Author Topic: MT BACHELOR LAWSUIT (Read 9052 times)

Rusty Goat · « **on:** July 06, 2011, 03:15:29 PM »

Does anyone here know if SUE SCHEFF is listed as a defendant in this 9 person/victim lawsuit? She referred kids to that place, just wonderin... :karma: :whip:

BuzzKill · « **Reply #1 on:** July 06, 2011, 03:24:01 PM »

I googled a little and saw no mention of her. Doesn't Shelby still have access to Lexus Nexus?

rules · « **Reply #2 on:** July 06, 2011, 03:34:11 PM »

http://www.suescheff.com/sue_scheff_hel ... _teens.php

Press Release: Press Release: Sue Scheff Celebrates A Decade Of Helping Families With Troubled Teens

May 10, 2011

Recently Sue Scheff was featured on Momtourage (iVillage) answering tough questions about raising today's teens. "A parent asked about invading their teen's privacy, such as reading their emails, text messages or journals," Scheff continues, "It is a matter of when safety trumps privacy.

In 2001 Sue Scheff created Parents' Universal Resource Experts, Inc. (P.U.R.E.) in an effort to help educate parents when they have reached their wit's end with their teenager.

This year P.U.R.E. is celebrating over a decade of assisting over 50,000 families. During these ten years, Sue Scheff has been interviewed by many media outlets including ABC News, 20/20, Lifetime Balancing Act, The Rachael Ray Show, Fox News, CNN, Headline News, InSession, Wall Street Journal, Miami Herald, Forbes, USA Today, Sun-Sentinel and many others.

Recently Sue Scheff was featured on Momtourage (iVillage) answering tough questions about raising today's teens. "A parent asked about invading their teen's privacy, such as reading their emails, text messages or journals," Scheff continues, "It is a matter of when safety trumps privacy. If you suspect your teen is in trouble, becoming secretive, withdrawn, changing friends, I believe it is imperative for a parent to dig deeper if their teenager won't open up verbally."

Scheff knows personally the turmoil mother’s experience when their household is being disrupted by bad teen behavior. Out of desperation she turned to teen specialty schools and behavior modification programs for her own daughter but that only worsened the situation. Although her story is painful and the trials and tribulations' seemed endless, Sue Scheff believes that there are excellent residential treatment centers and recognizes she made a huge mistake when she was at her wit's end which is why she agreed to have her story published in an effort to help others.

Wit's End, Advice and Resources for Saving Your Out-of-Control Teen, authored by Sue Scheff, was released in 2008 by Health Communications, Inc (HCI) and has been selling fast and steady to parents, educators and people with at-risk teens. "I am amazed at how many parents have emailed me or called to say that my book has helped them in many ways. After struggling with their own teen, they realized they are not alone," Scheff says. "I also hear from parents on a daily basis that they were so confused but after reading my story, understand this teen help industry better and are able to make better choices for their own teen."

With today's ever expanding digital world, many parents hit the Internet looking for help for their troubled teenager only to be bombarded with slick websites and slicker sales reps trying to get your business. Scheff realized over ten years ago when she had her own struggles, that the Internet isn't always what is seems to be.

"Deciphering Internet fact verses Internet fiction can be very difficult," Scheff said in a recent interview with The Parenting Plate. "This is why my book, Wit's End has proven to be a priceless asset when looking for residential therapy for your child."

Sue Scheff continues her story about the Internet and how it can be an educational tool or a lethal weapon, depending who is using it, in Google Bomb, The Untold Story of the $11.3 Verdict That Changed the Way We Use the Internet, also authored by Sue Scheff and Internet Expert and Attorney, John Dozier Jr., and published by HCI in 2009.

If you are searching for residential therapy for your troubled teen, visit http://www.HelpYourTeens.com for more information. To learn more about Sue Scheff, please visit http://www.SueScheff.com. Celebrates A Decade Of Helping Families With Troubled Teens

May 10, 2011

Recently Sue Scheff was featured on Momtourage (iVillage) answering tough questions about raising today's teens. "A parent asked about invading their teen's privacy, such as reading their emails, text messages or journals," Scheff continues, "It is a matter of when safety trumps privacy.

