Federal class action lawsuit against Hyde School and Gauld family filed

[survivorami]

FULLER V HYDE SCHOOL ET AL

Just copying stuff from Reddit mostly

Federal Lawsuit filed against Hyde School and 5 members of the Gauld family several weeks ago (Laura Gauld, Malcolm Gauld, Laurie [Gauld] Hurd, Georgia ?Gigi? [Gauld] Macmillan, Donald Macmillan)

A federal lawsuit filed Friday details allegations of forced labor and emotional abuse at the nearly 60-year-old private boarding school in Bath that advertises a character-based education.

Updated lawsuit complaint (7-31-25): https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.med.68497/gov.uscourts.med.68497.6.0.pdf

Original lawsuit complaint (7-11-25): https://drive.proton.me/urls/N9TQ8ZHXJ0#ipOMVHbwOFbc

More info: https://www.reddit.com/r/troubledteens/s/vKA4Kjfcw1

From Reddit also, to join lawsuit see this post; https://www.reddit.com/r/troubledteens/s/PyNzQAfzzm


Track status of class action lawsuit against Hyde School - Fuller v Hyde School (and Gauld family)

You can track the status and download documents (for fees or subscription) on the case Fuller v Hyde School here: https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/58974468/FULLER_v_HYDE_SCHOOL_et_al

You can also try looking up Fuller v Hyde School on  https://pacer.uscourts.gov/find-case but you may need to register an account.

As of right now I think the courts still have to certify it as a class action suit.

You can get almost all of the PACER documents for free (legally) with RECAP here: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70764936/fuller-v-hyde-school/

Edit: I think you might need to download the extension for it to work, but that's at the bottom of the page here: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/


ARTICLES:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/hyde-boarding-school-accused-abusing-035900937.html

https://www.pressherald.com/2025/07/11/hyde-boarding-school-accused-of-abusing-students-forcing-them-into-manual-labor/

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/courts-news/hyde-school-bath-maine-lawsuit-abuse-allegations-hidden-curriculum/97-ca1c5caa-d075-4aad-919b-22fbaac7c335

Hyde?s lawyer?s response: https://www.reddit.com/r/troubledteens/s/pOuLfpkryI

Justice Law Collaborative press release on the lawsuit: https://www.justicelawcollaborative.com/newsandupdates/justice-law-collaborative-and-island-justice-law-file-class-action-lawsuit-against-hyde-school-maine

YouTube: https://youtu.be/IazSTucGqQc?

https://youtu.be/4xlSZ6JmtBw?

https://youtu.be/0dxXQ6_u7GY?

https://youtu.be/9Dgahh4mfVc?

Hyde school reviews  https://yelp.to/4K4PGbtVIZ

[survivorami]

Updates; complaint/summons docs, from Reddit:

Hyde School Federal Lawsuit - Updates

**Amended Complaint against Hyde School and Summons for Defendants - Updates as of 8/11/25**

**FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT:** [**https://www.scribd.com/document/900407208/Fuller-v-Hyde-School-Civil-Action-No-2-25-cv-00354**](https://www.scribd.com/document/900407208/Fuller-v-Hyde-School-Civil-Action-No-2-25-cv-00354)

**SUMMONS:** [**https://www.scribd.com/document/900421993/Fuller-v-Hyde-School-Laura-Gauld-Summons**](https://www.scribd.com/document/900421993/Fuller-v-Hyde-School-Laura-Gauld-Summons)

**SUMMONS:** [**https://www.scribd.com/document/900421990/Fuller-v-Hyde-School-Laurie-Gauld-Hurd-Summons**](https://www.scribd.com/document/900421990/Fuller-v-Hyde-School-Laurie-Gauld-Hurd-Summons)

**SUMMONS:** [**https://www.scribd.com/document/900421989/Fuller-v-Hyde-School-Donald-MacMillan-Summons**](https://www.scribd.com/document/900421989/Fuller-v-Hyde-School-Donald-MacMillan-Summons)

