criminal negligence

[Anonymous]

From what you say any crimes that may have been committed by employees or residents at Elan happened 15+ years ago.  I have no knowledge whatsoever regarding policies and procedures of the judicial system in the state of Maine, however if it operates like every other state in this union there are statutes of limitation preventing prosecution of most crimes past a certain number of years. So... if you were not a victim of a crime or a witness to a crime, just take these accusations as stories people tell about people they were hurt by.  If you were a victim or witness to a crime committed at Elan than you have a civil and moral duty to report the crime to the proper authorities, hopefully initiating an investigation and perhaps prosecution.  I also hope that you have sought out or are currently involved in dealing with these issues with a professional in therapy.
Keep in mind, without substantial convincing evidence or testimony it would be a simple task for Elan to discredit any one of us!  They have incident books, staff reports, progress notes etc. describing in detail the events leading up to our admission and the type of behavior we displayed while we were residents.
In conclusion...  If you are spreading lies and rumors about people and or events from the past please stop... It is making me sick, I would prefer to keep my present thoughts and conversations on Elan about the friends I made, and where I would be now if I had not been sent to that boarding school in the middle of nowhere... not about how miserable I was or what crazy things I saw.  For me, Elan is in the past and I will not allow myself to be controlled by feelings of resentment, anger, sadness etc.  If you were hurt, or the victim of a crime while at Elan you have my deepest sympathy and I hope you have been able to put some type of closure on the experience; if not, get yourself some therapy.  I have found that in dealing with Elan-related issues I am able to find peace in conversations with OBJECTIVE past residents and alumni.

Stop dwelling on the past!  Everyone here seems so angry...  Why?  Do you still allow events from your past, the worst time of your life control you today?

[Anonymous]

That is the healthiest thing I have seen abyone say all year,

[Anonymous]

Why don?t you shut your man sucker and go back to the Alumni site? You guys are F-ed up.  It?s people like you that should keep your bogus, self-affirmations, RAH-RAH SIS BOOM BAH, YAY ELAN, Delusional crap to your selves.
The crimes that where committed there (Élan) where by irresponsible ADULTS who where entrusted with the welfare, child development and care of abandoned, troubled and confused CHILDREN. Children that came from Poor uneducated backgrounds, Middle to Upper Class families who had been dispatched to Élan as if it were there salvation.
The crimes that where committed at Élan by it?s Staff, and where encouraged to perpetrate, by a Joe ?Dr. Moreau? Ricci, where heinous and inexcusable.  Unfortunately, there are things like Statutes of limitations, for Civil and Criminal Acts.  Unfortunate, children do not have the same Constitutional safeguards, afforded Adults, in most cases, that could have protected those of us that were victims of this diabolical Psycho-Socio experiment to see who they could fuck up and who they could save.

Horary for you! You were a member of Control Group A -  the resident/Patient/victim/experimental subject member/ALUMNI that was dealt with fairly, who?s educational and sociological and developmental needs where taken into consideration. You came out on top and everything in life has worked out great for you.  Your not  in Prison, fighting with mental Illness, a drug addiction, dead or worst of all --  became an abusive MONSTER, that has gone on to abuse people that are weaker than you.  Because my delusional friend that?s where I believe the people that were not as fortunate as you and the rest of the Alumni jack Asses are.

Those who were in Control Group B the ?Dispensable? people who?s fears, insecurities, mental illnesses were only made worse by the verbal and physical abuses, that were real and perpetuated by people they were FORCED to trust. People that came from an environment that was abusive -- to a condition that was harsher and more abusive, and didn?t give anyone slack for having low self-esteem or being a victim of there environment. Case in point ? I was in a house with a girl that cut-up all the time ? she was about 13 or 14 years old and was always ?playing games? with the boys.  She would hurt herself all the time and break down and act out ? we had to always restrain this girl because you never knew what was going to go down. One time in groups I found out what her story was. She had been Sexually abused by her Grand Father, whom she trusted and was told to love, from age 4 to 12. This poor girl would constantly be wearing L.Es that said ?please confront me as to why I?m a WHORE?. GMs with 20- 50 screaming douche bags (residents and staff) calling her all kinds of F-ed up stuff.  This, my delusional comrade was not THERAPUTIC it was mean, damaging and senseless.

