Fornits

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An open discussion about the troubled parent industry

Additional Comments from the Director of ISAC, posted on February 16, 2005:

In a telephone conversation on Friday, February 11, 2005 with ISAC Director Shelby Earnshaw, Mark Sudweeks claimed that Joyce Harris "dragged her daughter out [of Whitmore Academy] by the hair."

In the days following, ISAC became aware of statements made by Sue Scheff who reportedly claimed to have a copy of the incident report filed by the Nephi City Police Officer who accompanied Joyce Harris to Whitmore Academy.

Along with this claim, Sue Scheff also reportedly said that the incident report stated that Mrs. Harris had dragged her daughter by the hair.

Sue Scheff also reportedly stated that the police officers investigating the case do not believe Mrs. Harris.

Because ISAC is committed to reporting FACTUAL INFORMATION, Director Shelby Earnshaw spoke directly to the investigator in charge of the case on Tuesday, February 15, 2005.

Among other things, the investigator stated that he believes Joyce Harris is "very credible."

During that conversation, ISAC also learned that due to a clerical error, the incident report in question had never been entered into the computer and DID NOT EXIST prior to ISAC's phone call to the Nephi City Police on February 15, 2005.

Therefore, it would not be possible for Mark Sudweeks or Sue Scheff to have a copy of the report in question.

Today, Wednesday February 16, ISAC obtained a copy of the report made by the Nephi City Police on the night that Joyce Harris removed her daughter from Whitmore Academy.

It is not public record so only excerpts will be posted on this site, however the report supports the fact that statements accusing Mrs. Harris of dragging her daughter by the hair, are false.

On 11-27-04 at approximately 02:21 hours I accompanied Richard and Joyce Harris of San Antonio, Texas to the Whitmore Academy.

When [the child] was about to leave several girls from the academy told Joyce that she couldn't take her. Joyce insisted and began pulling on [the child's] arm as several girls pulled on her other arm to try and keep her there.

Once again the girls told Joyce that she couldn't take her. Joyce pulled on her arm and the other girls pulled her back. [The child] broke loose and swiftly exited the mansion.

In the telephone conversation with Mark Sudweeks on February 11, ISAC informed him that he was welcome to submit a response to the statements made by Joyce Harris.

Mr. Sudweeks conveyed no interest in doing that and has sent no response to date, however he did state several times that ISAC would be hearing from his attorney.

there is so much damage to people and places by putting out blogs

Private school doesn't like state's 'therapeutic' label
By Kirsten Stewart

The Salt Lake Tribune

4/29/2005

A private Utah school is fighting against state regulation, arguing it is not a "therapeutic" facility - which are covered by a new law that seeks to crack down on the state's thriving teen help industry.

Administrators at Whitmore Academy in Nephi say they run a boarding school, not a treatment facility catering to troubled teens. They are asking for an exemption to the new licensing category, which goes into effect on May 2.

But state Human Services licensing director Ken Stettler believes "they're hiding behind the moniker of a boarding school" to avoid state oversight.

"All the information they've provided to parents of kids there is they provide counseling for emotional growth and behavioral changes. They cater to kids who have failed in their settings at home," said Stettler.

The new law defines "therapeutic schools" as serving students "who have a history of failing to function at home or public school" and that offer "room and board and specialized structure or treatment related to a disability or emotional development."

Matt Sudweeks, who owns Whitmore with his wife, Cheryl, says he has gotten out of the teen-help business. Whitmore formerly also operated a residential treatment center. But Sudweeks surrendered the center's license last December after a student alleged he was physically and verbally abused at Whitmore.
Utah's Division of Child and Family Services substantiated eight counts of abuse and neglect. The facility is still under criminal investigation by the Juab County Attorney's Office.

Whitmore's attorney, Matt Hilton in Kaysville, says the school - now enrolling 32 students, ages 12 to 17 - employs an educational counselor, but does not submit students to therapy.

Said Sudweeks, "We're licensed with state Board of Education as a boarding school. We cater to kids having trouble in public school system."

Stettler says Whitmore is the only one of five schools under review for regulation to balk at the new rules.

Whitmore, located in a historic mansion on Nephi's Main Street, also was recently cited with numerous fire code violations.

