Fornits
Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => The Troubled Teen Industry => Topic started by: cherish wisdom on April 06, 2005, 01:07:00 PM
-
I just sent a letter to the editor regarding the purchase of Kemper Military Academy by Lichfield of WWASP. I'd encourage all to do the same. Here is a copy of my letter - you can use it as an example for your own....
BEWARE OF WWASP AFFILIATES
April 6, 2005
To the Editor:
There have been thousands of victims of the teen industry and WWASP programs. They include former students/patients, their parents and family members. My child was severely abused in a Utah program. As a result, potentially thousands of people from all over the country have been reading about the develpments surrounding the purchase of the miltary school in your community by affiliates of the WWASP network. So don't be surprised when people from other states send you their oppinions.
In your article it was indicated that Randall Hinton once worked at WWASP schools in Jamaica and Mexico. Tranquility Bay in Jamaica and Casa by the Sea in Mexico are both reportedly abusive facilities. Casa By the Sea was recently shut down by the Mexican authorities because several children showed signs of emotional and physical abuse. Potentially abusive behavior modification techniques and extreme punitive measures are often used in programs associated with WWASP. Several former staff members from a program in Utah, Majestic Ranch, reported extreme chid abuse and endangerment such as forcing children to shovel manure with their hands, sitting out in the cold for several hours as punishment, and bolting the windows shut to prevent escapes. In most WWASP programs children are not allowed to communicate or see parents for many months. They are not allowed to use the telephone and their mail is censored. They are severely punished for speaking negatively of the program. Prolonged isolation in cold, uncomfortable chambers is routine. Former students have reported being hog-tied for hours at a time. One administrator admitted that one girl had spent 18 months in isolation at Tranquility Bay.
Children are essentially controlled completely in most WWASP affiliated programs. They are essentially denied the most basic civil rights of speach, movement and mail. I became concerned when Hinton indicated that the students would not be allowed to leave campus. This is a huge red-flag indicating that this will be another lock-down where children wiil essentially be cut-off from the outside world and punished with impunity.
The people of this community must beware! Please do a complete inter-net search regarding this industry before allowing this reportedly abusive network to purchase this building. I'd suggest one read the recent report regarding WWASP affiliate Majestic Ranch at http://www.kidsincaptivity.com (http://www.kidsincaptivity.com). Also read some of the reports about other WWASP affiliated programs on line at http://isaccorp.org (http://isaccorp.org) The mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble by us, and I for one must be content to remain an agnostic.
--Charles Robert Darwin, English naturalist
-
Following is the e-mail address of the journalist who has been reporting this:
jsullivan@tribmail.com
Letters can be sent to him. Make sure that you include identifying information:
full name, address, phone number
Also - keep it brief - ususally under 250 words or it will get edited or tossed...... :wink: Immortality: A toy which people cry for, And on their knees apply for, Dispute, contend and lie for, And if allowed Would be right proud Eternally to die for.
--Ambrose Bierce
-
:tup:
http://www.kctv5.com/Global/story.asp?S=3170689 (http://www.kctv5.com/Global/story.asp?S=3170689)
http://www.columbiatribune.com/2005/Apr ... ews002.asp (http://www.columbiatribune.com/2005/Apr/20050405News002.asp)
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascit ... 311239.htm (http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/living/education/k_12/11311239.htm)
Boonville considers military school sale
By STEVE ROCK
The Kansas City Star
BOONVILLE, Mo. ? Most of the buildings that constitute Kemper Military School are dilapidated and run down, living proof that they've been virtually abandoned for nearly three years.
And yet, this campus of seven historic buildings has become a contentious topic around town as city officials wrestle with an offer to buy and reopen the school.
The prospective buyer is a group led by Robert Lichfield, founder of a controversial association of boarding schools called World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools.
Kemper, the oldest military academy west of the Mississippi River when it closed in 2002, has been owned by the city since April 2003. The proposed sale was on the agenda for Monday's City Council meeting, with all of it discussed in closed session.
Earlier in the day, the chairman of the Friends of Kemper Foundation Trust issued a statement to The Kansas City Star expressing his group's opposition to the sale.
?We do not feel it is in the best interest of the city of Boonville to accept the proposal at this time,? the statement said. ?.? (We) do not see this proposal as a solution to the city's problem of what to do with the former Kemper campus, or a befitting end to the Kemper story.?
Stephen Read, chairman of the trust, said the trust's primary concern stems from reports involving other schools affiliated with the boarding school association. The World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools, based in St. George, Utah, offers services and guidance to a network of seven schools in the United States and Jamaica.
Some schools affiliated with the association have been the subject of abuse allegations, and one congressman asked the Justice Department to investigate. In a November 2003 letter to then-Attorney General John Ashcroft, California Rep. George Miller wrote: ?There have been serious allegations that hundreds of children have been mistreated or neglected.?
Ken Kay, president of the association, has denied the allegations and said the association's first priority is ?the safety and well-being of the children.?