Therefore, even after all these years ? the crimes were committed. They may not have been indicted and found guilty by a jury, but they still know what they did and have to look in the mirror, at themselves, every day.  Look at O.J! Found not guilty ? yet everyone calls him a MURDERER ? funny how that works.  Only thing is the truth is a complete defense to defamation. So I challenge anyone who was an Élan Staff member, past or present, to deny any claim, which was made in regards to their reported bad acts against a former resident of Élan.

This site is for those parents who are thinking of sending their most valued possession, their child, to a place that has history of abuse. However, this history is not recorded and criminal prosecution has never occurred. Why? ? Maybe because it?s all about the $$$$$$ that place generates for a state that almost went belly up a couple years ago and almost needed Government assistance to stay operational.  So to you and the rest of the Alumni who have obviously forgotten he reality of ELAN ? and are walking through life like it?s a friggin Disney Movie.  Shut up and don?t let the door hit you in the ass while you leaving this site.

Disclaimer ? I don?t have any proof of conspiracy at Élan, but it doesn?t take a genius with an I.Q of 70 (legally retarded in Maine and on the Alumni site) to do the math

[Anonymous]

Man, you just don't get it ... It's not "Let sleeping dogs lay", it's more like "GET A FRIGGING LIFE".

I visit the Alum regularly and we do not champian elan. we simply accept it as part of our lives, good or bad, and get on with it.

That's all. nothing more, nothing less.

Time to dust off your knickers and get back in the game.

You should drop by the Alum chat room sometime and see what it's really about.

'Nuff said.

Later

[Anonymous]

Gee, Maybe Elans torturous demons will hire a better lawyer than Micheal Sherman, although its not a secret that hiring him is much the same as hiring F Lee Bailey or Johnny Cochran...a mere ADMISSION of guilt.

I was in Elan for 27 months, and really dont recall anything that would be considered a "crime". That certainly doesnt negate the claims of others that crimes actually happened there...I guess the question is, is it really worth the effort to rehash all the shit to bring a handfull of people to "justice" for allowing two kids to duke it out in a boxing ring? Hell, if a kid doesnt want to go into the boxing ring, or restraints...there were plenty of options to avoid it!

The exhagerations are too abundant to list, I would like to hear from a few graduates on the issue....never a word!...why? becuase anyone to successfully complete the program, or doesnt have anything negative to say about it is an "appologist" or a brainwashed victim of post traumatic stress disorder?

Gee, seems the anti-Elan movement has categorized ALL the people who went there as a victim in one way or another...and I had no idea there was something wrong with me until someone who sat in a corner and never even TRIED to make the program work diagnosed me.

I tried to sue my father for never paying child support, and physical abuse....there wasnt ONE ambulance chasing lawyer who would even talk to me, and I had STATE agencies, and Prfessional DOCTORS with all the relevant information to support my case....

Sue Elan will you, if you feel so strongly about it, DO IT! why do all you people need to have someone else lick your god-damn wounds to motivate and validate a cause...get off your asses and do something about it rather than sit in here and fucking snivel.....oh boy, a website dedicated to abused adult children. Your not unique. If ELan and other places are so fucking horrible for kids, DO something to keep kids from ending up in a place like that....

Funny, but you have to be wealthy to have problems like Elan anymore.  

This site should be renamed..."keep the rich kids out of Elan, because us poor kids learned the hard way"

[Anonymous]

Did I get banned? hmmm, do it again will you, but not just for two days, because I go far longer than 2 days without coming in here.

Do it for a few months, or even years please I will post an indication that I am still here by posting as "harborside" and including my IP numbers from Florida, Chicago and or Arizona to validate ok....

Im ashamed to even issue such a juvenile challenge, but your guns dont shoot real bullets.

[Anonymous]

The thing is you just don't get it. I don't have any idea what the "rich" kids did to get sent to Elan , didn't make your beds, argued with the maid, refused to take piano lessons.  What ever it was is far from the point. The "Ring" was a sadistic, sick and twisted game used more for the entertainment of demented staff rather than as a learning tool. My problem rests exclusively on the issues of ?CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT?.  8th Amendment to the Constitution; Art. 5 of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights----read it

Whatever your coping skills and defense mechanisms are for dealing with your traumatic experiences at Elan are, denial, ?forgetting the past you?re doomed to relive? ( a philosophy?). The fact still remains that the practices employed were cruel and unusual to say the least.  If these practices are still being used then it needs to stop.  If the Employees that are using these tactics are alleged predators (Linda R, Marty K, Ann F), as suggested by Anonymous, not only should Elan re-evaluate their practices, but SCREEN their employees.