In 2001 Sue Scheff created Parents' Universal Resource Experts, Inc. (P.U.R.E.) in an effort to help educate parents when they have reached their wit's end with their teenager.

This year P.U.R.E. is celebrating over a decade of assisting over 50,000 families. During these ten years, Sue Scheff has been interviewed by many media outlets including ABC News, 20/20, Lifetime Balancing Act, The Rachael Ray Show, Fox News, CNN, Headline News, InSession, Wall Street Journal, Miami Herald, Forbes, USA Today, Sun-Sentinel and many others.

Recently Sue Scheff was featured on Momtourage (iVillage) answering tough questions about raising today's teens. "A parent asked about invading their teen's privacy, such as reading their emails, text messages or journals," Scheff continues, "It is a matter of when safety trumps privacy. If you suspect your teen is in trouble, becoming secretive, withdrawn, changing friends, I believe it is imperative for a parent to dig deeper if their teenager won't open up verbally."

Scheff knows personally the turmoil mother’s experience when their household is being disrupted by bad teen behavior. Out of desperation she turned to teen specialty schools and behavior modification programs for her own daughter but that only worsened the situation. Although her story is painful and the trials and tribulations' seemed endless, Sue Scheff believes that there are excellent residential treatment centers and recognizes she made a huge mistake when she was at her wit's end which is why she agreed to have her story published in an effort to help others.

Wit's End, Advice and Resources for Saving Your Out-of-Control Teen, authored by Sue Scheff, was released in 2008 by Health Communications, Inc (HCI) and has been selling fast and steady to parents, educators and people with at-risk teens. "I am amazed at how many parents have emailed me or called to say that my book has helped them in many ways. After struggling with their own teen, they realized they are not alone," Scheff says. "I also hear from parents on a daily basis that they were so confused but after reading my story, understand this teen help industry better and are able to make better choices for their own teen."

With today's ever expanding digital world, many parents hit the Internet looking for help for their troubled teenager only to be bombarded with slick websites and slicker sales reps trying to get your business. Scheff realized over ten years ago when she had her own struggles, that the Internet isn't always what is seems to be.

"Deciphering Internet fact verses Internet fiction can be very difficult," Scheff said in a recent interview with The Parenting Plate. "This is why my book, Wit's End has proven to be a priceless asset when looking for residential therapy for your child."

Sue Scheff continues her story about the Internet and how it can be an educational tool or a lethal weapon, depending who is using it, in Google Bomb, The Untold Story of the $11.3 Verdict That Changed the Way We Use the Internet, also authored by Sue Scheff and Internet Expert and Attorney, John Dozier Jr., and published by HCI in 2009.

If you are searching for residential therapy for your troubled teen, visit http://www.HelpYourTeens.com for more information. To learn more about Sue Scheff, please visit http://www.SueScheff.com.

Wh??ter · « **Reply #3 on:** July 06, 2011, 03:44:16 PM »

Thanks for posting this, rules. Sue Scheff is one of my heroes. Remember how she humiliated psy and kicked his butt in court for all of his lying? That was great.

...

Rusty Goat · « **Reply #4 on:** July 06, 2011, 11:48:26 PM »

Ahhhhhhh, back in the day... gotta love it, SUE SCHEFF paying REPUTATION DEFENDER thousands of dollars to bury ISAC links to her dirty deeds, LOL... Yep, I think about it now and then, but you know, since she referred SO many kids to Mt Bachelor, it seems like maybe she should be HELD ACCOUNTABLE for once, eh? :roflmao:

RTP2003 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 07, 2011, 09:05:08 AM »

Quote from: "rules"

"It is a matter of when safety trumps privacy."

.

This shows the fucked-up mentality of the anti-drug crusader, and, unfortunately, this attitude spills over into many different aspects of our culture today. I'm not going to go into why this is fucked up. It's self-evident; if you don't get it, you are part of the problem, just like Sue Scheff.

RTP2003 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 07, 2011, 09:06:19 AM »

Quote from: "rules"

"It is a matter of when safety trumps privacy."

.