**SUMMONS:**
**https://www.scribd.com/document/900465362/Fuller-v-Hyde-School-Malcolm-Gauld-Summons**

**SUMMONS:** [**https://www.scribd.com/document/900421992/Fuller-v-Hyde-School-Georgia-Gauld-MacMillan-Summons**](https://www.scribd.com/document/900421992/Fuller-v-Hyde-School-Georgia-Gauld-MacMillan-Summons)

Edit: The last two Summons links may not be working, so please see the reply section for direct uploads of those missing

https://www.reddit.com/r/troubledteens/s/wRBLWlCuBr

Summary:

Jessica Fuller, a former student, has filed a First Amended Individual and Class Action Complaint against Hyde School in Bath, Maine and five members of the Gauld family, who have run the school for decades.

The lawsuit alleges that Hyde operated as a family-controlled enterprise built on:
? Forced labor of minors ? including shoveling snow, digging holes, landscaping staff and Gauld family homes, cleaning bathrooms without protective gear, and maintaining remote properties like Seguin Island and the Eustis wilderness site.
? Coercive punishments ? programs like ?Brother?s Keeper? (peer surveillance), ?Work Crew,? ?5:30? (forced exercise), and ?2-4? (isolation, food restriction, unpaid manual labor). ? Emotional and physical abuse ? attack therapy sessions, public humiliation, verbal degradation, and, in some cases, physical restraint or assault.
? Deceptive marketing ? portraying these practices as ?character development? while concealing their punitive and exploitative nature from families and the public.

The proposed class includes all former students meeting certain age/date criteria who were subjected to forced labor at Hyde. Claims include violations of federal and Maine human trafficking laws, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and more.

Fuller?s complaint seeks:
? Monetary damages (statutory, compensatory, punitive, back pay for unpaid labor)
? Injunctive relief (ending forced labor, preserving assets, preventing destruction of records).
? Class certification to pursue relief for all affected former students.

If successful, the case could lead to significant financial judgments and operational restrictions on Hyde School, and may set precedent for holding similar institutions accountable.

[survivorami]

Source: https://www.justicelawcollaborative.com/newsandupdates/justice-law-collaborative-and-island-justice-law-file-class-action-lawsuit-against-hyde-school-maine

PRESS RELEASE: Justice Law Collaborative and Island Justice Law File Class Action Lawsuit Against Hyde School (Maine) Alleging Abuse, Neglect, and Forced Labor

Boarding School Founding Family Members Laura Gauld, Malcolm Gauld, Georgia Gauld Macmillan, Malcolm Macmillan, and Laurie Gauld Hurd Named in Complaint

BOSTON, Mass. (July 11, 2025)  ? Justice Law Collaborative (JLC), along with co-counsel Island Justice Law, today filed a federal class action lawsuit against Hyde School (Hyde), a Maine-based private, college preparatory boarding school for teenagers in grades 9-12. The lawsuit exposes deeply troubling allegations of child abuse, neglect, and forced labor used to control and exploit vulnerable students under the guise of ?character development? and ?innovative education?.

The class action lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maine, is supported by dozens of former Hyde students who allege they were trafficked, abused, and exploited through a systemic scheme orchestrated by the school?s founding family, the Gaulds. While marketed as a character-building program for struggling teens, Hyde instead operated a coercive, punitive system that prioritized profit and control over education and care.

Further, the promised academic curriculum was minimal and frequently led by unqualified staff with little to no tenure. Former Hyde students report spending more time performing forced labor than receiving formal classroom instruction as their families paid tens of thousands of dollars annually in tuition under false promises of specialized and innovative education. The lawsuit further alleges that Hyde?s polished marketing concealed a stark and troubling reality in which students were denied basic necessities, prevented from obtaining needed medical attention, and existed within a punitive disciplinary environment consisting of constant surveillance, interrogation, lost food privileges, lost access to family contact, manual labor in extreme weather conditions without protective gear, and threats of violence, isolation and restraint.