Bottomline, is I?m not crying poor me ? I?ve been in worse situations and contributed to my placement in Elan and those situations.  However, I didn?t commit a crime that necessitated such inhumane treatment nor did the 100?s if not 1000?s of people who are not able to post their experience pre and post Élan. If the same things are going on today, and there is a chance that the accusations that have been leveled against past or present employees are true, then the issue needs to be addressed and the truth needs to be available to concerned parents of present Elan?s residents.

And don?t fool yourself ? know one needs to file a Civil complaint against Elan for this information to make an effect --- truth of the matter--- Post- Skakel these Web Sites are monitored by Federal Law Enforcement agencies, reporters, State agencies and concerned parents.  Not to have you confuse me for a skid row, mental patient, with a drug addiction and an agenda.  I have a wife and two children, college education, and a great job.  I get annoyed when I see people diminishing the injustice that took place and may still be in practice today at Elan.

[Anonymous]

HoFunny, but you have to be wealthy to have problems like Elan anymore.

This site should be renamed..."keep the rich kids out of Elan, because us poor kids learned the hard way" How true! What a excelent name for this site

[Anonymous]

Ive yet to deny that "questionable practices" exsisted at Elan...The "ring" was a questionable practice, but lets look at it from a realistic standpoint...if a person didnt want to go into the ring with someone else, all the they had to do was sit on the floor. Plain and simple.

I was put into the ring in both respects, defensively, and offensively.

The offensive is the more interesting story I was 6'1 215 and had quite a history of street fighting before my stay in Elan. I was put into the ring with this guy "hector" who was at least 6'6 300 pounds...who could have very easily kicked my ass all over the place, but because he was placed into the ring for intimidating women...throwing people around etc he was on a defensive...the talk of him going into the ring with someone who would definately knock him out lasted a few days, so you can imagine the mental state he was in that gave him the only disadvantage...needless to say, We duked it out for 30 second rounds, 3 rounds, and he was crying NOT because he was physically hurt, but broken down emotionally.

It had little to do with the fact that a guy smaller than him whooped his ass in the one thing he thought he had going for him.. but that he was made to feel exactly how he made others feel...he was exposed...no longer a tough guy, no longer someone who could rely on his physical proportions to get what he wanted..THAT IS effective treatment! after that he was put into a position where he had to show compasion, and feeling for others ...ELan WORKED in so many ways. I have a hard time beleiving that the "questionable practices" are so strongly scrutinized when there were so many practices that worked!

You with your wife and two kids good job/education base your statements on Opinions that dont contain 100% truths...Elan is not the same anymore, it is far different , this isnt an indication that it needed to change for any other reason than the demands of time.
Why is it MY practices of dealing with ELan would be denial etc and your own be more appropriate being that we disagree with the level of "constitutional freedoms" that were suposedly violated in Elan?
I am gainfully employed, 4 years of college, 2 kids, an x wife (please dont waste you time telling my why I am divorced)
How would my life be different if I suddenly acknowledge I was abused by not sadistic adults, but other children...if you were in ELan, you would know exactly what I am talking about. Sure, adults were enablers but the KIDS were always the ones holding down the other kids to be put into restraints...the kids were volunteering to go into the ring with others, you know why? not because we were brainwashed, because we were sick and fucking tired of being bullied by the bigger kids, being afraid of getting bitten, or punched by some kid who didnt like you...getting a book or a dinner plate thrown at you....watching as a chair flew through the dining room window, so we could all freeze during breakfast.

The house in Elan were designed to function with everyones participation, each individual had a role to play, a job to do, and an equal opportunity to move up in "rank"...it was an environment that realisticly simulated society as well as anyplace so far from society could.
What happens in the real world if you punch someone...someone bigger comes along and kicks your ass...what happens in the real world if you destroy property...you get put into handcuffs!, what happens in the real world if you dont do your job? you get fired cant pay your bills (equivelent to losing your smokes, shoelaces, washing dishes on a friday instead of watching a movie) wheres the fucking crimes? wheres the damn abuse..its all relative!