Randall Hinton, who says he would help operate the new school, has said that Kemper would not be part of the formal World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools network. He said Kemper would operate independently.
That doesn't assuage James Oliver, a longtime Boonville resident who can see the Kemper campus from his front porch. He said the school under Lichfield's ownership would target ?troubled? teens and wondered whether that was a better alternative to the white elephant that sits across the street.
?I wouldn't be too thrilled about it,? Oliver said. ?And I know a lot of people around here don't like the idea.?
Many alumni, though, would like nothing more than to see the school back up and running.
Hinton has said he would like the school to operate much as Kemper Military School did, with a military theme and uniformed students adhering to a regimented schedule. That prospect excites Ray Kendeigh, who went to Kemper from 1977 to 1980 and now sends an e-mail newsletter to more than 200 alumni.
?We're kind of hoping this goes,? said Kendeigh, who lives near Pittsburgh. ?It would be great to get this thing back open before the school becomes a dinosaur.
?If this is a good group, I personally hope it works out.?
The City Council emerged from its closed session Monday night with a declaration that the sale be discussed next Monday in a public hearing at City Hall.
?It's just part of the process,? said Russell Hinton, who would help operate the facility with his brother Randall.
?We know there are going to be questions. We know people are going to want to know who we are.
?We are definitely looking forward to it.?
Hinton has said renovation costs could exceed $5 million.
To reach Steve Rock,
call (816) 234-4338 or send e-mail to srock@kcstar.com.
-
Hmmm ... is this the SAME Randall Hinton affiliated with White River Adventures?
http://www.teenhelponline.com/ (http://www.teenhelponline.com/)
Perhaps the journalist would like to do some digging?
:eek:
-
I'm sorry, four:
http://www.boonvilledailynews.com/artic ... /news1.txt (http://www.boonvilledailynews.com/articles/2005/03/29/news/news1.txt)
Questions mount
By Theresa Schweitzer Krebs--Staff Reporter
With last week's announcement of a "serious offer" on the table for the Kemper property, details of the proposal are slow in coming from Boonville city officials and city's Industrial Development Board.
"We want to handle this matter quickly, but also correctly," said IDA president Ned Beach.
With many questions surrounding the status of the city-owned property, Beach said that no details can be disclosed until the matter is discussed with the city council.
A fax from Boonville's Economic Developer, Sarah Gallagher, confirmed that "answers will be released at the he appropriate time as the process proceeds." According to Gallagher, the IDA "is acting as the agent of record for the city council for the City of Boonville. We have an obligation to the council to brief them prior to releasing additional information."
Beach said he had hoped to make a presentation to the city council at the next regularly scheduled council meeting on Monday, April 4, but this plan may be delayed. "We (the IDA board) would also like to hold a public meeting before going to the council," Beach said.
Confirming that the Boonville Police Department will be responsible for a due diligence involving a "through review of the contract and background check of the parties involved," Beach said he hasn't received a recommendation at this point, but it will be discussed with the city council.
An article published this morning by the Kansas City Star connects Golden Pond's bid with Robert Lichfield, founder of a network of seven schools in the United States and Jamaica which provide service and guidance to troubled teens.
Based in St. George, Utah, under Lichfield's oversight, the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS), has attracted much controversy, including a report of abuse allegations to the Department of Justice by a U.S. congressman.
The Star further reports Lichfield would sublease the Kemper property to Randall Hinton who would operate the school independently as a military-style academy. Hinton has told the Star that he is not associated with WWASPS.
Hinton, who could not be reached for comment, resides on McRobert Street in Boonville, at a property owned by Beach Family Partnership LLC.
Questions mount
With last week's announcement of a "serious offer" on the table for the Kemper property, details of the proposal are slow in coming from Boonville city officials and city's Industrial Development Board.
The power of a penny
For many Boonville agencies, a half cent makes a big difference.
Council approves 2005 budget
It took about 90 minutes of discussion, but the Boonville City Council came to a consensus Monday night, approving the the new budget during a special meeting.
-
even though reporters are "on this" letters to the editor make a huge impact. This is where public sentiment is demonstrated. Members of the City Counsil will most definitely read them. I'd suggest sending them to every paper making reports on this issue. Do so as soon as possible since the meeting is next monday....
"I predict, Sir, that you will die either by hanging or of some vile disease."
"That all depends, sir, upon whether I embrace your principles or your mistress."
--Disraeli to Gladstone
-
Good letter. Thank You.
-
They should sale Kemper Military on Ebay.
someone will buy it, take good care of it and make the Kemper people proud.
-
Cherish Wisdom - Looks like your child went to a WWASPS school. Was that intentional to throw them off? Interesting how those that have no experience of WWASPS are off writing letters to the editor. :lol:
-
Anon,
Anyone who has read the long history of closures,history of allegations of abuse or spoken with a child who has attended a WWASP facility,could easily come to the conclusion the WASP is not a HEALTYH options for any living being.
I challenge YOU to come out of your WWASP box
and think that the allegations may be true. If so it is not acceptable.