This shows the fucked-up mentality of the anti-drug crusader, and, unfortunately, this attitude spills over into many different aspects of our culture today. I'm not going to go into why this is fucked up. It's self-evident; if you don't get it, you are part of the problem, just like Sue Scheff.

Wh??ter · « **Reply #7 on:** July 07, 2011, 09:58:36 AM »

Quote from: "RTP2003"

Quote from: "rules"
"It is a matter of when safety trumps privacy."

.

This shows the fucked-up mentality of the anti-drug crusader, and, unfortunately, this attitude spills over into many different aspects of our culture today. I'm not going to go into why this is fucked up. It's self-evident; if you don't get it, you are part of the problem, just like Sue Scheff.

I didn't read anywhere that rules was talking about drugs, RTP2003. You made that part up. rules is just trying to add some balance to the discussion, now that he's not a moderator he can express his true pro-program feelings. He has always defended the industry but when he was a moderator the admins made him stay on the sidelines. Now he's free to support programs out in the open which I applaud.

...

Ursus · « **Reply #8 on:** July 07, 2011, 04:09:14 PM »

The Oregonian
Nine ex-students sue, say they were mistreated at central Oregon school for troubled teens

Published: Wednesday, July 06, 2011, 3:02 PM
Updated: Wednesday, July 06, 2011, 8:16 PM
By Helen Jung

Attorney Kelly Clark is representing nine former students of the Mount Bachelor Academy, a defunct Eastern Oregon "tough love" camp, who are suing school administrators for systematic abuse, degradation and humiliation. The suit seeks $14 million in damages. Doug Beghtel/The Oregonian

Nine former students of a Prineville-area school for troubled teens are suing the now-defunct school's parent company, saying teachers and staff humiliated, isolated and abused them as part of its curriculum.

The complaint, which was filed today in Multnomah County Circuit Court, detailed students' accusations:

One teen, a girl who had suffered sexual abuse as a child, was forced to repeatedly engage in provocative role-playing with older males, the complaint states. Another student, who suffered from asthma, was forced to sleep outdoors in below-freezing temperatures. Staff members also denied him food, sleep and use of a restroom and withheld his asthma inhaler despite asthma attacks that were brought on by their tactics.

The suit seeks nearly $14.3 million from the Mount Bachelor Academy, its parent company Aspen Education Group, and Aspen's parent company, CDC Health Group Inc.

The school shut down in December 2009, about a month after receiving an emergency suspension order from the state's Department of Human Services, which had investigated the abuse allegations.

VIDEO: Former students of Mount Bachelor Academy, a defunct Oregon "tough love" camp, sue for $14 million

Teens who attended the Mount Bachelor Academy in the late 1990s, said they were systematically abused and humiliated by school counselors.[/list]

"The so-called treatment," said Kelly Clark, an attorney for the plaintiffs, "was not education, was not treatment and was not therapeutic. We intend to prove that it was abuse, pure and simple."

The company issued a statement saying that it had not had the opportunity to review the claims. But it argued that it had resolved its dispute with the state and noted that the state withdrew its emergency order to close the school.

That September 2010 settlement notes that the state agreed to withdraw its emergency suspension order because the school was already closed.

Clark and his law firm have pressed hundreds of claims against the Catholic Church, the Mormon Church and the Boy Scouts of America. Clark last year won a nearly $20 million judgment from the Boy Scouts of America on behalf of a sex-abuse victim last year.

This story will be updated with more information.

-- Helen Jung

© 2011 Oregon Live LLC.

Ursus · « **Reply #9 on:** July 07, 2011, 09:50:21 PM »

Comments left for the above article, "Nine ex-students sue, say they were mistreated at central Oregon school for troubled teens" (by Helen Jung; July 06, 2011; The Oregonian):

fedup · July 06, 2011 at 5:39PM

I hope they are awarded every penny they are asking for. This type of abuse of authority can not be tolerated and the only message that money grubbing companies like Aspen Education understand are the ones that hit them in the pocketbook!thetruth · July 06, 2011 at 8:39PM

They will probably win some money on this, and the US Supreme Court will at some point probably take up the case and rule (5-4) that the company cannot be held accountable for the actions of its employees.

© 2011 Oregon Live LLC.