Kelly Guagenty, troubled teen industry attorney and partner of Justice Law Collaborative said, ?The Hyde survivors who have come forward en masse have shown extraordinary strength in recounting painful experiences that shaped the course of their lives. There was little, if any, individualized education or character development - only systematic manipulation and coercion designed to extract free labor while maximizing tuition payments. To date, neither the Hyde School nor the Gauld family has taken responsibility for the harm our clients allege they suffered.?
The Gauld family, who founded Hyde nearly six decades ago, have run the school as a profitable, tightly-controlled family enterprise. Family members have played a collaborative role within the systematic recruitment, manipulation, and exploitation of students, while basking in the financial benefits generated by Hyde?s operations. Additionally, multiple family members have held, or continue to hold, key executive positions at the facility. Malcolm Gauld currently serves as Executive Director. His wife, Laura Gauld, currently serves as president and Head of School.

?Families of students sent to Hyde were sold a bill of goods,? continued Guagenty. ?They were told their children would receive a life-changing education, unconditional acceptance, and a safe environment focused on building character rather than breaking students down. That narrative, supplied by Hyde, is the exact opposite of what class members experienced.? 
Class members have consistently and repeatedly reported that Hyde abused students emotionally, physically, and psychologically to break down their sense of self and to ensure compliance. Students were subjected to constant surveillance, placed in isolation, denied food, slammed into walls, choked, and pushed to the ground by Hyde staff. Instead of attending classes, those who did not ?comply? were placed in isolation, put on food restriction, and forced to complete manual labor both around and off campus. Other non-compliance tactics included forced exercise to the point of vomiting and collapse, in freezing conditions, and regardless of physical injury, broken bones, or illness. Notable examples include forcing a student with a broken hip, sustained in a car accident, to run (causing further, life-long injury) and another student to do sit-ups in dog feces without an allowance to shower or change clothes once said punishment concluded.

?We stand beside these survivors and will advocate for them with the utmost care, integrity, and respect,? continued Guagenty. ?Their pursuit of justice is not only personal but part of a broader effort to expose and end institutional abuse that has remained hidden for far too long.?
About Justice Law Collaborative

Justice Law Collaborative (JLC), with offices in California and Massachusetts, embodies the highest level of professional, trauma-informed legal expertise in social justice and advocacy. Owned and led entirely by women, the firm has represented athletes abused by Olympic coach Larry Nassar, teenagers tormented by hostile, uncertified schools parading as therapy-based programs for troubled teens, and has represented consumers and patients harmed by corporate greed and negligence, specifically the pharmaceutical, reproductive medicine, and tobacco industries. JLC attorneys have extensive experience in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, wrongful death, medical malpractice, reproductive rights, sexual assault and abuse, and personal injury cases. Additionally, the firm is dedicated to legislative reform, spearheading efforts to modify statutes of limitations and enact new laws to protect the innocent and to provide proper financial and judicial remedies to victims. Justice Law Collaborative was ranked a 2025 Best Law Firm by Best Lawyers?, and firm partners have been named to Massachusetts Super Lawyer? and Best Lawyers? lists for multiple, consecutive years. After a duo of mergers in January (Yaeger Law) and June (KBM Law) of 2025, Justice Law Collaborative became the largest, all-women-owned and led plaintiffs? firm in the country, with attorneys admitted to practice in California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Texas. More information about the firm and its far-reaching results can be found at: www.justicelawcollaborative.com.

###

Media contact: Wendy Agudelo; wendy@imageprofessors.com
UPDATES:

NewsCenter Maine: The Hyde School?s 'hidden curriculum': Former students allege decades of undercover abuse; July 11, 2025  https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/courts-news/hyde-school-bath-maine-lawsuit-abuse-allegations-hidden-curriculum/97-ca1c5caa-d075-4aad-919b-22fbaac7c335

Portland Press Herald: Hyde boarding school accused of abusing students, forced manual labor; July 11, 2025. https://www.pressherald.com/2025/07/11/hyde-boarding-school-accused-of-abusing-students-forcing-them-into-manual-labor/

Bangor Daily News: Former student accuses Maine boarding school of forced labor in lawsuit; July 13, 2025 https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/07/12/midcoast/midcoast-education/former-student-accuses-maine-boarding-school-of-forced-labor-in-lawsuit/

WGAN/560AM: Lawsuit Claims Abuse, Forced Labor at Bath College Prep School; July 13, 2025
https://wgan.com/news/074470-lawsuit-claims-abuse-forced-labor-at-bath-college-prep-school/

WMTW-8: Former student sues Maine boarding school, alleging forced child labor; July 14, 2025
https://www.wmtw.com/article/former-student-sues-maine-boarding-school-alleging-forced-child-labor/65404063

[survivorami]

From Reddit:

For those following the lawsuit against Hyde School, here?s a detailed breakdown of Jessica Fuller?s First Amended Individual and Class Action Complaint ? now with key direct quotes from the filing itself.