Are YOU making money off of referrals?
Just curious.
From my personal experience CW was right on.
-
No - did not send child to WWASP - Provo Canyon.
WWASP uses similar abusive tactics. I have been horrified by the survivor stories and reports of former staff members who have worked for WWASP facilities.
I'd like to suggest that all of you send e-mails to the City Counsil members of Boonville Missouri. Here's a link where their e-mail addresses can be found. :wave:
http://boonville-mo.org/city.html (http://boonville-mo.org/city.html)All of these comforting and reasonable things were taught by the ministers in their pulpits -- by teachers in Sunday schools and by parents at home. The children were victims. They were assaulted in the cradle -- in their mother's arms. Then, the schoolmaster carried on the war against their natural sense, and all the books they read were filled with the same impossible truths. The poor children were helpless. The atmosphere they breathed was filled with lies -- lies that mingled with their blood.
--Robert G. Ingersoll, American politician and lecturer
-
Here are some email addresses for members of the City Counsil involved with the sale of Kemper:
Julie Thatcher: glenlee50@yahoo.com (http://mailto:glenlee50@yahoo.com)
Daniel Blanck: get_hurt@msn.com (http://mailto:get_hurt@msn.com) (space is underscore)
Bob Irish: mpcarter@socket.net (http://mailto:mpcarter@socket.net)
Frank Shore: gfshore@yahoo.com
I'd suggest you send them some information about Lichfield, WWASP, and Randall..... Do so asap - they will reconsider the sale this coming Monday.... :wave:
-
to the top.....
Our nada who art in nada, nada be thy name. Thy kingdom nada, thy will be nada as it is in nada. Give us this nada our daily nada and nada us our nada as we nada our nadas and nada us into nada but deliver us from nada; pues nada. Hail nothing full of nothing, nothing is with thee.
--Ernest Hemingway, American author
-
That's where SIBS is going..to the top of the drug treatment industry!
-
I just tried and every single one was sent back to me.
-
Just three were sent back.
-
PM me.
-
I sent the letters from my personal email site and all of them were delievered. I'd suggest you do this. Besides, you need to give some identifying information - your e-mail address, name, phone number, city and state.
Here's a copy of my letter
To the Honorable Mayor and City Council:
RE: Sale of Kemper Facility to WWASP Network
April 7, 2005
Dear Members of the City Council:
There have been thousands of victims of the teen industry and WWASP programs. They include former students/patients, their parents and family members. My child was severely abused in a Utah program and that is why I am now concerned about the proliferation of the "teen industry" in this country. As a result of horrific personal experiences with various programs, potentially thousands of people from all over the country have been reading about the develpments surrounding the purchase of the miltary school in your community by affiliates of the WWASP network. So don't be surprised when people from other states send you their oppinions. I'm a registered nurse from the state of California and have been researching the many abuses that occur in the new and lucrative teen industry.
It was indicated in a recent news article that Randall Hinton once worked at WWASP schools in Jamaica and Mexico. Tranquility Bay in Jamaica and Casa by the Sea in Mexico are both reportedly abusive facilities.
Casa By the Sea was recently shut down by the Mexican authorities because several children showed signs of emotional and physical abuse. Potentially abusive behavior modification techniques and extreme punitive measures are often used in programs associated with WWASP.
The reports of abuse at Tranquility Bay have been particularly horrific.
Several former staff members from a program in Utah, Majestic Ranch, reported extreme chid abuse and endangerment such as forcing children to shovel manure with their hands, sitting out in the cold for several hours as punishment, and bolting the windows shut to prevent escapes.
In most WWASP programs children are not allowed to communicate or see parents for many months. They must earn the right. They are not allowed to use the telephone and their mail is censored. They are severely punished for speaking negatively of the program.
Prolonged isolation in cold, uncomfortable chambers is routine. Former students have reported being hog-tied for hours at a time. One administrator, Jay Kay, (who worked closely with Hinton) admitted to a BBC reporter that one girl had spent 18 months in isolation at Tranquility Bay.
Children are essentially controlled completely in most WWASP affiliated programs. They are essentially denied the most basic civil rights of speach, movement and mail. I became concerned when I read that Hinton indicated that the students would not be allowed to leave campus. This is a huge red-flag indicating that this will be another lock-down where children wiil essentially be cut-off from the outside world and punished with impunity.
The people of this community must beware! Please do a complete inter-net search regarding this industry before allowing this reportedly abusive network to purchase this building. I'd suggest one read the recent report regarding WWASP affiliate Majestic Ranch at http://www.kidsincaptivity.com (http://www.kidsincaptivity.com). Also read some of the reports about other WWASP affiliated programs on line at http://isaccorp.org (http://isaccorp.org) and at www.heal@u.washington.edu (http://www.heal@u.washington.edu)
Personally I'm writiting to you because I don't want to see another WWASP program in the United States. Please make a copy of this letter for the public record and for other members of the council who may not have received the e-mail.