Ursus · « **Reply #10 on:** July 07, 2011, 10:25:37 PM »

A slightly updated version of the above article follows:

-------------- • -------------- • --------------

The Oregonian
Nine former students sue over alleged abuse at defunct 'tough love' Mount Bachelor Academy near Prineville

Published: Wednesday, July 06, 2011, 8:06 PM
Updated: Thursday, July 07, 2011, 5:55 AM
By Helen Jung

For one teenager who had been sexually abused as a young girl, schooling at the the Mount Bachelor Academy meant allegedly being forced into provocative role-playing that involved propositioning 15 male students and staff members, one by one.

Another student, an asthmatic, had to sleep outdoors in below-freezing temperatures, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Staff members also denied him food, sleep and use of a restroom and withheld his asthma inhaler despite asthma attacks brought on by their tactics, the suit says.

This kind of treatment, according to Portland attorney Kelly Clark, wasn't the exception for the troubled teens enrolled at the now-defunct boarding school that operated east of Prineville for more than 20 years.

The school regularly used humiliation, isolation and other "traumatizing tactics" as part of its therapy to rehabilitate teens, Clark said at a news conference announcing the suit.

The complaint, on behalf of nine former students, seeks nearly $14.3 million from the school and its parent companies, California-based Aspen Education Group and CRC Health Group, for intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, battery and negligence.

The school shut down in December 2009, about a month after receiving an emergency suspension order from the state's Department of Human Services, which had investigated abuse allegations over seven months.

The school's parent company on Wednesday issued a statement saying that it has not yet reviewed the lawsuit's claims.

But a lawyer for the company said the state only had one side of the story when it took action against the academy two years ago. Attorney Greg Chaimov said the school later presented evidence that showed the allegations were unfounded, although he conceded the state itself has never issued such a determination.

The settlement shows that the state withdrew its emergency suspension order because the school had already closed.

VIDEO: Former students of Mount Bachelor Academy, a defunct Oregon "tough love" camp, sue for $14 million

Teens who attended the Mount Bachelor Academy in the late 1990s, said they were systematically abused and humiliated by school counselors.[/list]

The school has its fans, including former students who credit the academy for rescuing them from the lives they were leading and putting them on a more productive, successful path.

But successes like those don't negate the harm done to other students who were forced to engage in programs that lacked any apparent therapeutic benefits, Clark said.

The private school, which catered to troubled teens 14 to 171/2 years old, charged $6,400 a month in tuition.

Aspen Education runs several schools for troubled teens around the country. It used to also run the Redmond-based SageWalk Wilderness School, which closed after a 16-year-old Portland boy died of heat stroke during a wilderness hike in August 2009. The state Department of Human Services found that Sagewalk staff had failed to provide proper medical care.

The plaintiffs in the Mount Bachelor lawsuit all attended the school in the late 1990s and had issues including drug and alcohol abuse and criminal behavior. They are now in their mid-20s to early 30s.

Clark and his law firm have pressed hundreds of claims against the Catholic Church, the Mormon Church and the Boy Scouts of America. Clark last year won a nearly $20 million judgment from the Boy Scouts of America on behalf of a sex-abuse victim last year.

But Clark said this lawsuit is different from others he has filed against pedophile priests and scout leaders, because in those cases, "everyone knew this was not supposed to happen," he said.

-- Helen Jung

© 2011 Oregon Live LLC.

Ursus · « **Reply #11 on:** July 07, 2011, 10:41:40 PM »

Comments left for the above article, "Nine former students sue over alleged abuse at defunct 'tough love' Mount Bachelor Academy near Prineville" (By Helen Jung; July 07, 2011; The Oregonian):

kingmike81 · July 06, 2011 at 8:50PM

hmmmmm.....probably some truths in this that need to be settled out of court....14 million because we "broken teens" still have an external locus of control wherein its everybody else's fault we have issues or no jobs......I've put up with a lot of crap in my life...why am I not suing ODE for all the swats I got in middle school years ago....plenty of emotional distress not to mention the "physical abuse" maybe I should start a class action lawsuit, I have nothing to lose.....like these brats.....give me a break....PCFIDE · July 06, 2011 at 8:55PM

