Majestic Ranch info please

[Anonymous]

Hi
I am writing this post from Australia. My brother moved to the US about 2 years ago with his American 2nd wife & my now 10 year old niece (her mother dies years ago). My niece is dislexic & they want to ship her off to Majestic Ranch for a full year. She does not have any behavoural issues just a learning problem. From what I can see from its website it takes a highly punitive approach to the children and i was puzzled as to why toys from home are banned as well as phone calls strongly discouraged. Further research did nothing to reassure me (isaccorp etc. Australia does not have a tradition of places like this or even summer camps, but whenever i express concern his wife tells him i am butting in and that I am just worried because these places are not an Australian norm. What can be done to stop a child from going there. I have offered to have my niece live with me for a year & attend a private day school In Australia. While this also separates my niece from her parent it seemd far less damaging than a place that is so extreme. Any advice would help. I am not just an interferer. I really fear for the kid & am pretty powerless from 1/2 way across the world. Can anything be done. Is the place as bad as isaccorp says it is. Why cant the kids write letters to anyone apart form their parent?

[Anonymous]

She'd be far better off away from the parent with you.  If they ship her off she is going to be away from her parent anyway and in a hostile abusive environment.  Your instincts are correct and I hope you prevail in keeping her out of that place.  Just hope these kind of places never make it to Australia.

[Anonymous]

This is my biggest concern. That she wont have any contact with her family (any of us @ all)at least if she were with me or her grandparents she could have contact with any of her family as much as she wants. That and all the abuse allegations. Does anyone know of any legal recourse that relatives can take? are there any simalar programmes which adress learning difficulties and help the kid? I am worried sick. I keep being told that my niece is quite keen on going  because she loves animals and is told of their ranch programme. This makes me so angry because she is just a little girl. She has no idea what she is being sent to.
Also while i am on this rant- Why are thses schools not subject to the same legal requrements as normal american boarding schools? When I was a teenager, I did a 6 month exchange @ an american boarding school and had a great time. I had just assumed they were all subject to the same standards in terms of minimum care etc. I know I probably sound ignorant but i am not American. Please If anyone knows anything that can be of help to me here it would be so appreciated ::

[Rude Intrusion]

Why on God's Green Earth would anyone send a child with a Learning Disability to a WWASP program??

Ask the parents what they are hoping to gain - and if it is an education for their child - ask how they expect her to be educated in an environment designed to facilitate stress, for breaking down resistance to authority?

How is that going to help her learn to read and write?

My guess is they went looking for a specialty school and found Majestic Ranch - and when calling the marketing arm (teen help / teen solutions or what ever they are calling themselves now) they were told the program was perfect for their needs - like everyone is, no matter what their needs are.

Try this - suggest they call using different names and greatly divergent scenarios - and see what they are told about the appropriateness of Majestic Ranch. They'll need to call from different phones - maybe get friends and family to call each with a different situation.

Describe children with needs far different from your nieces - needs far different from each other - and see if any of these kids are felt to be inappropriate for placement at Majestic Ranch.

This might help your family see they are being sold a most inappropriate program for their Learning Disabled child.

Frankly, I am horrified to think of this child being sent to such a Program. The since of abandonment and fear she will suffer; and the hostility that is bound to be generated toward parents who who subject her to such treatment will be unavoidable.

For make no mistake - she must be abandoned there. Phone calls are not discouraged - they are not allowed! Visits are not allowed - not until she reaches level 4 - and that may take many months. For some kids, it takes a year and more.

On the first levels she will not be allowed to have a normal conversation with anyone. Talking is not allowed. She will not be allowed any privacy what so ever - none - ever - on the first levels. She will not get much to eat - and it will not be very wholesome or tasty. She will eat it anyway, b/c she will be very hungry. In school, if she is allowed to attend class (and if she is being consequenced for breaking any of the many rules, she will not be allowed to attend class) she will be sat in front of a computer and given copied study sheets - and she will be expected to read it ,and learn it, in a "self directed" manor. If she can teach herslef - she can do that at home. If she can't, she needs a school with trained special ed teachers who can teach her. I can't think your family has any idea what kind of place Majestic Ranch is.

[BuzzKill]

Majestic Ranch is no place for an animal lover.
A sadist who enjoys animal cruelty would be right at home.
There are persistent reports of cruel and vicious treatment toward the animals.
For example:

http://www.isaccorp.org/majesticranchacademy.html

excerpt:

If the children touch any of the dogs on the ranch, the dogs are shot by owner Dan Pert.



Ranch dogs feed on the carcasses of dogs and other animals.



Sick animals are shot in front of the children.