Best Wishes and Regards,
You can use my letter as a model if you have writer's block - or come up with one of your own. :tup:
Life is like a bird, at any given moment it is droping a load. It is only a matter of time before one eventually find you.
SysAdmin
-
On 2005-04-07 08:58:00, Anonymous wrote:
"
Anon,
Anyone who has read the long history of closures,history of allegations of abuse or spoken with a child who has attended a WWASP facility,could easily come to the conclusion the WASP is not a HEALTYH options for any living being.
I challenge YOU to come out of your WWASP box
and think that the allegations may be true. If so it is not acceptable.
Are YOU making money off of referrals?
Just curious.
From my personal experience CW was right on."
The Key word here is Allegations - Allegations are not the same as evidence and truth. I've yet to see the allegations be fact. Did I miss something?
-
When do allegations become truth? When they are tried to a jury in a court of law. Apparently that has been done recently and WWASP LOST....Apparently the jury believed that the ALLEGATIONS told by sincere survivors of WWASP programs were true.
Do they become true when there are multiple witnesses? Former employees? Former students?
I believe there is truth to all of the stories of survivors - because they are so similar - and employees and even administrators have backe those allegations up. Jay Kay of Tranquility Bay ADMITTED to BBC REPORTER that they had kept a young girl "ON HER FACE FOR 18 long months" He bragged that this was the "RECORD." This is one of the most abusive things I've ever heard of. Depriving a child of 18 months - forcing that child to lay on her face for 18 months - no school, no contact with anyone. It's truly horrific and I'm sure that child is scarred for life.
What is truth? In the mouths of two or three witnesses according to the good book. What's your definition? I happen to believe the stories when there are hundreds of witnesses saying the same things - even photographs - There's just too much evidence against WWASP to deny that they practice horrific child abuse in their programs.
-
How does one go about seeing justice served when the victim lives in Utah; the prep in Missery; and the crime took place in Jamaica?
When does the statue clock begin ticking?
How long does it run on sexual assault?
Plain ole assault?
Any legal eagles here with suggestions?
[ This Message was edited by: BuzzKill on 2005-04-07 14:51 ]
-
On 2005-04-07 14:19:00, Dolphin wrote:
"
On 2005-04-07 08:58:00, Anonymous wrote:
br>
Anyone who has read the long history of closures,history of allegations of abuse or spoken with a child who has attended a WWASP facility,could easily come to the conclusion the WASP is not a HEALTYH options for any living being.
>I challenge YOU to come out of your WWASP box
and think that the allegations may be true. If so it is not acceptable.
Are YOU making money off of referrals?
Just curious.
>From my personal experience CW was right on."
The Key word here is Allegations - Allegations are not the same as evidence and truth. I've yet to see the allegations be fact. Did I miss something? "
Do affidavits and court documents count to you? Has it ever occurred to you that the reason why there are no witnesses is because these people don?t allow outsiders inside the compounds and lie and justify the use of this abuse as, ?Just what happens when dealing with troubled teens?? What about that fact that there are anonymity laws and frightened children afraid to come forward because they fear being called liars and manipulators? Private schools with no legislation - criminals with not convictions, but instead, gag orders and huge out of court civil suit settlements, because why? MONEY!!!!!!
Just like children who?ve been abused, raped, molested, psychologically and physically tortured in their own homes. Often times, the stories of abuse don?t come out until the victims learn that what happened to them was horrific and wrong! By then, they?re adults and are in need of years of recovery and/or therapy. Thank God for the parents who have the compassion and sense to come forward!
You know, when you have hundreds if not thousands of people telling the same stories over and over, you just have to draw conclusions and opinions. WWASP programs and affiliates are outrageously abusive. They would not have been shut down otherwise.
Narvin Lichfield wouldn?t have been arrested, and all these anti program advocates from all over the world wouldn?t be spending colossal portions of their lives trying to get the word out if there weren?t TRUTH to their stories.
You can?t lie forever without the truth finally coming into the light.
-
I uase the word allegations to cover my ass from slapp suit. I know the truth .I have experienced it.I have had many kids cry in my arms over their experiences. I have been told about the nightmares.
It si NOT a healthy experince.
Whole and Healthy it is not.
-
Statute of Limitations: the statute of limitations is different for each state. For sexual assault of a minor in California - the victim has 7 years AFTER the age of 18 to report the abuse. Sexual Assault is very difficult to prove without DNA evidence. When a child is in a lock down - they have no way to report the sexual assault and important incriminating evidence is lost. It's also very humiliating to go forward with the prosecution of sexual assault for the victim.
In Utah a victim of child abuse has only 4 years to report the abuse. So if a child was abused at the age of 7 they would have until they were 11 to report the abuse. Still not old enough to know what their rights are. I think this law should change and allow children to report abuse for at least 4 years AFTER they turn 18. There are over 200 youth facilities and programs in Utah (I've heard there are about 1000 - but who knows?) Many of these abuse victims are left with no recourse in Utah. The law essentially protects the child abusers.
Anyway - depending on the state - the statute changes. You can do a search for the state =
Utah Statute of Limitations - then search....