Who is being sued?
Hyde School in Bath, Maine, and five members of the Gauld family: Laura Gauld, Malcolm Gauld, Georgia ?Gigi? Gauld MacMillan, Donald MacMillan, and Laurie Gauld Hurd. The complaint says they have ?operated Hyde as a coordinated enterprise? for decades, ?sharing both decision-making authority and financial benefits.?

Allegations about the founder?s legacy: The complaint cites founder Joseph Gauld?s own writings as evidence of an abusive philosophy. In a 1973 column titled Slap May Be Just What Child Needs, Gauld bragged about calling a 16-year-old ?a brat,? slapping her three times, and threatening to throw her in a pond if she didn?t apologize.

In another column, The Black ?I-Q?, he questioned ?why would the black man have the same ?I.Q.? as a white?? and wrote that whites were ?more developed in some intellectual areas, particularly academics.?

The filing says Hyde ?maintained continued reverence for his abusive philosophy? even after public controversies and that his ?racist, misogynistic, and abusive? views ?became and remain foundational to Hyde?s operations.?

Core abusive systems described:

?   ⁠Brother?s Keeper ? Students were required to report others? infractions, with failure to do so resulting in the same punishment. Malcolm Gauld warned that those who didn?t report would ?find themselves in the same disciplinary boat.?
?   ⁠Work Crew / 2-4 ? Punitive unpaid labor, sometimes in ?extreme weather conditions,? including ?shoveling snow from all walkways,? ?clearing out the Hyde school basement that had visible signs stating asbestos was present,? and ?landscaping staff members? homes, including? Gauld family members? homes.?
?   ⁠Attack therapy ? ?Students often sat in a circle while staff and peers screamed verbal attacks at them? and were ?forced to admit traumatizing and embarrassing facts to their peers, often from a stage to a large group.?
?   ⁠Harsh punishments ? ?Students were forced to run on broken toes, with shin splints, in freezing conditions, and even with untreated asthma attacks.? Others were made to ?exercise in sync in the middle of the night, in the snow, without gloves or coats,? and those who fell out of sync ?were often punished, and the group could not stop until exercise was completed in sync for a set period of time.?
?   ⁠Deprivation ? Students on 2-4 were ?forbidden from speaking,? ?isolated from other students,? and put on ?severe food restrictions, such as being limited to just peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.? .

Labor benefiting Hyde and the Gauld family: The complaint says students ?maintained wilderness properties? while clearing brush, building structures, and cleaning paths.?
On Seguin Island, ?Hyde students? built a stone walkway from the beach? and ?cleared brush, moved boulders, and other hard labor? which Defendants profited from by offering it as a campground and summer activity to prospective students.?
At the Eustis property, students were ?forced to camp? without adequate clothes or food,? given only ?a few handfuls of trail mix per day,? and made to ?sleep in the snow for days? while building and maintaining facilities Hyde used to market its programs.

The plaintiff?s own experience:
Fuller reports she was ?physically restrained with excessive force,? forced to exercise while sick or injured ?to the point of further injury, collapse, and vomiting,? and denied prescribed psychiatric medication during a mental health crisis.
She says she was ?surveilled? including during private moments such as using the bathroom or showering? and ?required to work under threat of physical and emotional harm, deprivation of food and housing, and further forced labor without pay,? including ?cleaning toilets with bleach while sick? and ?pushing and pulling heavy wheelbarrows for long periods of time.?

