Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > The Troubled Teen Industry
Anything to add
Reddit TroubledTeens:
We have media attention on this.
They are looking for more info, please post anything you know about DRA in this thread. If anyone knows a Diamond Ranch Academy survivor, please have them contact me at reddittroubledteens@gmail.com so I can put them in touch with the media. Thanks!
Reddit TroubledTeens:
DRA survivor account from reddit:
http://www.reddit.com/r/troubledteens/c ... o_diamond/
samferrara
[+1] 7 points 22 hours ago
I was at DRA for 11 months, and while I was never physically abused, the verbal/emotional/mental abuse was there and I did see other people physically abused. I left DRA during the myspace years (haha) and started a group meant to keep me in touch with a handful of friends I made there. Membership quickly mushroomed and I soon had hundreds of DRA alums organized into a group. Soon I had to close the membership and hand check every single applicant, because staff members from DRA were disguising themselves as former students and gathering information. They kept an eye on what people were saying about them, they spread misinformation, and more. When I was contacted by a girl named Sara Harmon, things got strange. Sara was a survivor of Mormon polygamy, and the Dias family, who own DRA, fostered her for a time. During that time, she alleges that Rob Dias sexually molested her. She referred me to an appearance she made on Larry King. It seemed legitimate to me, so I shared the information with the group. Within a week I was contacted by Rob personally. The conversation went from him wishing me well, asking about my life and how I was doing to him telling me about Sara and how she was an alcoholic (I was sent to DRA for drug addiction, so he wasn't gaining any sympathy from me) how she lead a "deviant lifestyle" and making other attempts at character assassination. All the while, he danced around the actual question I kept drilling him with; "Did you sexually molest Sara Harmon or not?" Eventually he said "NO" but it took a while to get an answer out of him. After this stage of the conversation, he nonchalantly moved on to his next point. He told me about his team of "shark lawyers" whose job it was to "hurt people like you" and then he basically told me to keep my mouth shut. I was not impressed with this threat in any way, and nothing ever came of it. Yes, I kept running my mouth. (obviously)
Rob Dias is a criminal. He hides behing this facade of wanting to help the kids, but the few who really get to know him see him for what he is- another slimey, greedy crook. Everyone who's been at a graduation ceremony at DRA can tell you about his signature crocodile tears. Shame on Dr. Drew; either for not doing his research and seeing that DRA is inhumane, or for seeing it and making his recommendation anyway.
I could go on to detail specific injustices committed, but I'm pretty sure there are plenty of easily accessible records. Anyone who has been fighting this place long enough should probably recognize my name, and I can probably prove my affiliation with DRA, if anyone requires.
pixel8
[+1]Pixie[F,S] 5 points 21 hours ago
Would you be willing to talk to a trusted reporter, and even help find other DRA survivors willing to come forward? You can PM me or email reddittroubledteens@gmail.com.
Thank you for speaking out. I had not heard about the molestation, that is truly heartbreaking and scary.
samferrara
[+1] 4 points 20 hours ago
As I've always said when approached like this, I'd be happy to do what I can. That said, I'm very, very busy. Get in touch with me via PMs, and I'll share what I can. It's been a long time since I left DRA, so the 'lay of the land" has most likely changed, but I'll share my experience. Finding others willing to do the same may be hard, as well. We're all adults now. Some have kids, others have fallen off the face of the earth or died.
pixel8
[+1]Pixie[F,S] 3 points 20 hours ago
PM'd, thanks!
blombrowski:
If anyone needs a short pithy quote to sum things up:
"Dr. Drew might as well have sent this youth to live with Jerry Sandusky"
Reddit TroubledTeens:
--- Quote from: "blombrowski" ---If anyone needs a short pithy quote to sum things up:
"Dr. Drew might as well have sent this youth to live with Jerry Sandusky"
--- End quote ---
Love it!!
****************************************
CRC Health (Aspen Education Group) is also involved with Dr. Drew: http://www.lctv.com/the-life-changers/kristen-hayes
Reddit TroubledTeens:
Zowie, this is going really well! ALL the advocacy groups are participating, and many different individual activists are getting involved.
We have media attention on this. There have been hundreds of tweets over the past few days, as well as dozens of posts to Dr. Drew's facebook pages, blog & video. We are not letting up pressure!
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