Eskimo: "If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?"
Priest: "No, not if you did not know."
Eskimo: "Then why did you tell me?"
--Annie Dillard, "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek"
-
On 2005-04-07 14:28:00, Anonymous wrote:
"When do allegations become truth? When they are tried to a jury in a court of law. Apparently that has been done recently and WWASP LOST....Apparently the jury believed that the ALLEGATIONS told by sincere survivors of WWASP programs were true.
Do they become true when there are multiple witnesses? Former employees? Former students?
I believe there is truth to all of the stories of survivors - because they are so similar - and employees and even administrators have backe those allegations up. Jay Kay of Tranquility Bay ADMITTED to BBC REPORTER that they had kept a young girl "ON HER FACE FOR 18 long months" He bragged that this was the "RECORD." This is one of the most abusive things I've ever heard of. Depriving a child of 18 months - forcing that child to lay on her face for 18 months - no school, no contact with anyone. It's truly horrific and I'm sure that child is scarred for life.
What is truth? In the mouths of two or three witnesses according to the good book. What's your definition? I happen to believe the stories when there are hundreds of witnesses saying the same things - even photographs - There's just too much evidence against WWASP to deny that they practice horrific child abuse in their programs. "
Is that true? Or just another reporter twisting someone's words?
Hundreds of witnesses saying the same things? Really? Maybe 10 people saying it a hundred times. :rofl:
-
baghead,
When people like you say that bullshit, it really pisses me off. Why not get a investigation and PROVE that youre right? I mean, what do you have to hide?
Oh wait, programs and programmies fucking COVER IT UP, LIE, AND CHANGE NAMES AND MOVE LOCATIONS. Nothing like running a disinformation campaign, huh? Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet.
--Napoleon Bonaparte, French emperor
-
On 2005-04-07 21:29:00, Anonymous wrote:
Is that true? Or just another reporter twisting someone's words?
Hundreds of witnesses saying the same things? Really? Maybe 10 people saying it a hundred times. :rofl: "
I bet you actually believe that, don't you. Sad. Very sad.
Phoenix, I'm gonna call you out here. You've been reading and posting to these forums for a very long time. Isn't it about time you picked a name so that you can have more than a one-liner, drive-by type discussion w/ some of these people? And if you do that, would you like for me to assign all of your old anon posts that I can find to that new username?
A man is accepted into a church for what he believes and he is turned out for what he knows.
Samuel Clemens "Mark Twain", American author and humorist
-
I think that's a fabulous idea, Ginger!
Please do! :tup:
-
I just want to get people back on the subject and that is TO PROTEST THE SALE OF THE KEMPER MILITARY SCHOOL FACILITY TO WWASP AFFILIATES. Please write letters and send e-mails - even if you can come up with only one or two sentences. If you don't want to see another WWASP Program in the USA you need to express that to those who can do something about it. Now is the time to act - the next meeting will be this Monday - so time is of the essence..........Write write write write write.......
If there's a worse idea going than locking people up for drug use, it's probably locking them up in close proximity to some tyranical altruist who wants to 'help' them with a problem that probably doesn't exist
-- Ginger Warbis
having had about all the help I can stand!
-
/bump/
-
Boonville police urge caution on Kemper
By JOHN SULLIVAN of the Tribune?s staff
Published Friday, April 8, 2005
Boonville police officials are recommending that the Boonville City Council hold off any decision to sell the Kemper Military School property until a more thorough background check can be conducted on a controversial potential buyer.
Robert Lichfield, founder of Utah-based World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools, wants to buy the city-owned Kemper property and turn it once again into a military-style academy.
In a study released yesterday to the public, however, police officials cite news reports and other records that indicate World Wide Association-affiliated schools "regularly engage in physical restraint of children including the use of pepper spray, handcuffs, duct tape and wooden boxes to isolate the children."
The study is dated March 25 and was given the next day to Ned Beach, head of the Industrial Development Authority, and Sarah Gallagher, the city?s director of economic development. Beach and Gallagher requested the report. The development authority is overseeing the sale of the property.
World Wide operates behavior-modification schools for problem children. At least eight World Wide-affiliated schools and organizations in two states and four countries have closed or been shut down amid allegations of child abuse.
The Boonville police report mentions Lichfield associate Randall Hinton, who has moved to the city to operate the school. "Mr. Hinton himself is on videotape freely admitting he used pepper spray on one student and more than once per day. He states he has picked up children and had them" taken "to the institution within five hours," the report said.
In an interview with the Tribune, Hinton described the pepper spray episode as a failed two-month experiment to safely subdue students. Lichfield has not returned calls seeking comment.
The police report, signed by Capt. Donald Smith and Lt. Bobby Welliver, recommends conducting a thorough investigation, including "speaking to people who have made accusations and verifying information, which has been provided to us." The report also recommends interviewing Hinton, his brother Russell Hinton and any other principal or partner in the proposed venture.
