Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > News Items
St. John's Military School - Violence Alleged
Ursus:
Here's a small collection of Salina Journal articles, starting off with a particularly excellent one by Mike Strand that I neglected to include earlier:
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Salina Journal
Ex-St. John's cadets claim they were beaten
3/14/2012
By MICHAEL STRAND
Derek Wolfe a St. John's Military School cadet from Evergreen, Colo. runs toward his company's formation after his name was called Tuesday afternoon during the forming of the corps ceremony at the school. The ceremony marks the beginning of each school year at St. John's Military School. (photo by Jeff Cooper, Salina Journal)
A lawsuit filed last week in federal court in Kansas City describes St. John's Military School as a place where experienced students -- called "Disciplinarians" -- regularly abuse new students and administrators "conspire with certain students" to beat students who complain.
School President Andy England said he didn't have any immediate comment and was meeting with legal counsel to decide what the school's response would be.
The suit names as plaintiffs four former students at St. John's.
Two of the former students are from Colorado, and one each is from Texas and Illinois, though attorney Daniel Zmijewski said additional students could be added later. All of the cadets are listed only as being under the age of 18.
Defendants include St. John's, as well as the Episcopal Church of the United States, and the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, because the school is affiliated with the Episcopal Church.
The lawsuit seeks a judgment in excess of $75,000, plus court costs and punitive damages, on each of several counts.
The minimum amount required for a claim to be filed in federal court is $75,000.
"These are only allegations at this point," Zmijewski said. "This is the pattern I've seen in the past, and what I've heard from these kids this time. I need to do a lot more discovery to confirm it."
Abuse was encouraged
"The school allows and encourages older students to abuse young students -- physically, mentally, emotionally and sexually," the lawsuit alleges. The suit does not claim any of the four defendants was sexually abused but that one of the students did witness an attempted rape.
"Although St. John's requests that students inform school personnel if beatings occur, it subsequently tells the Disciplinarians which individuals reported the beatings," the suit states. "It is commonly known throughout the school that if a student reports any beatings, he will suffer significant retribution."
The lawsuit also claims that if parents contact the school about abuse, that information is passed on to the Disciplinarians, "which results in additional abuse."
Gagged and beaten
One plaintiff, who attended St. John's in the spring of 2011, claims in the lawsuit that he was bound, gagged and beaten by several students, with photos posted to Facebook, forced to roll in mud, and then urinated on in the shower by several students.
Another plaintiff claims he attempted to leave the school and hitch-hike home and was apprehended by several students and a ranking faculty member on a highway. While being driven back to the school, he alleges that he was beaten, hooded and beaten again in the presence of the faculty member.
Another claims he was sent to the hospital with a broken eye socket after being kneed in the face by a ranking cadet.
Making up stories
In every case, the lawsuit claims, parents were told the cadets were exaggerating or making up stories because they wanted to go home.
Zmijewski said he filed a lawsuit against St. John's several years ago over similar allegations made by two cadets who are brothers; that case was settled.
"This case is similar, the same kind of allegations," Zmijewski said. "I don't think the school is going to be shocked by this."
In all, he said, St. John's has settled nine such cases since 2006.
Not the first suits
In 2004, two cadets claimed in lawsuits that they were beaten by fellow cadets.
In one case, a 14-year-old cadet claimed that he had his hands and feet bound with tape and was beaten with broomsticks and coat hangers, allegedly for breaking his marching rifle.
In a separate suit, a 15-year-old cadet claimed that he was choked unconscious and had his jaw fractured and teeth knocked out due to beating from a group of fellow cadets.
That boy received substantial medical reconstructive treatment, plastic surgery and dental implants due to the trauma he suffered, according a previous Journal story.
The Journal reported in 2004 that the suit alleged that cadets were forced to take part in beating other boys in order to avoid being beaten themselves.
-- Reporter Mike Strand can be reached at 822-1418 or by email at mstrand@salina.com.
Copyright © 2012 Salina Journal and MediaSpan
Ursus:
A fraternity of SJMS apologists tries to defend the good name of their alma mater by attacking the alleged victims. Good one.
Might they have learned at least some of this honorable behavior ... while ensconced in the hallowed halls of St. John's?