Hands are totally tied as parents and families.Young adults are being lost by the thousands.Private sector is locked out of solutions by litigation expenses.The attack on families from our Democrat nanny state-rs has devastated decades of our young.drliberty · July 06, 2011 at 9:25PM

Hey! We are finally starting to get all the government we have been paying for all these years!blitzbeer · July 06, 2011 at 10:44PM

"The private school"............which means the parents sent them there for this treatment. Why aren't the parents being sued? Oh wait, that would make sense and this isn't about making sense. Never mind.Kelly_Matthews_775 · July 07, 2011 at 6:33AM

There are thousands of abusive schools, camps and rehabs. This has been going on for well over 50 years. You can join the cause to get these places shut down by visiting http://www.troubledteenindustry.com Please visit today!

Also check out the trailer to our upcoming documentary about Straight Inc. An abusive rehab that started back in 1976 and ran for 17 years. http://www.survivingstraightincthemovie.com[/list]
Tod_01 · July 07, 2011 at 8:30AM

Amazing. Kids that can't be responsible for their own behavior (it's everyone else's fault they act that way right? LOL!!). The kids burn out their parents and leave them with no option but to send them to some spendy private school that likes to hold the kids accountable for their behaviors. Some kids actually came out better than when they went in, but then some kids were resisting the help they were given and punished. So now they see some $$ in the consequences for their bad behavior while at the program. 'Liberalism Run Wild' should be an upcoming documentary released soon.

imoksosume · July 07, 2011 at 2:11PM

These kind of outfits are usually ran by Conservative, Christian, Republican misfits, that resemble con artist and couldn't make it anywhere else in life. You know the type: Blackwater Rambo Militants. Really successful conservatives that are always on the look-out for some way to profit fron human misery. We usually find out these type are into really kinky stuff like having their diapers changed by prostitutes in seedy motel rooms or playing footsie with Larry Craig at the airport.[/list]
momofhouston · July 08, 2011 at 6:15AM

AAWO9 · July 12, 2011 at 9:47PM

Ursus · « **Reply #12 on:** July 07, 2011, 11:37:37 PM »

Podcast available at the below title link.

In case it isn't clear from the text, the italicized portion at the end of the article is a statement from Mount Bachelor Academy's attorney Greg Chaimov.

-------------- • -------------- • --------------

OPB News
Nine Former Students File Suit Against 'Tough Love' School

Kristian Foden-Vencil | July 6, 2011 | Portland, OR

Nine former students of a boarding school near Prineville, filed suit in Multnomah County Wednesday.

They claim physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their teachers.

Mt. Bachelor Academy was a school for teenagers who had either tangled with the law or had behavior problems at home.

Parents paid more than $6000 a month to give their kids a 'tough love' education.

But the school was closed by the state in 2009 -- after the Department of Human Services found what it called "nine substantiated claims of abuse."

The school quickly fired back with a lawsuit.

That case was settled last year. The state withdrew its findings, but still claimed it had a "reasonable cause" to investigate.

The school has not reopened.

Now Kelly Clark, a lawyer for nine students, is going to court for $14 million dollars in damages. The lawsuit lists numerous abuses.

"Unnecessary physical restraint, denial of meals, sleep deprivation, light deprivation, sound torture. They would play the same song, over and over again. Strip searches, forced marches. Forcing the plaintiffs to beat on inanimate objects until their hands bled," Clark said.

Clark concedes that the military may use some similar techniques to break down and then build up new soldiers.

But he argues, these were children, not adults.

"There's no 15-year-old marines. You at least theoretically signed your own name on the dotted line. And you're there of your own volition. And I would suggest that even the most aggressive boot camp out there does not have some of the things that we're alleging here," Clark said.

Clark says he doesn't plan to rely on the state's investigation for his lawsuit. He says he'll build his own case, using the testimony of the students who are now in their 20s and 30s. The state chose not to comment on Wednesday’s lawsuit.

Mt. Bachelor Academy's attorney issued a statement (see the complete statement below) saying the school never condoned or participated in the mistreatment or deprivation of any students.