The police report also looked into a program called the Thayer Learning Center, a behavior-modification school in the Caldwell County community of Kidder. The school, which was incorrectly identified in the report as "Fair Learning Institute," is facing a lawsuit from parents of a child who the county medical examiner ruled died from a spider bite. The lawsuit alleges medical neglect.
Welliver said this morning that his department heard a possible connection exists between Thayer and World Wide Association, although details of that connection remain unknown.
An interview with Caldwell County Sheriff Kirby Brelsford found no serious problems at the facility, apart from "occasional runaways who steal cars in an effort to leave the area," the report said.
Police officials also expressed concerns about placing troubled teens, some of them potentially violent offenders, within close proximity to parks and recreational facilities where children play. The report notes that the YMCA is located on the Kemper property.
Beach defended Lichfield and his organization. A review two days ago of financial records provided by Utah?s Golden Pond Investments Ltd., the investment company offering to buy Kemper, proved credible, Beach said. Criminal background checks of Lichfield and Hinton also came up clean, he said.
City Administrator Selby Myers said he provided city council members with a copy of the report last night.
-
IT LOOKS LIKE INFORMATION IS GETTING INTO THE RIGHT HANDS - KEEP SENDING IT ALONG....
-
WE are making some waves and the letters are coming in from all over the country. Keep it up. This is a battle we can win....
-
Does anyone know about a lawsuit Robert Lichfield filed against a secretary in Colorado, alleging she interfered with the sale of Kemper? Claiming she was a "whistle blower" in the Kemper deal. If so, please share the information here - case name, number, names of defendants, anything else you have. It would be much appreciated.
We are aware of the Lichfield v. ISAC suit but this sounds like it may be a different suit.
-
On 2005-04-08 15:16:00, Anonymous wrote:
"Boonville police urge caution on Kemper
By JOHN SULLIVAN of the Tribune?s staff
Published Friday, April 8, 2005
Boonville police officials are recommending that the Boonville City Council hold off any decision to sell the Kemper Military School property until a more thorough background check can be conducted on a controversial potential buyer.
Robert Lichfield, founder of Utah-based World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools, wants to buy the city-owned Kemper property and turn it once again into a military-style academy.
In a study released yesterday to the public, however, police officials cite news reports and other records that indicate World Wide Association-affiliated schools "regularly engage in physical restraint of children including the use of pepper spray, handcuffs, duct tape and wooden boxes to isolate the children."
The study is dated March 25 and was given the next day to Ned Beach, head of the Industrial Development Authority, and Sarah Gallagher, the city?s director of economic development. Beach and Gallagher requested the report. The development authority is overseeing the sale of the property.
World Wide operates behavior-modification schools for problem children. At least eight World Wide-affiliated schools and organizations in two states and four countries have closed or been shut down amid allegations of child abuse.
The Boonville police report mentions Lichfield associate Randall Hinton, who has moved to the city to operate the school. "Mr. Hinton himself is on videotape freely admitting he used pepper spray on one student and more than once per day. He states he has picked up children and had them" taken "to the institution within five hours," the report said.
In an interview with the Tribune, Hinton described the pepper spray episode as a failed two-month experiment to safely subdue students. Lichfield has not returned calls seeking comment.
The police report, signed by Capt. Donald Smith and Lt. Bobby Welliver, recommends conducting a thorough investigation, including "speaking to people who have made accusations and verifying information, which has been provided to us." The report also recommends interviewing Hinton, his brother Russell Hinton and any other principal or partner in the proposed venture.
The police report also looked into a program called the Thayer Learning Center, a behavior-modification school in the Caldwell County community of Kidder. The school, which was incorrectly identified in the report as "Fair Learning Institute," is facing a lawsuit from parents of a child who the county medical examiner ruled died from a spider bite. The lawsuit alleges medical neglect.
Welliver said this morning that his department heard a possible connection exists between Thayer and World Wide Association, although details of that connection remain unknown.
An interview with Caldwell County Sheriff Kirby Brelsford found no serious problems at the facility, apart from "occasional runaways who steal cars in an effort to leave the area," the report said.
Police officials also expressed concerns about placing troubled teens, some of them potentially violent offenders, within close proximity to parks and recreational facilities where children play. The report notes that the YMCA is located on the Kemper property.
Beach defended Lichfield and his organization. A review two days ago of financial records provided by Utah?s Golden Pond Investments Ltd., the investment company offering to buy Kemper, proved credible, Beach said. Criminal background checks of Lichfield and Hinton also came up clean, he said.
City Administrator Selby Myers said he provided city council members with a copy of the report last night.
"
Please provide a link with the articles posted. Thank you so much to everyone getting involved! :smile:
-
http://www.cityofjuneau.net/ (http://www.cityofjuneau.net/)
This is a very interesting link I remembered.
This is Juneau, Wisconsin.
Click on "Meeting Minutes", select "Common Council", choose 2002, and then scroll down to November 12, 2002. Under "Public appearances and comments re: agenda items" you will read the name Bob Lichfield, etc.
