Embattled ´Tough Love´ Schools Win Major Victories
ST. GEORGE, Utah, Jan. 09 /PRNewswire/ --
ST. GEORGE, Utah, Jan. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Wide Association of Specialty Schools and Programs (WWASPS) won two major victories today, rebuffing a final attempt by litigants to sue the school for abuse of its students, and hearing that the Department of Justice will not undertake an investigation into its practices on jurisdictional grounds.
"We're relieved, although we feel that there was certainly nothing to fear with a potential investigation or lawsuits," said Ken Kay, WWASPS president.
In response to Rep. George Miller's (CA-D) written request, the Department of Justice declined to look into accusations of abuse at schools affiliated with WWASPS.
William E. Moschella, assistant attorney general, responded to a letter from Miller, originally written to Attorney General John Ashcroft, soliciting the Justice Department's help in investigating accusations including abuse, human rights violations, fraudulent and deceptive advertising, fraud and unjust enrichment under the Internal Revenue Code.
Because the WWASPS institutions are both privately-owned and two are currently located outside the United States, these conditions exceed the department's jurisdiction, preventing it from taking further action according to the letter.
"If Congressman Miller would have accepted our invitation to tour the schools and meet with myself and the directors, he quickly would have discovered that his allegations are unfounded," said Kay.
Embroiled in eight separate lawsuits since November 1998, WWASPS recently had all eight cases dismissed on the grounds of lack of evidence. Several had been through the Court of Appeals. California attorney Thomas Burton filed these cases in the Federal District for the District of Utah, naming WWASPS, Teen Help (a WWASPS affiliate), and various officers and employees as defendants.
"We've never lost a lawsuit or had to settle," said Kay. "These dismissals further solidify the falsity of the many accusations made against WWASPS. We are proud of this record as it is strong evidence that what we have done nothing wrong. This is despite the fact that the media continues to attack us based on the voices of a few naysayers."
All cases claimed negligence, child abuse, fraud and racketeering, yet no admissible evidence was produced to support of these claims. Four of these cases were appealed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver after being dismissed by Utah Federal District Court judges--these dismissals were upheld.
The World Wide Association of Specialty Schools and Programs
CONTACT: James Wall, +1-303-232-3870, for WWASPS