Legal claims include:

?   ⁠Violations of federal human trafficking and forced labor laws (18 U.S.C. ?? 1584, 1589, 1590, 1594, 1595, 2255).
?   ⁠Violations of Maine?s human trafficking law (5 M.R.S. ? 4701). ?   ⁠Negligence, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress
?   ⁠Negligent hiring, retention, and supervision. ?   ⁠Premises liability. .

What Fuller and the class seek:

?   ⁠Damages ? statutory ($150,000 per violation minimum under ? 2255), compensatory, punitive, back pay for unpaid labor.
?   ⁠Injunctive relief ? stop forced labor, preserve assets, prevent destruction of records, require financial disclosure.
?   ⁠Class certification ? to represent all former students meeting certain age/date criteria.

. The complaint sums up its core argument bluntly: Hyde?s program wasn?t ?character development? ? it was ?a system deliberately designed to extract unpaid labor and suppress dissent? from vulnerable minors, while enriching its leadership.


The lawsuit doesn?t just cover Jessica Fuller ? it?s filed as a class action, meaning she?s asking the court to let her represent two groups of former students.

Primary Class
This is the main group. It covers:

?   ⁠All former Hyde students who were subjected to forced labor
AND
?   ⁠Either (1) that forced labor happened on or after July 12, 2015
      OR
?   ⁠(2) they were minors when it happened and are still under age 28 as of July 11, 2025.

(That cutoff date is tied to legal deadlines under the federal trafficking laws.)

Subclass
This is basically everyone else. It covers:

?   ⁠All other former Hyde students who were subjected to forced labor at Hyde
BUT
?   ⁠Who don?t fit into the Primary Class definition (for example, their forced labor happened too far back in time, or they?re older than 28 now).
.
What this means in practice:
?   ⁠The Primary Class has the strongest legal claims under the federal statutes and could be entitled to larger damages.
?   ⁠The Subclass still gets representation and can pursue claims, but they may have to rely more on state law or different remedies.
.
So in short:
?   ⁠Primary Class = more recent victims and/or those who were still minors and young enough under the law
?   ⁠Subclass = older or earlier victims who were still subjected to the same forced labor practices


Here?s what each of the 16 counts in Jessica Fuller?s amended complaint against Hyde School boils down to, in everyday language:

Count 1 ? Involuntary Servitude
They kept kids working against their will through threats, punishments, and control over every aspect of their lives.

Count 2 ? Forced Labor
They got kids to do unpaid work by scaring, shaming, and punishing them ? not letting them say no.

Count 3 ? Trafficking for Labor
They brought kids to the school under false promises, then used them for free labor that made the school money.

Count 4 ? Maine Human Trafficking Law
They broke state law by forcing minors to work in unsafe and punishing conditions, including at remote locations.

Count 5 ? Civil Claim for Minor Victims
Because the victims were under 18, each act of forced labor could mean at least $150,000 in damages.

Count 6 ? Attempted Forced Labor
Even if some acts weren?t completed, they planned and took steps to make kids work under threat.

Count 7 ? Conspiracy to Commit Forced Labor
They worked together, as a family-run operation, to force kids to work and to hide what they were doing.

Count 8 ? Personal Responsibility for Forced Labor
Each Gauld family member was directly involved in and benefitted from the forced labor.

Count 9 ? Personal Responsibility for Harm to Minors
Each Gauld family member knew minors were being forced to work and did nothing to stop it.

Count 10 ? Conspiring Personally
Each Gauld family member personally joined the plan to force kids to work and keep it secret.

Count 11 ? Negligence & Emotional Harm
The school failed its duty to protect students, ignored abuse, and caused severe emotional harm.

Count 12 ? Personal Negligence & Emotional Harm
Each Gauld family member personally failed to protect students in their care and caused harm.

Count 13 ? Intentional Emotional Harm
They deliberately acted in extreme and cruel ways that caused serious emotional damage.

Count 14 ? Bad Hiring and Supervision
They hired, kept, and failed to supervise staff who harmed students.

Count 15 ? Unsafe Premises
They allowed the school environment to be unsafe and to enable abuse.

Count 16 ? Court Orders to Stop Abuse & Preserve Assets
They want the court to stop forced labor at Hyde, freeze assets so they can?t be hidden, and make sure evidence isn?t destroyed.