Maybe it'll help stop the transaction. A pattern of place selection and push for fast action by Lichfield.
-
i cant find it can you post it all on here please.
-
http://www.boonvilledailynews.com/artic ... /news1.txt (http://www.boonvilledailynews.com/articles/2005/03/29/news/news1.txt)
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascit ... 188387.htm (http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/11188387.htm)
http://www.showmenews.com/2005/Apr/20050404News002.asp (http://www.showmenews.com/2005/Apr/20050404News002.asp)
http://archive.columbiatribune.com/2005 ... ews005.asp (http://archive.columbiatribune.com/2005/apr/20050408news005.asp)
-
That's not all of them, but it's a good start.
-
Did the WWASP gulag in Juneau ever open for operations?
-
Posted on Sat, Apr. 09, 2005
POLICE OPPOSE PLAN FOR SCHOOL
Kemper proposal questioned
By STEVE ROCK
The Kansas City Star
In a pointed and critical letter to key city administrators, the Boonville, Mo., Police Department expressed opposition to the potential sale of Kemper Military School.
The letter, obtained through state open-records laws, was written March 24 after a police captain and a lieutenant conducted what they called a ?background investigation? of the people hoping to buy and operate the school.
?It is our recommendation,? the letter says, ?that the risks far outweigh any benefits of the sale of this property.?
Both the Industrial Development Authority and the City Council in Boonville have met to discuss an offer from a group led by Robert Lichfield to purchase Kemper. The school, which closed in 2002, has been owned by the city since April 2003.
Supporters and opponents of the potential sale can voice their opinions at a 7 p.m. public hearing Monday at Boonville City Hall.
Lichfield is the founder of the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools, a controversial association of boarding schools based in Utah. Some schools in that network have been the subject of abuse allegations, and a congressman asked the Justice Department to investigate.
An official with the association has denied the allegations.
Lichfield would not be involved in the day-to-day operations of Kemper but would sublease it to Randall Hinton, Hinton has said. Hinton has stressed that Kemper would not be a part of the boarding schools network and would have no affiliation with the programs.
The letter from the Police Department notes that Hinton has a long history of working at schools in the network. Because Lichfield signed the deposit check given to the city, the letter says, ?Our assumption is there will be some connection to (WWASPS).?
The letter goes on to say that ?it appears to us there are some concerns about the treatment given to children in these institutions.?
The letter from the Police Department also notes that Hinton would focus on ?troubled? teens and points out the proximity of Kemper to the city-owned YMCA facilities.
?It is clear this would be a huge public safety issue,? the letter says. ?As we have stated, there will be many troubled teens at this campus, and some could even be violent offenders. It would be a public disaster if a student on this campus hurt one of our children.?
A business plan presented by Hinton to city officials said the school would enroll teenagers who ?need help in the areas of discipline, responsibility and leadership skills? as well as those who have had problems with minor drug or alcohol experimentation.
But Hinton said Friday that the school would market itself as a military school and not as a school for troubled teens.
The officers stress in their report that the background investigation ?should be considered preliminary.?
?To conduct a proper background investigation would mean sending people to visit some of these institutions and to interview children within,? the letter says. ?It should also include speaking to people who have made accusations.?
When asked whether he was aware of the contents of the letter, Hinton said he had not read it. He welcomed a complete background check and said the students wouldn't be a threat to the community.
Ned Beach, president of the Industrial Development Authority, said Friday that the authority must stay neutral.
Beach, a Boonville businessman, owns the rental home where Hinton is living with his wife and three children. When asked whether that presented a conflict of interest, Beach and Hinton said it did not.
Before moving to Boonville more than a month ago, Hinton helped establish White River Adventure in Puerto Rico, which he said is not affiliated with the school network.
Hinton, 30, said he started working with troubled children shortly after high school and was ?too busy helping kids? to complete a college education. He told The Kansas City Star he attended Dixie State College in St. George, Utah, and studied psychology.
An official at the Dixie State registrar's office said Hinton completed 10 hours of credit in 1996, majored in computer information systems and withdrew from his only psychology class.
Hinton said he took additional classes at the college in 1998 and was surprised that the registrar's office had no record of that.
Lichfield has been invited, but Randall Hinton said Lichfield would not attend.
Earlier this week, the chairman of the Friends of Kemper Foundation Trust issued a statement to The Star that stressed his group's opposition to the sale. The Boonville Daily News recently ran an editorial that said, ?We do not want their program, we do not want their ideas and we do not want their practices anywhere in our city, our county or our state.?
To reach reporter Steve Rock, call (816) 234-4338 or send e-mail to srock@kcstar.com.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First glance
? Supporters and opponents of the potential sale of the former Kemper Military School can voice their opinions at a 7 p.m. public hearing Monday at Boonville City Hall.
-
We do not want their program, we do not want their ideas and we do not want their practices anywhere in our city, our county or our state.?
WAY TO GO - We don't want their programs in our COUNTRY or the WORLD...... The people of Boonesville are on target. Hopefully they will not allow them to purchase this property.