It also says the program was specifically designed for troubled students who had failed to progress in other settings. The statement says the program aimed to help kids confront the worst of their behaviors and take ownership of them. The school says its approach proved successful at producing positive, life-changing -- and, in some cases, life-saving -- results.

While we have not yet had the opportunity to evaluate the allegations in the complaint filed today, we would like to go on record that Mount Bachelor Academy was successful in resolving the dispute with the Oregon Department of Human Services last fall after abundant evidence was collected that showed the allegations of abuse made to the Department were unfounded. DHS initially took action based on students’ allegations, but withdrew its orders, including the suspension of Mount Bachelor Academy’s license, after further information became available. Given the favorable terms of the settlement agreement, we agreed to dismiss our various legal proceedings against the state. We also independently decided to leave Mount Bachelor Academy closed due to the fact that the sudden and erroneous closure of the campus effectively shut the program down the year prior.

For over two decades, Mount Bachelor Academy (MBA) positively changed the lives of over 1,000 troubled young people. MBA was a program specifically designed for troubled students who had failed to progress in other settings. It was designed to help kids confront the worst of their behaviors and take ownership of them, whether that be substance abuse, sexual acting out or other issues. This approach proved successful at producing positive, life-changing – and, in some cases, life-saving – results. The numerous positive testimonials provided by families and students over the years further attest to the success of MBA.

MBA and its parent companies never condoned or participated in the mistreatment or deprivation of any students. As we understand, the plaintiffs in this lawsuit attended MBA prior to its acquisition by a nationally recognized network of therapeutic schools and programs that espouse comprehensive best practices and safety protocols. While we cannot comment on specific allegations from individual students due to HIPAA privacy regulations, we vigorously deny any and all charges of mistreatment. - Greg Chaimov

© 2011 Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Ursus · « **Reply #13 on:** July 08, 2011, 12:22:04 AM »

KGW.com
Ex-students charge abuse at Ore. boarding school

Associated Press
Posted on July 7, 2011 at 7:46 AM
Updated today at 11:08 AM

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Nine former students of a shuttered boarding school in Central Oregon charge in a lawsuit that they were deprived of sleep, water, food and medical care at a place where parents paid more than $6,000 a month to straighten out troubled teenagers.

The $14 million suit filed Wednesday in state court says one girl was forced to disclose to her classmates that her father sexually abused her and to act out sexual propositions with classmates and adult staff members.

The allegations are similar to those that led the state of Oregon to order the Mount Bachelor Academy closed in 2009. A year later the state reached a settlement that withdrew the suspension but maintained the investigation was justified.

The school's lawyer said it denied charges of mistreatment.

© 2009-2011 King Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of Belo Corp.

Ursus · « **Reply #14 on:** July 08, 2011, 10:36:28 AM »

The Oregonian
Mount Bachelor Academy issues statement denying former students' claims of abuse

Published: Thursday, July 07, 2011, 5:40 PM
Updated: Thursday, July 07, 2011, 5:42 PM
By Helen Jung

An attorney for a now-defunct Central Oregon school for troubled teens issued a statement today denying claims of abuse detailed in a $14.3 million lawsuit filed by nine former students on Wednesday.

"We have reviewed the complaint and are confident that the allegations will be proven to be untrue," said the statement from Mount Bachelor Academy, sent by lawyer Gregory Chaimov. "The events that (plaintiffs' attorney Kelly) Clark and his clients allege happened at Mount Bachelor Academy simply did not. We regret that, of the many hundreds of students who attended the program, there are these nine who consider themselves to have been mistreated."

The lawsuit, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, alleges that the boarding school used humiliation, isolation, deprivation of food and water and other abusive tactics in their schooling of troubled teens. The school shut down in December 2009 after a state investigation into abuse and neglect allegations.

But Mount Bachelor Academy maintained that the school "provided a nurturing and caring environment for over 1,000 young people over the course of its history" which spanned more than 20 years.

"The strongest refutation of the claims comes from the many hundreds of families who have thanked MBA for saving their children when all else had failed," the statement said.

It also notes that the alleged incidents, which occurred in the late 1990s according to the complaint, happened before the school was acquired by Aspen Education Group.

© 2011 Oregon Live LLC.

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