[Anonymous]

You say Tomato I say Tamahto --My statements are grounded in factual events that I witnessed first hand. I have a question for you my friend. Does Elan keep track of its former residents and Alumni?  I know I have neither been contacted by Elan or it's agents to inquire about my success after Elan. The statistics probably wouldn't be to impressive to interested parents (customers) getting ready to slap down $50k for the program. The brochure probably wouldn?t be to impressive if you had former residents who went on to garner a name for themselves ? like John Wayne Gasy, Unsama Bin Ladan, Gary Condit, John Henry Williams. (Exaggeration --  but you get my point)

 The people that visit these sites, and leave their mark on these boards, are a mere fraction of the former Elan population.  If the representation of Former Elan residents are remembered through the eyes of the ?rich kids? (what ever that means) , who don?t believe in the injustice and crimes that where committed, and are not a truthful account of the experiences of  the majority who can?t make it here to cast their own vote,  then I my friend appoint myself their representative.  

Why?  Not because I don?t have a life (maybe I should find some more hobbies besides playing guitar and drinking beer) , but because I can ? because I can express my opinion ? because I?m sick of crusing these boards and not seeing any of my peers and wondering if any of them are still alive or mentaly fit to function in society.  Not because I want to invite them over and play a game of Parcheesi and reminisce about the time they broke free of restraints and ran around the schoolhouse trailor----because I think there are a lot of sociopaths walking around out there and I?m scared. I want to be reassured that they are not out there victimizing other people the way they were victimized and the way they were taught to victimize in Elan.

And your rite it is all relative, it is a subjective account of our own experiences. If you were around people that were normal then I can imagine life at Elan wasn?t the worse thing you experienced. I can tell you that the people I was around were a bunch of friggin Mental Patients and thier condition/conditioning was only made worse by the experience.

[Anonymous]

We have a lot in common "my freind" (I assume I can call you this as well? freindships go both ways dont they?)

I too drink beer and play guitar...very interesting that you also consider these two things hobbies as opposed to the true talents they are, and how very important they will always be in our continuing quest for the ultimate pastime-to-the-end.

I must say, I am a genuine representative of the underpriveledged subculture... AKA elan 7.

I can also fully and completely agree that there were some very disturbed individuals in Elan, but I (we) must bear in mind, that being 15+/- years old, and cast into a world of Kids with varying degrees of imbalance, I thought EVERYone was a "friggin mental patient"
My only interest at the time was trying to figure out to which degree of psychiatric fucked-up-edness I fell into.
After self dignosing that I was a solid "somewhere" in the "low risk" pool, I kinda figured Elan was going to be a peice of cake, because a few of those I evaluated to be in the "highly disturbed" category held most of the high ranking positions in my house!

On a less serious note...the "relative" extends far beyond exlusive exposure to Elan..it is very valid to what you experienced before you even got there.
For me, the ring, the restraints (and my warstories of breaking out of them) the spankings, the kid named Jon Phillips who was hogtied in front of three houses...the endless days and nights of washing dishes, POing Elaine Hickock, actually looking forward to going to school and seeing the only normal people on the planet (the teachers) singing a song I didnt know infront total strangers in a pair of Richard simmons shorts...was all mild compared to what I went through before I ever stepped foot into that place...
But your right freind...I wonder which of these people are actually still out there sitting like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode all over someone for not following up on their shower stall.

[Anonymous]

PS..I have no Idea if I am a "peer" of yours or not....I was there in 82 83 and half of 84 in E3 and 7...re-entry Kitchen Dude/traveling guru/house-sitter/shotdown-rejected back to the state of NH/drug addict/on the run/self employed/married a millionaire/divorced drug addict(had to try that one again)/cleaned up college/communications workin stiff now living on the Ocean in Oregon....Back then I was known as Doug...somewhere it was changed to "hes in a special school" to "that kid that was in a special school" to "I wonder whats wrong with him" to "guess it didnt do him any good" to "dead beat "dad" and then "asshole" and then ,I havnt seen that fucking "jerk" in years, to Wow! is that the same "asshole" to  
The guy that your mommy used to be married to...to Your "Dad"...to you ungreatful "prick" on to "defendant" and I think someone called me Doug again the other day...so I should hope it sticks again...Im tired of looking at my drivers license when filling out all those neighborhood registration forms.

[Antigen]

Well, you could hop around from proxy to proxy and I could follow behind and ban every proxy you use... but generally I don't ban anyone except maybe as a prank.



Point is, there is no anonymity on the net. Anyone with enough standing and cause to seek redress through force of law can legally find out who said what and when from where starting from access logs.