I also recall reading of an occasion where Dan Pert drug a Llama near to death and left it tied to a fence to finish dying. I can't find it now - maybe someone else will know where that was posted.  I know in the affidavits taken in 05 ex staff explained how the kids were made to gather up dead and maggoty carcasses to haul to the carcass pile.  Feel free to write me, and I'll send you copies of the affidavits in a PDF file.

As for why there is no regulation - such things have been left largely up to the states; and many states chose not to stiffel the growth of private industry. Following might give you an idea why the teen "help" industry has been left alone to grown and do as it will unchecked. This is just a small sampling of how its accomplished.


http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/com_i ... 71039/P-T/


RANDOLPH UT 8406404/15/2003 4000.00 MAJESTIC RANCH/EXECUTIVE 23991336511 PEART, DAN
RANDOLPH UT 840640 6/29/2003 2000.00 MAJESTIC RANCH/EXECUTIVE 23991336512 PEART, DAN
RANDOLPH UT 840640 6/29/2003 -2000.00 MAJESTIC RANCH/EXECUTIVE 23991336511 PEART, DAN
RANDOLPH UT 840640 6/29/2003 2000.00 MAJESTIC RANCH/EXECUTIVE 23991336512 PEART, DAN
RANDOLPH UT 84064 10/11/2004 500.00 MAJESTIC RANCH/EXECUTIVE 24962668928 PEART, DAN
RANDOLPH UT 84064 10/27/2004 1500.00 MAJESTIC RANCH/EXECUTIVE 24981549102 PEART, DONNA
RANDOLPH UT 84064 10/27/2004 2000.00 N/A/HOMEMAKER 24981549102 PEART, DONNA
RANDOLPH UT 84064 03/31/2004 500.00 N/A/HOMEMAKER 24990996317 PEART, DONNA
RANDOLPH UT 84064 06/29/2003 2000.00 N/A/HOMEMAKER 23991336513 PEART, DONNA
RANDOLPH UT 84064 06/29/2003 2000.00 N/A/HOMEMAKER 23991336513 PEART, DONNA
RANDOLPH UT 84064 06/29/2003 -2000.00 N/A/HOMEMAKER 23991336513 PEART, DONNA
RANDOLPH UT 84064 03/31/2004 -500.00 N/A/HOMEMAKER 24990996317 PEART, DONNA
RANDOLPH  UT 84064 04/15/2003 4000.00 N/A/HOMEMAKER 23991336512 PEART, DONNA
RANDOLPH UT 84064 03/31/2004 500.00 N/A/HOMEMAKER 24990996317 PEART, RACHEL S.
LA VERKIN UT 84745 04/11/2002 1000.00 N/A/HOUSEWIFE 22990859838 PEART, WILLIARD JAKE
LA VERKIN UT 84745 04/11/2002 -1000.00 22990859839 PEART, WILLIARD JAKE
LA VERKIN UT 84745 03/31/2002 1000.00 TEEEN HELP/ADMISSIONS 22990660363 PEART, WILLIARD JAKE
LA VERKIN UT 84745 03/31/2002 1000.00 TEEEN HELP/ADMISSIONS 22990660363

[Anonymous]

my god. This is just inconcievable. Why would anyone want to put their child through such insanity? Part of the problem in making my brother see any kind of sense or reason is his new wife. She is not wild about the Australian side of the family either.
His wife seems convinced that my niece is disturbed  as well as having a learning disability. The fact is she is a normal child & like all normal kids sometimes behaves & sometimes does not. Her step mother seems to feel that children should be punished for being inconvenient. This is why i am strongly pushing that my niece live in Australia with with me or her grandparents. Everything i have to say is falling on deaf ears though.

If I were to move to the US (my husband is in IT & could easily get a good job) would I have any legal rights if it could be proven that this place was abusive? I read about a californian boy who was released by a judge to relatives because he was @ tranquility bay.
BTW Isaccorp state that WWASPS own tranquility Bay & I saw a documentary on this place. My brother claims he was told by majestic ranch that they were unconnected. What is the story on this?

[Anonymous]

most kids with learning disabilities are also made fun of on a consistent basis by the other kids.

[Anonymous]

Majestic Ranch is absolutely affiliated with WWASP-- there's no doubt about it.  Just google it and see how it is always listed on referral sites in conjunction with WWASP and look at the "desperate measures" series in the Rocky Mountain News.

No child should be sent there-- there's no evidence that such programs help anyone.

The owner of Majestic Ranch is no longer allowed to have contact with the children due to charges of sexually inappropriate behavior.

The prosecutor withdrew the charges with this condition.  If the guy were innocent, do you think he would have accepted that?

And their education program consists of having kids read a textbook, take the quiz at the back of the book, and take the same quiz over and over till they get at least a B.  I can't imagine this being any kind of help for a dyslexic.