:dose:
Comments left for the above article, "Ex-St. John's cadets claim they were beaten" (by Michael Strand, 3/14/2012, Salina Journal), #s 1-20:
Michael Lynn Carroll · Wednesday at 7:07am
NO WAY....St. John's Military School. They are such RICH outstanding young men.Kimberly Rodriguez Trigg · Kansas State University · Wednesday at 1:27pm
Really? Really? It's sad really sad that these kids had to go through this type of abuse, these kids that took part in the beatings are being shown that this behavior is ok.Reddit TroubledTeens · Wednesday at 2:59pm
It sounds like the abuse at St. John's Military School is systematic and has been going on for decades. In 2004 it came out that the abuse had been happening for 10 years, there were 28 cases of abuse reported, and now this is the tenth lawsuit against St. John's! More info & links to articles here: viewtopic.php?f=49&t=39191&p=415084#p415084.[/list]
Reddit TroubledTeens · Wednesday at 8:58pm
Rex Scates Whups, yes, the link I gave you would've required you to scroll up for more info, sorry I meant to give the main link--but this one will require you to scroll down: viewtopic.php?f=49&t=39191&start=0
Within that thread, it says:
Source KWCH-TV (Wichita, KS)
State KS
Year 2004
"This KWCH investigation revealed a 10-year pattern of abuse at a Kansas military school. A tip from a former employee of the school prompted the TV station to FOIA police records, which noted 28 cases of abuse including boys being beaten with broomsticks, burned with lighters and kicked repeatedly."
source: http://www.ire.org/resource-center/stories/21860
The article above says "St. John's has settled nine such cases since 2006."
Thanks for asking for more info. Yes, I would think the authorities would be all over this place, it's unfathomable that KS lets St. John's stay open this long.[/list]
Patrick Harden · Oklahoma State University · Wednesday at 10:20pm
Reddit TroubledTeens SJMS is a great institution. Yeah, it sucked, but we all had to deal with it. It was very common for cadets to create fanatical stories in order to leave the school, I did it myself too during my first year. Some cadets will just go to extraordinary lengths to leave, and this article is a representation of it.Reddit TroubledTeens · Thursday at 7:42am
Patrick Harden Thanks for sharing your experience. I've been studying places like St. John's for about a year now and ten lawsuits against a single facility is a lot. Does St. John's require cadets who have been there longer to supervise newer cadets? Why do kids want to leave so badly they are willing to say or do anything?Rex Scates · Top Commenter · Owner-Operator at BC Marketplace and Almost Forever Jewelry · Thursday at 8:22am
Reddit TroubledTeens look up JROTC its part of the program that occurs at JROTC programs they are required to supervisor lower 'ranked" kids. yes in many public highschools across the USA in JROTC supervise lower ranked kids. Yes they are not boarding schools but the idea is still the same. If you want to be a leader (higher ranked" you are required to "supervise" lower ranked kids. FYI this supervising is overseen by adults who are around all the time. supervise is in " ". Now ROTC in college they are all adults so no adult supervision except by real military people who train those ROTC leaders in college. But the idea is the sameHeath Holmes · Manager at Maverick Enrgy LLC · Thursday at 5:05pm
I was there for two years and I am one of these disaplanaries I supervised about 30 kids of lower rank. The worst punishment a kid was ever given on my watch was push UPS and marching circles on their Saturdays. And yes I was around all the time cause I lived ate and slept in the same place as some of these kids. Hell you wanna know why kids want out and will do anything to get out? Cause its not like home were you do what you want and get away with murder. I caught a kid shoving a lightbulb up his ass and stopped him while reporting it to adults his reason was he was going to tell his parents he was raped so he could leave cause that's the only equipment he could go home. I've toured the new dorms and the is no plqce in there that is not under video watch and adult supervision. These allegations agaisnt sjms are 110% false qnd I have 1000 other cadets who will agree[/list]
Reddit TroubledTeens · Wednesday at 3:15pm
People should know that abuse like this is happening in teen modification centers all over the country. There are 10,000-100,000 kids being held in facilities designed to 'break' them. It's a billion-dollar industry with big politicians profiting (Romney, Santorum). More info here: http://www.reddit.com/r/troubledteens/c ... _like_most.[/list]
Allen Von · St. Johns · Wednesday at 5:34pm
WOW! this is ridiculous.Edward Durney · Marcus High School · Wednesday at 5:48pm
yeah of course cadets at st john's piss on other cadets i mean that's the only logical explanation!Jonah Comeaux · SJMS · Wednesday at 8:10pm
Its amazing what the outside world thinks about St. Johns, kids are just exxagerating this crap and its funny how the outside world beleives it.[/list]
