This testimony, by Amber Lee, took place at and around the same time I contacted her about my objections to my boys placement at Dundee.
It begins with her being sworn in. It is in the custody case between XXXXXX V. XXXXXX. This is on July 19, 2002.
Mr. Johnson: The Petitioner calls Ms. Amber Lee Knight to the stand.
The Court: Please raise your right hand. AMBER LEE KNIGHT, being duly sworn was examined and testified as follows:
The Court: Okay. Please be seated. State your name, and its important to speak up so everyone can hear you.
The Witness: All right. My name is Amber Lee Knight.
The Court: How do you spell Amberl?
...Yada Yada Yada...
By Mr. Johnson:
Q. Ms. Knight, please describe your background.
A. I have a bachelor's degree in chemistry and history education, and I have taught high school for two years. I also have a master's in international government focusing on -- it's socioeconomic government.
The Court: Where are your degrees from?
The Witness: Brigham Young Universtiy, your Honor.
The Court: In Provo?
The Witness: Yes.
A. I had become invovled by working as a consultant in Washington...
The Court: What was the question?
Mr. Johnson: Your Honor we had taken a break...
The Court: No. Let's have your question.
Q. (By Mr. Johnson) Where are you employed?
A. I am employed at the academy. It's Dundee Ranch, Ortino, Costa Rica.
Q. How did you become employed by the academy?
A. I worked as a consultant in Washington,D.C and took assignment there, a ten-week assignment to guide the accredidation process. At that time I...after about 6 weeks I worked there they offered me a job as director, and because I had seen the amazing results, just fabulous changes in the kids' lives I decided to stay.
Q. Could you please briefly describe your duties as director at the academy.
A. Yeah. It's director of the academy. I... I am in charge of day to day operations including medical, acadmic, communication, employees, all of those things with the kids. I spend a lot of time with the individual also, and because that's something that I c hoose to do because I care about them.
Q. Do your duties bring you into direct contact with (the child invovled in this custody despute)
A. Yes they do. I spend about a three to five hours a week with her in group, and then about 15 minutes to about two hours depending on the week individually talking to her.
Q. What kinds of activities do you do with Ms. XXXXX?
A. We do yoga together. Iread the kids bedtime stories sometimes. We've talked individually. We've talked in a group setting. I listen to other girls given her...
The Court: Slow down. It's okay.
A. I listen to other girls giving her feedback. I've helped her in the school work.
Q. Has she had the opportunity or have you had the opportunity to directly discuss (the childs) feelings with her about her progress in the school work
A. Yes I have. From the first week that I was there until now I've been listening to her as she describes her relationship with her parents, both her father and her mother.
Q. Could you please briefly tell the Court what your observations have been.
A. (The Child) views her mother as a person...
Ms. Heard: Your Honor, I'm going to object. It's hearsay from (the child), what she thinks.
The Court: Okay. Sustained.
Mr. Johnson: Thank you , your honor.
Q. (By Mr. Johnson) Let's move on. Could you please describe briefly this program to the Court so the Court has an understanding of what the program is about.
Mr. Johnson: And I will probably refer the Court to Exhibit 1.
The Witness: Yes.
Q. (by Mr. Johnson) First of all, who prepared Exhibit 1?
A. I prepared it.
Q. And is it an accurate and truthful reflection of statements of progress through the program?
A. Yes, it is.
Q. Okay, okay. First of all, the academy at Dundee Ranch is an affiliate school of a worldwide association of specialty schools and programs?
A. We have over 20 years of experience, 2,000 students currently, but thousands of students who have successfully completed the program, and we have ten facilities worldwide. So this program has been in development for the last 20 years. We...its based on a self-directed merit system where kids can go through the levels and as they progress through levels they receive increased privilieges, rewards for their appropriate behaviour.
The majority of our students are not students who have severe drug and alcholo addiction issues, but the majority of the kids who are master manipulators. They're kids who know how to manipulate whatever situation they are in, including the staff sometimes, but usually...but they are master manipulators, getting what they want instead of getting...getting out of the situation. What we found in our experience is that the problem generally lies in the breakdown of family structure.
So our program is specifically designed to not only help the student overcome their negative behaviours, but also the family. And, if you look at Exhibit 1 what you'll see is...we have a series of emotional growth seminars to go through...the kids go through and that the adults go through, also. And then once they both have tools of accountabiltiy, learning how to take accountability with actions, dealing with integrity, having relationships for themselves and other people, and...mostly it is about accountability. What we do is bring them together, the phone calls, and in parent/child seminars.
In fact, in order to graudate the program we require that the parents go through one individual seminar, and then the three other seminars, the parent/child 1, 2 and 3. The program as I have said I've seen amazing results. Kids who graduate the program...I believe a proper witness brought this up...kids that graudate the program have a 92 percent rate, meaning they are not going back into old habits. Again, I want to stress these are not hardened criminals. These are kids that are good manipulators in situations and have behavioral problems.
And, 50 percent are out of school, soley for school issues, not for drugs or alcohol.
She goes on to discuss the sucess rate. Amber Lee is discussing nonrecidivism as it relates to kids leaving the program at the different levels.
She continues on about the education the kids receive.
Just a little more that I found interesting:
The Court: Has she been having any psychlogical problems that nec...let's say, in the last month or 6 months, that necessitated any intervention?
The Witness: NO, she has not. We...the Chrislers requested a psychological evaluation. I beleive I don't have a copy of that. But she...she's...she misses home just like any normal person. I mean, I miss home. I do. We all miss home. It's my opinion that this is the best thing for her as a child.
[ This Message was edited by: Carey on 2003-12-28 09:37 ]