Whitmore Academy in Utah?

[Anonymous]

Mom who responded---my child has told me too that kids did "really get abused at Whitmore." Having 5-6 boys gang up on one kid and beat him up, including kicking him is "really being abused."  Having one girl fist fight a girl, and black her eye, is "really abuse." Being slapped across the face is "really abuse."  These are just a few examples.  The emotional abuse was terrible too:  Having personal emails from home read aloud in "group" to humilate the kids is WRONG!  Telling the kids in "group" that their family hates them and approves of the abuse is WRONG!  Monitoring telephone calls by listening in on a extension is demeaning to the kids. Withholding their emails is WRONG!  This is all a form of abuse and control. Depriving kids of sleep night after night after night is abuse. Inadequate food for growing teens is abuse. Inadequate heat to save money is abuse. Rules about not speaking to new students is abuse. I have heard so much about abuse at Whitmore, that I am surprised my child is not filled with hatred for being placed at Whitmore. How do we as parents ever expain---"We thought we were doing the right thing."  How very wrong we were.

[Anonymous]

thank you for the reply about y parents post anonymously. thats all i wanted to know

[Antigen]

On 2005-01-26 13:33:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Dear Alumn Mom:  I totally misread the dates. When you said your son "recently came home...and later said your son was only at Lake Powell in 2003....I MISTAKENLY put it all together incorrectly as not being "recently."  I am very sorry for my unkind words.  You as a Mom most certainly did not need me to be unkind to you. I just brought my child home in Nov 2004, and have emotions running way too high---and felt wrongly that you were distancing yourself from the current problem of alleged abuse, and just did not want to become involved. I was wrong, and I do apologize.  Please do not let my unkind words make you stop talking and expressing your views."

 :nworthy:  :nworthy:  :nworthy:

The clergy know that I know that they know that they do not know.
--Robert G. Ingersoll, American politician and lecturer

[Anonymous]

On 2005-01-26 13:33:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Dear Alumn Mom:  I totally misread the dates. When you said your son "recently came home...and later said your son was only at Lake Powell in 2003....I MISTAKENLY put it all together incorrectly as not being "recently."  I am very sorry for my unkind words.  You as a Mom most certainly did not need me to be unkind to you. I just brought my child home in Nov 2004, and have emotions running way too high---and felt wrongly that you were distancing yourself from the current problem of alleged abuse, and just did not want to become involved. I was wrong, and I do apologize.  Please do not let my unkind words make you stop talking and expressing your views."

Apology accepted.  We all have a lot of issues we are dealing with, kids and parents alike.  I certainly understand emotions running high.  The guilt we felt leaving our children half way across the country was overwhelming by itself.  Now we are compounding the added guilt with "making a mistake."  Although a part of you just wants to pick up the pieces and move on, another part of you needs answers about what really happened.  It is a whole new set of issues and emotions.  You felt great anicipation and excitement when it was time for them to come home.  You see the "changed person" but know there is something more going on inside of them.  You see new behaviors that just don't seem quite right. (fear of next meal, seeing every comment as a verbal attack or criticism, freaking out if you cut them off mid-sentence, wearing the same clothes days on end, sleeping with every blanket in the house......too many to mention) Am I stiking a cord with any other parents out there?  Fortunately after reading most of these responses I am starting to understand and not react or take things personally.  I now know he is reacting to months of ridicule and humiliation. As parents we can only try to understand who they are now and love and support them with everything we have in us.

For those of you who think we are beating a dead horse, skip our responses or go to a different topic.  The topic listed IS "The Whitmore."  Unfortunately, there seem to be more issues arising daily and more PARENTS speaking up. I shudder to think what may lie ahead and what might be revealed.  I am still waiting for more teens, now home, to share their stories.  Personally, this information is invaluable.

Alum Mom-(guess that is my new shorter name:)

[Anonymous]

honestly lots of things happened at the whitmore that werent right. but dwelling on this subject is not really gonna change a thing. some people are happy with the whitmore and others are not. im not for the whitmore nor am i against it. theres simply no sense in dwelling on it. maybe your kids did get humilated or verbally attacked or whatever but there alive. the whitmore and cheryl did do some things that arent right but you guys talk like the whitmore is hell. it can be bad for some people but not nearly as bad as it is getting mad out to be. sure your kids got humilated sometimes and verbally attacked but you cant change what happened so just move on instead of remaining stuck. but i guess it doesnt matter what you say because im sure soon enough what i say is gonna be contradicted all over again.

[Anonymous]

I have a question for one of the "students" If for example, one of the kids talks on the phone to a parent and talks too much about their former school and former friends...and are punished by having to wear "the clothes," what does this mean?  What are "the clothes?"