Connor Dempsey · Wednesday at 5:54pm
Kids will say anything to leave... And what the hell is a disciplinarain??John Panda RB Sun · Wednesday at 6:01pm
thats fucking bullshitMerrick Tgod Best · Houston, Texas · Wednesday at 6:03pm
WhaaaatAllen Von · St. Johns · Wednesday at 6:28pm
The reporter's formal way of calling cadet staffsConnor Dempsey · Wednesday at 9:50pm
that reporter is dumb... Kids will b kids, but tgeres dedenately more violence at any other public school.[/list]
Dean Perez · Wednesday at 8:05pm
haha too funnny I fucked so many kids up there lol.Dillon Ash · Wednesday at 8:08pm
rofl!!!! xD theyre talking about you shean[/list]
Dylan Yohe · Fist Pumper at Club Karma · Wednesday at 8:59pm
Lmfao what they're sueing over happened like everyday :p
Copyright © 2012 Salina Journal and MediaSpan
Ursus:
Comments left for the above article, "Ex-St. John's cadets claim they were beaten" (by Michael Strand, 3/14/2012, Salina Journal), #s 21-40:
Ashton McKinney · Works at Truluck's · Wednesday at 9:01pm
Haahah thats hillariousWilliam Heath · Heath Motorsports and Automotive at Self · 8 hours ago
none of this is funny! in 1988 a kid wanted out so he grabbed a suger shaker and broke it on
my head, after i kicked his ass i went to the infurmery where i got sowed up by the time i got back that cadet was on the first plane home! three years later i was a senior cadet and we did not issue beatings,but we were allowed to give the troubled cadets motivational seminars which included running,push ups.tourz outside commandants office and house and extra duty. We didnt have all this bs these kidz were saying and u can ask all cadets then we had tough leadership. now they have cameras everywhere and cadets cannot discipline other cadets,all power has besn taken away and as such is a glorified prep school with rotc compared to my day!William Heath · Heath Motorsports and Automotive at Self · 8 hours ago
I know how new cadets r the push the rules and act like babies when they get caught! there has been hazing in every military academy in the us,the difference is in college its just part of it,but these kids in hi school well all im gonna say is do your duty,your school work,and keep ur room up and your good to go. screw up and your unit or squad pays the price just like the military.hello people its military school,this school is last stop for some,and in my case sjms looked great on my resume when i served with the special forces,so say what you will i feal sjms needs more discipline and its time for us old boys to straiten out sjms to bring it back to glory! get rid of profiles,implement push ups and sit ups and give the cadets power to run their corp! i love sjms/forever bleed oranve and black![/list]
Nick Z-Dro Zucker · Works at Being Poetic · Wednesday at 9:11pm
the kid who ran on the highway was picked up by the commandant and he was never touched whatsoevver hes just another lieing little pussy tryying to get back at st johns cuz in reality he was a piece of shit.Josh Harris · 12 hours ago
what i dont get is how do all of you talk about how you hate sjms and one day you'lll shut it down then someone tries and you sit there and guard the school like it's your home? and how do you know he wasn't touched? that was before you were on a.m.s....[/list]
Nick Payan · Wednesday at 9:42pm
No comment ^ but I was the best SDI ever! Just sayingKaleeb Steele · Wednesday at 11:31pm
These "allegations" are by far the stupidest things I've heard!!... hope these people lose their lawsuit!!Jonathon Daniel Frank · Forward Observer at United States Army · Thursday at 12:48am
When I was the BC, no such thing happened. Same when I was the CO of Bravo. These kids just want to leave. SJMS is hard to adjust to, and some people just can't take the pressure. I happily attended SJMS for 3 years, and will do whatever I can to defend such an excellent school against these allegations.Collin Cooper · Sales Associate at GO Toyota Scion Arapahoe · Thursday at 7:24am
Some bullshit! If only I had another 5 years at St johns! That place was home to many of us. It was only so sad for the kids that didn't want to follow the rules. Can't believe this shit.Kaleeb Steele · Thursday at 12:42pm
Agreed,! I had some hard times my first few weeks there, but i was NEVER to the extent of the B.S. I just read. Kinda pisses me off[/list]
Jesse Chisholm · Denver, Colorado · Thursday at 12:58am
RAT 4 LIFE! kids need to man the f@## up!Heath Holmes · Manager at Maverick Enrgy LLC · Thursday at 4:48am
The worst punishment I ever saw at sjms was pushups running and marching the grinder. These kids claims are completely bogus. It's not sjms fault that some kids can't deal with new places.Heath Holmes · Manager at Maverick Enrgy LLC · Thursday at 4:55am
Not to mention it would be impossible for any such beatings to go on. There are cameras in every inch of the place and adults patrolling nonstop. The have bruise checks once a week. You could not get away with slaping a kid without being seen. Id go to court for sjmsAnthony Peoples · Bellevue West Senior High School · Thursday at 10:02am