Oh, and btw, it's not a difficult task for some hacker to track you down through illegal means, either. So please, folks, bear that in mind and look after yourselves.




It's important for ya'll to understand that. I'm extremely disinclined to medel in anyone's business like that. But if those still suffering cultic devotion were to get all nasty and produce a legal warrant, I wouldn't be able to protect anyone and I don't want anyone to do anything under the mistaken impression that I could.



That's all...


_________________
Ginger Warbis ~ Antigen
American P.O.W. 10/80 - 10/82
Straight South (Sarasota, FL)
Anonymity Anonymous

[ This Message was edited by: Antigen on 2002-07-21 12:29 ]

[Antigen]

I hate to burst your respective bubbles, but has it occured to any of you apologists that this isn't about you or anything that happened decades ago?

Elan and other TC's are still in actively in the business of breaking little minds, and it's a growth industry. From what I hear, they've gotten oh-so adept at working their craft without leaving visible bruises or other evidence. And, as you note, those blackmail sheets are like a golden parachute... same with Straight and all the rest... nothing new under the Sun.

I'm happy to hear that ya'll have successfully shaken it off an gone on to relatively functional, successful lives. So have I. But I'm very concerned over the fact that more and more of the kids on whom I will depend for everything from police and military service to medical care when I'm old and decrepit are now having their minds broken by these sadistic cults.

On the one hand, I'm heart-sick for the kids as individuals who are suffering cruel and unusual punishment and who no one will believe (partially because assholes like you go out of your way to discredit them!) On the other hand, I know what this form of "therapy" does to some people. As often noted in these forums, we are a pretty strident bunch of hostile assholes no matter which side of the fence you're screaming from. These programs are making people more dangerous than they ever imagined being when they were back in the burbs telling their asshole fathers to go fuck themselves. That's a problem that effects me.

Now, aside from the endless debate about whether or not there's any value to humiliating and tormenting young people for their own good, there's the indisputable fact that this form of 'therapy' is promoted, subsidised and protected by federal, state and local authorities at great public expense. And it is an indisputable fact that an awful lot of people who underwrite these efforts disagree strongly with how their hard-earned tax money is being spent, or would if they only knew.

Now you can wine and cry all you want to about how horrible it is for someone to still carry a torch for some little kid who got his ass kicked by some psychotic, power drunk pseudo-counselor all these years later, but I think folks ought to know about these places. And, in this country, free speech is not just a good idea, it's the LAW.

Have a pleasant day. And, btw, why are you posting here if the topic matter is of no concern to you?

[Anonymous]

"appologist" ? "asshole" ?

Go tie-dye a t-shirt and plant a fucking tree Ginger-snap

Elan ISNT a place to be so "worried" about anymore!...when will you decide to get your info from the SOURCE (recent alumni) than take the 20 year old stories verbatum.?

Some moron will bring you your Toms all natural toothpaste for dentures, and your vinegar douche when you are decrepit AND old dont worry...why would it have to be someone from Elan, or any other TC that you would need to worry about? Maybe it was YOU that pushed another kid over the edge while you were there? There are very few people who can say they didnt participate in the abuses that went on in those places...I feel far worse about the shit I put others through than I went through myself...funny but reading all this poor me crap, I dont think many people feel the same way.

Yeah, I am wondering way off topic here..the point is, Elan isnt the same, it isnt anywhere NEAR the same...and you know what, kids are not either! "poor young hearts" is that what you called them? heh...lets see if you feel that way when a 12 year old boy shoves a pistol down your throat, and steals your jade and hemp necklace or your favorite Joan Biaz 8 track. its a shame only the wealthy "tender souls" go to Elan for doing something like that anymore...the rest are left to face the things YOU propose are options for all of them...Jail, foster homes and psych wards...gee, theres an oportunity to learn something possitive.

If any of the kids in Elan were even HALF the demon I was, they ALL deserved to be in Elan in the same era as me...you punch someone, you get punched...you act in an uncontrolable manner, you are controlled...you act like a baby, your treated like one....What is your solution Ginger, what is your "better plan"?
Do you even have a better plan? what is it...just give em a little extra nyquil in their dinner goat milk and send them off to bed? or is it "more love at home"? cuz in case you havnt wandered away from the insense lately...not all parents give two shits about what their kids are doing.

Is this an Elan chapter supervised by the Straight crew? I dont know about the rest of you elan alum, but this kinda feels like theres one too many expeditors on the floor?