And Hinton - wow - 10 units of credit and he withdrew from his only psych class.....Obvioulsly he has no credentials whatsoever to be working with teens who may have mental illness.
-
I 2nd that!! Wow, way to go everyone. Keep it up, don't let up. Hinton has his followers out there in Boonville.
Word has it that Randall Hinton and this two side-kicks have been going to civic groups in Boonville, promising them the world. Word has it he got a standing ovation the other night. So remember, this is not over yet.
An article from today's Boonville paper:
Posted on Sat, Apr. 09, 2005
POLICE OPPOSE PLAN FOR SCHOOL
Kemper proposal questioned
By STEVE ROCK
The Kansas City Star
In a pointed and critical letter to key city administrators, the Boonville, Mo., Police Department expressed opposition to the potential sale of Kemper Military School.
The letter, obtained through state open-records laws, was written March 24 after a police captain and a lieutenant conducted what they called a ?background investigation? of the people hoping to buy and operate the school.
?It is our recommendation,? the letter says, ?that the risks far outweigh any benefits of the sale of this property.?
Both the Industrial Development Authority and the City Council in Boonville have met to discuss an offer from a group led by Robert Lichfield to purchase Kemper. The school, which closed in 2002, has been owned by the city since April 2003.
Supporters and opponents of the potential sale can voice their opinions at a 7 p.m. public hearing Monday at Boonville City Hall.
Lichfield is the founder of the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools, a controversial association of boarding schools based in Utah. Some schools in that network have been the subject of abuse allegations, and a congressman asked the Justice Department to investigate.
An official with the association has denied the allegations.
Lichfield would not be involved in the day-to-day operations of Kemper but would sublease it to Randall Hinton, Hinton has said. Hinton has stressed that Kemper would not be a part of the boarding schools network and would have no affiliation with the programs.
The letter from the Police Department notes that Hinton has a long history of working at schools in the network. Because Lichfield signed the deposit check given to the city, the letter says, ?Our assumption is there will be some connection to (WWASPS).?
The letter goes on to say that ?it appears to us there are some concerns about the treatment given to children in these institutions.?
The letter from the Police Department also notes that Hinton would focus on ?troubled? teens and points out the proximity of Kemper to the city-owned YMCA facilities.
?It is clear this would be a huge public safety issue,? the letter says. ?As we have stated, there will be many troubled teens at this campus, and some could even be violent offenders. It would be a public disaster if a student on this campus hurt one of our children.?
A business plan presented by Hinton to city officials said the school would enroll teenagers who ?need help in the areas of discipline, responsibility and leadership skills? as well as those who have had problems with minor drug or alcohol experimentation.
But Hinton said Friday that the school would market itself as a military school and not as a school for troubled teens.
The officers stress in their report that the background investigation ?should be considered preliminary.?
?To conduct a proper background investigation would mean sending people to visit some of these institutions and to interview children within,? the letter says. ?It should also include speaking to people who have made accusations.?
When asked whether he was aware of the contents of the letter, Hinton said he had not read it. He welcomed a complete background check and said the students wouldn't be a threat to the community.
Ned Beach, president of the Industrial Development Authority, said Friday that the authority must stay neutral.
Beach, a Boonville businessman, owns the rental home where Hinton is living with his wife and three children. When asked whether that presented a conflict of interest, Beach and Hinton said it did not.
Before moving to Boonville more than a month ago, Hinton helped establish White River Adventure in Puerto Rico, which he said is not affiliated with the school network.
Hinton, 30, said he started working with troubled children shortly after high school and was ?too busy helping kids? to complete a college education. He told The Kansas City Star he attended Dixie State College in St. George, Utah, and studied psychology.
An official at the Dixie State registrar's office said Hinton completed 10 hours of credit in 1996, majored in computer information systems and withdrew from his only psychology class.
Hinton said he took additional classes at the college in 1998 and was surprised that the registrar's office had no record of that.
Lichfield has been invited, but Randall Hinton said Lichfield would not attend.
Earlier this week, the chairman of the Friends of Kemper Foundation Trust issued a statement to The Star that stressed his group's opposition to the sale. The Boonville Daily News recently ran an editorial that said, ?We do not want their program, we do not want their ideas and we do not want their practices anywhere in our city, our county or our state.?
To reach reporter Steve Rock, call (816) 234-4338 or send e-mail to srock@kcstar.com.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First glance
? Supporters and opponents of the potential sale of the former Kemper Military School can voice their opinions at a 7 p.m. public hearing Monday at Boonville City Hall.
-
Continue to protest - write or call. Be heard. It will be a victory when the city council refuses to sell.
Also offer some other suggestions for use of the building...
Library, museum, antique stores, restaurant, civic arts center. The list goes on and on. That facility should not become a brutal boot camp or private teen prison......Don't let your dogma run out in front of your karma.
--Anonymous
-
Today is the day - hopefully they have all of the information they need to make a good decision.
T'is an ill wind that blows no minds.
--Syadasti