Hidden Lake Academy hit hard by lawsuit
By Matt Aiken
Hidden Lake Academy hit hard by lawsuit
Tough times have descended on Hidden Lake Academy since the introduction of a lawsuit which accused the school and its founder Len Buccellato of unscrupulous dealings.
A recent counterclaim filed by the school's legal team of King and Spalding detailed the institution's current struggle, which has resulted in a
sharp drop in enrollment, employee pay cuts and a slew of terminations.
The response, filed in the Gainesville branch of the United States District Court, claims that this
damage has resulted in an average loss of funds nearing $1.8 million.Hidden Lake Academy is a year-round boarding school located off of Camp Wahsega Road.
The school's Web site describes the facility as an institution that provides a ?five-part 18-21 month program [which] gives students from 12 to 17 the life skills they need to reach their full potential and face the future with confidence.?
While recent charges have placed that claim under scrutiny, it is certain that HLA provides a large amount of jobs for local residents.
In fact, according to a Lumpkin County Business License report, HLA trails only Aladin Manufacturing, Timken and Wal-Mart as the county's top employer. The most recent report listed 150 employees at the school.
The original lawsuit against HLA was filed on Sept. 11 when a team of lawyers representing the families of two former students, issued a potential class-action lawsuit which accused the school and Buccellato of numerous ethical oversights.
Such allegations included the alleged misappropriation of funds and the willful acceptance of ?violent? and ?disturbed? students.
HLA's defense team has ?vigorously? denied such allegations. The latest counterclaim was filed by the team in response to the plaintiff's request that all plaintiffs should remain anonymous in a reported attempt to protect the identity of the students involved.
?
The plaintiff's lawsuit is having a crippling effect on the school,? said the defense's response. ?And Dr. Buccellato reasonably believes that the plaintiffs' tactics in filing the complaint anonymously have contributed substantially to the harm of the school is incurring.? :question:
The counterclaim details this resulting harm which reportedly includes an
average drop of enrollment over a three-month period from 31 new students to 13.
This drop has resulted in the elimination of ?? positions through voluntary and involuntary terminations,? said the counterclaim.
Employees have also reportedly been subject to
10 percent pay cuts.
A once deep pool of educational consultant referrals has reportedly dried up as well.
?Since the filing of the lawsuit, the school has averaged only one consultant referral call per week, down from an average of 16-20 consultant referral calls per week prior to the lawsuit,? said the document.
:cry2:
http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/artic ... 20hard.txt