Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS)

Ivy Ridge Settles Dispute With New York Attorney General's O

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Anonymous:
Struggling Teens always post the pro and con news reports.  Helps to keep things "fair and balanced" even as the program parents continue to make excuses and keep their heads buried in the sand.

Don't count on ST to change many minds when it comes to programs. Too many parents ashamed to admit they screwed up.

Anonymous:
http://news10now.com/content/all_news/? ... 1&SecID=83

Ivy Ridge must pay back tuition
8/19/2005 9:35:50 PM
By: Heather Ly, News 10 Now Web Staff
   
113 families whose children received diplomas from the Academy at Ivy Ridge will get back a portion of their tuition. The Attorney General's office says that without accreditation, the diplomas aren't worth the paper they're written on.

"Essentially these diplomas are invalid. They were never valid in the first place. You can't make something valid if it wasn't to begin with," said John T. Sullivan, Jr.

The school must also stop falsely advertising it can legally issue diplomas.

"The fact of the matter is they were not licensed to do what they did in the first place. You simply can't hang out a shingle and hand out prescriptions if you're a doctor for example if you're not registered with the state. They're quote unquote a school, but yet they had no authority from State Ed to issue diplomas," Sullivan said.

School officials say they're looking to move forward and gain recognition from the State Board of Education.

"We felt that to settle with the attorney general's office this was the best course of action. We felt it was the lesser of two evils. We certainly felt we had a strong case, and the question was how long do we want to fight this battle out and risk losing students and wait on accreditation with New York state," said Ivy Ridge spokesperson Tom Nichols.

No word on if and when the official accreditation may come. The school for troubled teens opened in 2001.

Ivy Ridge must refund tuition


WATCH THE VIDEO

The Attorney General's says it?s a case of educational fraud. The Academy at Ivy Ridge in Ogdensburg must reimburse more than $1 million in tuition because the school issued diplomas. News 10 Now's Heather Ly has more.

Anonymous:
http://www.theempirejournal.com/0820052 ... lomas.html

Saturday, August 20, 2005

Ogdensburg Facility Cited For Issuing Unauthorized Diplomas
   
  The Attorney General?s office has reached an agreement with a boarding school for troubled teens located near the Canadian border to stop issuing unauthorized high school diplomas.

  The Academy at Ivy Ridge near Ogdensburg  a boarding school for troubled teens located near Ogdensburg, will provide tuition refunds to the families of many students who attended the school. In addition, the school will stop falsely advertising that it can legally issue diplomas to graduates and that it is an accredited educational institution.

  "The Academy at Ivy Ridge marketed itself to parents who were seeking a solution to their teens? behavior problems and who were willing to pay top dollar for the school?s programs," Attorney General  Eliot Spitzer said. "What these parents did not know was that Ivy Ridge?s educational programs had not been authorized or approved by the State Education Department. This agreement will stop the school from misrepresenting itself and provide appropriate compensation to parents."

  Spitzer?s office began investigating Ivy Ridge last year after receiving complaints on a variety of issues from parents of children who attended the school. In the course of this investigation, it became apparent that the school was grossly misrepresenting its academic credentials on its website and promotional materials.

  The school advertised that it awarded high school diplomas to its graduates and, in fact, has awarded 113 diplomas to students since opening in 2001. However, the school has never been authorized to grant diplomas because it is not registered with the New York State Education Department.

  In addition, the school, which currently has more than 400 students, claimed that it was accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, a regional accrediting agency based in Boise, Idaho. In fact, the school was merely being considered for accreditation by the agency and has since been dropped from consideration because of the school?s failure to register with the State Education Department.

  Although Ivy Ridge primarily markets itself as a facility that can change the attitude and behavior of high school-aged children who have repeatedly been in trouble, the school also trumpets its educational program to distinguish it from other schools that offer behavior modification programs.

  Under the terms of the settlement, the 113 graduates of Ivy Ridge who received the unauthorized diplomas will each receive a refund equal to 15 percent of the total tuition paid to the school. Tuition at the school averages $50,000 per year and the typical student is there for 18 months. Approximately 100 other students, or former students, who were close to graduation may be entitled to receive similar refunds. The total amount to be refunded is estimated to be more than $1 million. In addition, the school will pay $250,000 in fines to the state and $2,000 in costs.

The Academy at Ivy Ridge is affiliated with the Worldwide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS), based in La Verkin, Utah. WWASPS operates similar schools in various regions of the United States and overseas. Several schools affiliated with WWASPS have been closed in recent years by authorities in Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Czech Republic, after allegations of physical abuse. 8-20-05

AtomicAnt:
This settlement is a sham. They only have to refund 15 percent?! And only $1 million. The article says they have 400 students at $50,000 per year. That equals $20 million per year in revenue. They have been operating for four years. The settlement is barely a slap on the wrist. The facility will remain open and the money will continue to pour into the coffers of WWASP.

This is not much of a victory except that it may dissuade some parents from sending their teenagers there. In the meantime, there are 400 teenagers still stuck there. If nothing else, shouldn't there be legal ramifications for denying these teens their 'free and compulsory education' that they are guaranteeed. Couldn't you round these kids up as truant? Are there no protections for kids who are prevented from getting an accredited education?

Anonymous:
Eliot Sppitzer is a "press hog" who cut a deal that is almost meaningless; but it is GOOD PRESS for a guy who wants to be GOVENOR of New York.

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