Holmes you know very well what went on at that school. I know from first hand exp.Heath Holmes · Manager at Maverick Enrgy LLC · Thursday at 10:59am
Get a clue ? I was there 2 years and I was one of these so called disaplanaries I was an Sdi the worst punishment I ever gave was pt[/list]
Spencer Gunn · University of Colorado at Boulder · Thursday at 8:05am
I am willing to testify against such crap!Francisco Puente · Mexico City, Mexico · Yesterday at 7:21am
Last August my son entered SJ for only one year. Immediately he openly hated the system, SJ conditions where by far tougher than he expected. Yesterday to our surprise, he told me he's considering the possibility to stay for another year! We could not believe it. It's obvious to me, once the kids adjust, SJ grows on them.George Lang · Enrolled for phlabotamy and athletic training · 10 hours ago
I was a cadet at sjms in the 1980s and never had any thing like that happen. kids ill bet hese boys just didn't like the idea of being told what to do all the time and want to ggeyt back at the school.George Lang · Enrolled for phlabotamy and athletic training · 10 hours ago
this old boy will gladly testifie on behalf of sjms.Daniel Ditto · 9 hours ago
I went to sjms from 1987 to 1995 and nne of this ever happened and am still very much involved with sjms and I wil ltestify in court on sjms behalf.
Copyright © 2012 Salina Journal and MediaSpan
Ursus:
From a statement issued by St. John's Military School:
"St. John's denies that there was a culture of abuse, lack of institutional control, failure to supervise or any kind of cover-up as alleged by the attorney for the parents who have sued"...[/list][/size]
When ya don't have anything more definitive or conclusive to say, just deny, deny, and deny some more...
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Salina Journal
St. John's says lawsuit claims are being investigated
3/15/2012
By the Salina Journal
Allegations of abuse of students contained in a lawsuit filed last week in federal court in Kansas City are being investigated, and attorneys for St. John's Military School will file a formal response to each allegation within days, according to a statement issued Tuesday by the school.
"St. John's denies that there was a culture of abuse, lack of institutional control, failure to supervise or any kind of cover-up as alleged by the attorney for the parents who have sued," the statement, issued in an email, said.
The lawsuit, which describes St. John's Military School as a place where experienced students - called "Disciplinarians" -- regularly abuse new students, was filed on behalf of four former cadets at the military school, who were identified only by their initials and the names of their parents. Two of the former students are from Colorado, and one each is from Texas and Illinois.
The suit alleges that the Disciplinarians beat the younger students at the school and that school administrators "conspire with certain students" to beat students who complained.
"St. John's is determined to defend itself against the allegations contained in the lawsuit and is confident that this matter will be properly and justly resolved through the legal system," the statement said.
Defendants named in the suit include St. John's, the Episcopal Church of the United States and the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, because of the school's church affiliation.
Wednesday afternoon the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas issued a statement saying its listing as a defendant in the lawsuit is inaccurate.
"The inclusion of the Diocese of Kansas is a mistake, since the school is not connected to this diocese but is instead associated with the Episcopal Diocese of Western Kansas," the diocese's statement said.
An attorney representing the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas has contacted the plaintiffs' attorney to ask that the filing be corrected, the statement said.
The lawsuit seeks a judgment in excess of $75,000, plus court costs and punitive damages, on each of several counts. The minimum amount required for a claim to be filed in federal court is $75,000.
St. John's, which was founded in 1887, has been "dedicated to the development of young men" for more than 120 years, according to the school's statement.
The school's "objective is to provide a rigorous academic environment, opportunity for religious introspection and structured campus life to help develop young men with the highest degree of self-discipline and self-confidence," the statement said.
Recently, the 123rd Corps of Cadets earned the highest Annual Formal Inspection score of any military school in the country from the U.S. Army Cadet Command, the statement said. The school is accredited by both the Kansas Department of Education and AdvancED.
Copyright © 2012 Salina Journal and MediaSpan
wdtony:
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
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