[Anonymous]

Of course I should have added: Why are teenager's private phone calls home to their parents "monitored and listened in on extensions by the Sudweeks to begin with."  We were never told that if the Sudweeks disapproved of the private conversation between student and parents that the student would be forbidden to talk on the phone to the parents for a certain length of time, and could only write "approved letters home while wearing THE CLOTHES."  What is this all about?

[Anonymous]

To the former student of Whitmore, you have posted before that "things happened at the Whitmore that weren't right.  From your point of view what "things were not right?"  Explain.

Yes, our kids are home and are alive---but we sent our kids to the Whitmore in good faith that they would be educated, safe, not physically harmed, not emotionally damaged, and not humiliated.  We were promised and believed that they would be in a loving, Christian atmosphere, with professional therapy and an accredited academic program.    We paid for and expected more than having a child returen who is merely ALIVE.

[Anonymous]

what has happened has happened and no one can change that. im sure you have broken promises yourself. stop dwelling on it.

[Anonymous]

LIFE IS UNFAIR SO DEAL WITH IT

[Antigen]

On 2005-01-27 00:41:00, Anonymous wrote:

"LIFE IS UNFAIR SO DEAL WITH IT"

Ya'll deserve better than that. And so do the kids who's parents might consider sending them off to the Sudweeks.

I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religion than it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it.
--Albert Einstein, German-born American physicist

[Anonymous]

Some parent's are grateful their children make it home alive. Maybe that is why they sent them there in the first place, to save their lives. Could it be the education they get is how to deal with conflicts, express their emotions and live life day to day without relying on drugs.  Maybe they learn how to earn thier keep by taking on responsibility since alot of these kids never cooperated at home. Maybe they learn to be accountable for their words and actions. Could it be that something happened in their past that they had to bury and finally this is exposed. Maybe it is part of the process of healing.

Helping your kid adjust and move on should be your focus now, not searching reasons to blame others or the whitmore. You didn't send her there because everything was perfect in her life.

[Anonymous]

A few weeks ago there was a reference to Mark Sudweeks pleading guilty to animal abuse charges up in Canada at Chilanko Lodge---and it was said something to the effect:  Oh, Mark didn't do anything wrong; some guy up there was suppose to feed the horses and dogs and Mark just got into trouble for no good reason.

I took the trouble to do some research.

Mark Sudweeks had a trial and was found GUILTY.

Mark Sudweeks also went back to court on "appeal" and LOST A SECOND TIME!

Mr. Sudweeks had his DAY IN COURT Twice, and both times he lost.  This was not a "misunderstandig."  He is never again allowed to own an animal in Canada.  He was fined well over $100,000.  And he was GUILTY!

The "guy up there" who was suppose to feed the horse and dogs---was actually The Sudweeks former foster son of many years.,,,not just some "guy who lived up in Canada."  Mark Sudweeks left those horses and dogs UNATTENDED, knowing this foster son would not be going up to Canada for weeks to look after them.

Another thing:  in court testimony Mark Sudweeks tried to place the blame on his own daughters, claiming these young women in their 20's at the time, were the owners of the horses, and not himself.

What type of man would blame his foster son, and his own daughters to try and escape reponsibility for his own criminal neglect of helpless animals?

The Sudweeks advertise that they have a school at the location in Canada.  That is not true advertisement.  At best, they have only take students there for "retreats."  This is just a part of their glossy brouchures to lure parents into registering their kids at Whitmore.

The Sudweeks' representation that they have been in the SCHOOL TREATMENT BUSINESS FOR 25+ years is also false....they may have had kids in their possession for money, but for years it was simply as foster parents....not running a "school" as they represent.

Don't take my word for any of this---read the trial transcript for yourself:



htt://www.animaladvocates.com/ILLEGAL-S ... dweeks.htm

[Antigen]

On 2005-01-27 14:06:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Some parent's are grateful their children make it home alive. Maybe that is why they sent them there in the first place, to save their lives.

Parents send their kids to these programs for a lot of different reasons. Some don't think their kids' lives are in danger at all, but just that they don't like their behavior or they're convinced that the kid needs some treatment or help that the program can provide.

Regardless of the specific reasons, though. Don't you think these parents have a right to know the truth about how these places go about delivering on whatever they promise? I don't remember anywhere on the whoamidiscovery.com web page where it said "Hey, at least we'll send the kid back to you still breathing." And I doubt very seriously that that's what they told any parent who's been forking over $4k/mo.

Helping your kid adjust and move on should be your focus now, not searching reasons to blame others or the whitmore. You didn't send her there because everything was perfect in her life.  "

You have NO clue why this person sent their kid.

Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.
--John Adams

[schacherer]

humiliating really old holey clothes that are usually a hot pink or bright green, they are usually made to wear them for a couple of weeks, and with doing yard work or hauling hay they get real dirty after the second day, they are never washed either.