I remember that to if someone split as they called it (in straight St.Pete 1980)you never herd much about it probably because the staff didn't want to lose control of the group. This could weaken staffs dominance and complete power over the kids, news like people splitting may cause others to run.Staff would say someone had split after they caught them and brought them back to the group for the humiliation of their life and what ever other tortures they had in store for them. Staff only told us someone left like whem they sent Tommy (from somewhere in Ohio)back to the mental institution after this guy did nothing but fight for three months they kept telling him he wasn't crazy and would get in his face.I had a few fights with him myself when he would suddenly lash out and start throwing punches at everyone or anything .He never really spoke just alot of gibberish never raised his hand in group but the staff just would not stop hammering the guy.He got sent to the time out room one of many days and stabbed his finger in the guy wacthing him,the guy must have smashed Tommy's face into the wall or something, because when they took them out the guy watching Tommy was holding his eye with blood starting to stream from his hand covering his wounded eye. When they took Tommy out one side of his face was smashed and all black and blue. I was so glad the staff did'nt pick me to watch him that day.The next day Mrs.Peterman told the group that we had to send Tommy back today, I said to myself you finally figured that out! A few days later when the guy who was watching Tommy(who was now wareing a patch on his eye) was relating in group the staff stood him up gave a bunch of shi# and said he was trying to get attention and that he was not hurt.That is just the sick mind bending things staff would do to people. It made we mad because first of all, they stuck him in the time out room with Tommy and secondly, there should have been more than one guy watching him.