Brent R. Halladay, assistant state fire marshal, says the school has until mid-May to update its automatic sprinkler and fire alarm systems, build a new set of stairs to provide more than one exit, install fire extinguishers and repair electrical problems.

Halladay says the Sudweeks have "been very cooperative."

But violations were such that, until they are corrected, Sudweeks is required to have someone keep fire watch over the building every day from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m.

This will be my final rebuttal post to Sue Scheff's blog:
"Whitmore Academy - My Experiences"

This blog advertises two (2) additional blogs that will be released:
Scheff's "The Whitmore Academy, THE SECRET, Shhhh"
Zehnder's "Whitmore Academy - Up Close and Personal."

If and when these blogs are posted; I will respoond to them.

In this blog by Sue Scheff, she makes repeated reference to my daughter, who was age 12 when Scheff referred our family to Whitmore Academy; assuring me that she would "place her own daughter at this facility if her daughter required a treatment facility."

Scheff carefully uses words like: "seems" "I heard" "I was told" "may be" "I understand" "claims" "felt" "in my opinion" and of course she slaps on her legal-sounding DISCLAIMER at the end of the blog.

In this blog, Scheff repeatedly states that my little girl "may have been disclosing too much about her home life" at Whitmore.
That I was afraid my daughter "had stories to tell" that I did not want disclosed.
That this little girl felt so safe at Whitmore that she was "disclosing SECRETS!"
Scheff assures her readers that I, the mother "had something to hide...and wanted to keep my secret from coming out."

Scheff describes me as: "CRUELLA DE VILL; aka San Antonio parent ,who destroyed many lives." Along with the cartoon picture.

She advises her readership to "STAY TUNED for more details!"
She asks her readers: "What does she have to hide? Maybe her daughter was telling the truth about her?"

Scheff then gives the name of this upcoming blog that will "reveal all:" THE WHITMORE ACADEMY - THE SECRET, SHHHH

Basically I have this to say:
Sue Scheff claims to be a "child advocate" and she proclaims she "helps to bring families back together" among other things.
Yet: she dares to post such things about a young girl and her mother?

This nonesense about my so-called "secret life" has already been posted on fornits on a few threads...the "popular" one being---
"Joyce Harris is a Slut Woman."

Scheff also states: "This mother wanted to keep her private life private."

That may be the most honest statement Scheff made about me in this blog.
I have the "RIGHT" to my privacy--the same as Sue Scheff.

I have not posted blogs or statements about Sue Scheff's children: .
I haven't posted and asked these types of questions about Scheff:
Why did you place your daughter in Carolina Springs?
Why did you place your son in a Military School?
Why don't/didn't you keep your children home and parent them yourself, like most parents do?
Are the postings on Fornts true---did you abuse your daughter?
Did you suppress documents that might prove you hit your daughter in the face and put your hands around her neck in anger?
What family SECRETS do your children know about YOU?

NO: I don't do that---because; it is none of my business how Sue Scheff parents her children. I assume she has probably done the best she could. I really don't know.
But it certainly is not my place to BLOG about her children on the internet.

I don't post or blog about Sue Scheff's personal life:
I don't know or care if this woman is married, or single.
I have no idea why she got a divorce from her childrens' father.
I don't post her home city on the internet.
I don't know who she may or may not have sex with---her sex life is of no interest to me, WHATSOEVER.
I have no idea why she seems to find mine of such interest: I don't involve her in my personal life---so what's her compllant?

I, Joyce Harris, do not present myself as a CHILD ADVOCATE, or any type of ADVOCATE. I am not in the business of making any type of recommendations to parents in regards to the welfare, or treatment of their children on any levels. I do not own, or work in any type facility that cares for; or treats children.

I do not, and have not ever abused any child.

I am a wife and mother; and yes; I do have the "right" to privacy.

Scheff states that "this mother has a grudge against her."
That is her opinion.

My husband and I made our Statement to ISAC about our experience at Whitmore Academy and with Scheff's company, PURE. We have never revised this factual, true statement since we made it.

I believe this Whitmore blog written by Sue Scheff speaks volumes about who may be carrying a vindicative grudge.