice come into buildings in the winter and when there is a drought. It has nothing to do with dirty homes. Also, black widow spiders come into homes no matter how much you spray. I have personally found 3 of them in my yard here and 1 inside in my home where i live now. As far as what kind of bugs bit George in his bed, I have no clue what that could have been other than mosquitos or fleas. Now the problem with spraying dorms is, it can be highly dangerous to kids who have asthma, it also can be dangerous to small spaces. The issue of whether or not to spray should be considered carefully. And then its only effective on fleas, roaches, and some rodents. Not necesarrily on spiders. As far as maintenance, I think students should keep their areas clean. That includes vacumming, cleaning mirrors, washing sheets, etc. If a maintenance issue that had nothing to do with students came up then maintenance should do it. But I think students should clean their dorms.
12)I do think some kids didnt need to be there and got sent there by their parents because the parents didnt know what to do with them or were too busy with their careers. I also think that kids got sent there that did need to be there. Some kids didnt have anywhere else to go and were better off there. But I dont know every kids case that was just my personal observation and what I heard about some kids.
13) I think the tuition is something I certainly cant afford, but from seeing other schools tuitions, I think its similar to other facilities so I think they just charge what the market is going for. I know the school for years didnt turn a profit so even though it seems expensive, by the time you pay mortgages, taxes, electric bills, salaries, food bill, doctor and dentist contracts, construction costs, etc etc etc, its not as much of a profit as you would think.
14) I havent lied a great deal, thats just your opinion. And I called liars to those I know in fact have lied about things. I have not, however stooped as low as some who insult me personally and say stupid things about my looks, family,morals, and intelligence. Just because you dont agree with me doesnt give you that right to act like a 12 yr old and insult me personally. It doesnt show alot of character in my opinion.
Ok now go ahead and attack me and call me names. Im busy with company from out of town am posting this in between helping my son and cleaning the kitchen so you wont go on whining about me being a coward or afraid :roll:
Of course none of this really has any bearing on me personally, as I know what I experienced, I know I have told the truth, and I know what kind of person I am. None of you insulting me have ever met me, don't know anything about me, nor know what I go through on a day to day basis with my life to even remotely have a clue how intelligent, strong, or moral I really am. That of course, is the reason the names don't hurt me personally. I only bring it up because I am not like Robert and he has made libelous statements when I have not.