[AtomicAnt]

It is very frustrating to read this thread where a woman is trying to send a 10-year-old to Majestic Ranch. Hasn't anyone confronted her with the easily available information condemning this place? And she still insists on this particular facility above all others?

The very idea of sending someone away from home for such a mild diagnosis is appalling. This is nothing short of child abandonment and it is a testament to how messed up American society is that it is even allowed.

[Anonymous]

yes it is extremely frustrating for me and the whole family. Boarding school of any kind seems inappropriate when a child is 10! This is why I am desperate for info onwhat can be done to stop this. It is extremely diffucult from so far away though.

In the worse case scenario if she does get sent there, & a realtive visits and demands to speak to her, can they be legally stopped? They probably can is Australia but these deliberately abusive schools dont exist here because of child protection laws.

[Anonymous]

WWASP lies .

They own, are affiliated with Majestic Ranch.

They said they did'nt own paradise Cove either back in the day.

It would be a huge mistake to send a kid there. have the new MOM go instead.  If she can handle it .

Better yet.Contact the Attorney General's
office in UTAH.They have facts about Majestic Ranch. If they still send the kid .Take legal action now. The kid needs your intervention.

[Rude Intrusion]

Maybe, if you point out to the step mom, that if she forces this through, and the child comes to harm (emotionally, mentally or otherwise) not only will the child probably hate her for life, causing unending problems in her marriage; but her husband may also come to hate and despise her as a result.

No doubt the girl is a hand full. I am sure the friction between she and her step ma ma is pretty think. All very normal. She may get the kid out from under foot for a couple years - but is that as long as she wants her marriage to last? Because eventually, the kid will come home. Even if the dad is seriously uninvolved with his daughters welfare - he will not be able to avoid seeing the effects of the Program on his little girl. I'd anticipate deep regret and anger as a result, and he just might direct it at his wife.

Majestic Ranch seems to be a dumping ground for adopted kids who have "attachment" issues; and step children, whom the Step parent finds annoying. This is also often the case with the older kids in the other programs as well - but it is only Majestic Ranch that will take the real young ones.

The child will get no individual treatment for her individual needs. She will be forced into a mold, that is exactly the same for every kid in the Program. Majestic Ranch is a WWASP Program.

Claiming they are not associated with Tranquility Bay is  not exactly a lie. They can say each is individually owned and operated - therefore, not associated. But this is an unethical white wash job. All the WWASPS programs Are associated. They are all not only associated by virtue of having an identical "program" in each and every WWASPS "school" (The Program, is the Program, where ever it is)but also be virtue of family ties and employee swapping. Certain names pop up associated with various WWASP programs - and this has always been the case. It is essentially, a family operation. Not that everyone is a Litchfield, or a Kay, or a Peart; You also have Gouldings and Hintons and Atkins and Farnsworths - but they are all long and closely associated.

Please send me a PM with your email address. I can send you copies of affidavits written by Majestic Ranch Staff.

Also, you might want to read over the WWASPS V PURE trial transcripts. I can send you a copy of that as well.

And get a copy of Help at Any Cost, how the trouble teen induistry cons parents and hurts kids; by Maia Szalavitz. There is a link to order it provided at the top of this forum. It is Very informative and your brother really needs to read it - like Now!

The fact is, even if your niece is a disturbed child, treatment such as takes place in these programs is proven to not help, and in fact hurt.

I don't know what you can do, even if you come to the states. It would be a long hard battle getting her out, once they put her in, if they want to fight you. They as the parents, hold all the cards. For now concentrate in trying to educate your brother and tell him to tell his wife to shut up for a few weeks, while he does some research! Whats the rush? This is important. Tell him to slow down and start reading - and to thik for himself. His common sence will do the job, if you can just get him to listen to it.

[Anonymous]

Anyone can write anything - especially if it comes off the hate sites.  Of course I'd be horrified it I was stupid enough to believe the next Stephen King novella:

   If the children touch any of the dogs on the ranch, the dogs are shot by owner Dan Pert.


Ranch dogs feed on the carcasses of dogs and other animals.


Sick animals are shot in front of the children.


I also recall reading of an occasion where Dan Pert drug a Llama near to death and left it tied to a fence to finish dying. (I can't find it now ) - maybe someone else will know where that was posted. I know in the affidavits taken in 05 ex staff explained how the kids were made to gather up dead and maggoty carcasses to haul to the carcass pile. Feel free to write me, and I'll send you copies of the affidavits in a PDF file.

No wonder I only come here for a laugh!  Amazing...

PHX

[Anonymous]

http://caica.org/KIC%20Main.htm

[Anonymous]

PHX laughing at kids getting abused... I see nothing has changed around here.  :roll: