Fornits
Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS) => Topic started by: FemanonFatal2.0 on February 17, 2009, 06:27:10 PM
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Just got some news today that as of Friday, January 13th Darrington Academy began transferring students to other facilities and Today there were several white vans outside the facility.
It is rumored that it has closed, and that the cause was an investigation that upturned evidence of abuse.
I don't have the full story but I have been told that the media is looking into it and there should be a more comprehensive report to come.
Personally I question if the economy is really to blame for the consecutive closures of WWASP affiliated facilities or do we have a group of child advocates to thank for this.
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GAH-Leeeee. I wonder about that fantastic Thanksgiving dinner those poor sods were subjected to a couple of months ago. Maybe that wasn't enough, in and of itself (unless someone got a serious case of food poisoning). But perhaps it did end up helping...in setting up the scene for..."Final Straw" moments?
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i have also heard all they are doing is transferring students so they cant talk to investigators. i have not heard anything about a closing yet. ill have to look into it a little.
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any news?
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Just got some news today that as of Friday, January 13th Darrington Academy began transferring students to other facilities and Today there were several white vans outside the facility.
Personally I question if the economy is really to blame for the consecutive closures of WWASP affiliated facilities or do we have a group of child advocates to thank for this.
I was wondering the same thing Fem. It could be a combination of both. Personally, I would like to believe that "your voices" are finally being HEARD and that all the people that have been so willing to dedicate their time and efforts are starting to see the effects of the "Crusade"
Since I have joined the group in late 2008, there have already been rumored (and verified) closures of:
Tranquility Bay
Pathway Family Centers
Spring Creek Lodge
Royal Gorge Academy
...and now Darrington!
I don't really care "why" they shut down these facilities, just that they are closed! The consistent and sustained pressure of "child advocacy groups" make all the claims of abuse that much harder to ignore by State and local authorties.
Everyone on Fornits or other sites should feel proud that all their time and efforts have not been wasted! Things are happening and that is what we all have been striving for - be it from the economy or negative press...program schools are CLOSING!!!!
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Don't forget Hidden Lake Academy (closing) as well as quite a few random others. The economy and pressure from critics is killing these programs.
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and Gulf Coast Academy too.
Ok update... I am awaiting a more comprehensive report but as of right now, Darrington is not closed, however many students are being transferred. I believe some to Midwest Academy.
I think this is just the beginning. Honestly I am of the opinion that our voices HAVE reached the right people and those people have had a helping hand in these closures. There is a certain effort to keep anyone specific's involvement under wraps and I think that is smart at this stage of the game.
I also think that the "economy" is the cop out the programs are choosing to use in order to avoid having the reputation of residential treatment programs publically slandered. However I believe in time the truth will out last the lies and they will be brought down for good.
I think closing the schools is swell but I wont be happy until the people who operated these facilities are in jail. Thats the only way we can truly stop the abuse, to stop the abuser.
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Can you provide any proof? I'm not saying this to pick on you or be mean or whatever. I just hate getting my hopes up.
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If the kids are being transferred to an equally abusive or worse program, I wouldn't cheer about much but I guess it creates publicity.
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Can you provide any proof? I'm not saying this to pick on you or be mean or whatever. I just hate getting my hopes up.
Yes I do have proof, and as I said an offical report is on its way but for security reasons I have been asked to keep some information to myself.
there is a lot at play here, weather Darrington gets shut down or not there is still good work being done behind the scenes, and exposure that will prove this economy excuse to be bogus, YES.
I personally find the fact that the kids are being transfered a sign, not necessarily a good thing, just evidence that there is something going down here and more to come.
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Talked to a few DA survivors and former staff today, that have all CONFIRMED that Darrington Academy has been closed.
They have also said that there is an investigation and some employees are underfire for how the program was operated.
Economy my ass folks, this is the day of reckoning.
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Crazy TB parent, Ralexa, reports it's closed down as well:
http://www.topix.net/forum/source/wish/ ... R/post1158 (http://www.topix.net/forum/source/wish/T3KPEP7KPVEM8FPSR/post1158)
She claims "financial difficulties"... but whatever...
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A survivor told me today that Rich Darrington (or whoever Mr. D. is) punched a kid in the face and knocked out 5 teeth.
as usual the parents just dont have a clue.
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A survivor told me today that Rich Darrington (or whoever Mr. D. is) punched a kid in the face and knocked out 5 teeth.
as usual the parents just dont have a clue.
are there any ongoing investigations?
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A survivor told me today that Rich Darrington (or whoever Mr. D. is) punched a kid in the face and knocked out 5 teeth.
as usual the parents just dont have a clue.
i dont understand why you and others are ragging on whats gone on with Darrington Academy, Ive been a student there for the past two years up until the shutting down took place. Mr.D does not abuse kids, neither does the rest of the staff. Im sorry its not the exaggerated story people would rather know but seriously get your facts straight, people say the most dishonest things to get what they immediately want. why sell out to the gossip when you could be knowledgeable of reality.
brainwashing and abuse... bullshit...if brainwashing means me changing into a better and more confident and caring for myself then i would be so, but in what a way is that a horrid thing. A lot of people never get the chance to grow like we were given the opportunity to do, i literally would have been fucked up on some street corner or raped in jail or most off DEAD without ever seeing how mcuh ive been worth in the life of mine and my families.[/size][/color]
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Dead raped, or in jail. That's a new twist. Maybe programs *are* changing.. lols.
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BY BRIAN K. FINNICUM, EDITOR Monday, March 2, 2009 4:01 PM CST Darrington Academy, a private school for troubled teens in Blue Ridge, closed its doors Friday, a move that owner and headmaster Richard Darrington says is due to the current state of the economy.
Darrington said the income from the number of parents who could pay the school’s tuition no longer covered the school’s fixed costs. He said enrollment at the school had declined from 180 students two years ago to fewer than 90 now, and “at that point it became no longer possible to keep the doors open and the kids safe.”
The closing comes as a joint investigation of certain activities at the school is under way by the Fannin County Department of Family and Children Services, the Fannin County Sheriff’s Department and state regulatory officials.
Sheriff’s Department Investigator Diane Davis said the investigation has been under way for approximately three weeks, and was launched when she was contacted by DFCS officials in reference to reports they had received.
As part of that investigation, a search warrant was served on the school Feb. 13 where video surveillance cameras, computers and numerous files were confiscated.
Davis also said that as part of the investigation approximately 120 interviews were conducted of students and school staff with the assistance of DFCS investigators from surrounding counties.
Davis declined to release any particulars of the investigation as it is still in progress.
Although Darrington said the school’s closure was unrelated to the investigation, he said that the school had stopped accepting new enrollments after the investigation was launched, “exacerbating an already existing financial situation.
“We’re cooperating fully,” Darrington said of the investigation.
“I just want to see it resolved as soon as possible,” Darrington said.
http://http://www.thenewsobserver.com/articles/2009/03/03/news/news02.txt
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120 interviews + video... nice.
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120 interviews + video... nice.
oh my god. lets see some jail time for those bastards
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brainwashing and abuse... bullshit...if brainwashing means me changing into a better and more confident and caring for myself then i would be so, but in what a way is that a horrid thing. A lot of people never get the chance to grow like we were given the opportunity to do, i literally would have been fucked up on some street corner or raped in jail or most off DEAD without ever seeing how mcuh ive been worth in the life of mine and my families.
@here, if you're still reading this thread:
Yowsah! Would it mean anything to you if someone told you that this "recent grad" speech has been repeated ad infinitum, and subsequently and conveniently forgotten and/or retracted 5-10 years later, by countless others before you?
WHY, just why, might one think, does this "truth" not survive the passage of time?
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brainwashing and abuse... bullshit...if brainwashing means me changing into a better and more confident and caring for myself then i would be so, but in what a way is that a horrid thing. A lot of people never get the chance to grow like we were given the opportunity to do, i literally would have been fucked up on some street corner or raped in jail or most off DEAD without ever seeing how mcuh ive been worth in the life of mine and my families.
@here, if you're still reading this thread:
Yowsah! Would it mean anything to you if someone told you that this "recent grad" speech has been repeated ad infinitum, and subsequently and conveniently forgotten and/or retracted 5-10 years later, by countless others before you?
WHY, just why, might one think, does this "truth" not survive the passage of time?
or in other words.... Kid, you will have many more years ahead of you, and in those years you may start to see that whole experience a little differently. You may be happy to be brainwashed as long as it had some kind of pay off for you in the program, but just wait until you realize the world isn't really like that and people need to learn to think for themselves in an adult world.
Here's the main problem with the "ends justifies the means" argument or in other words "the program saved my life" that we have heard over and over. You people think that just because we have a problem with the way the program operated means we aren't in support of giving a teen the education they need to make a change in their lives. Personally I believe that teens can still be offered that chance, but there needs to be BIG CHANGES in these programs (or preferably a whole different kind of program) to make sure that the human rights and welfare of the children in these facilities are protected. The one thing that really breaks my heart is when Programmies (brainwashed ex students and parents) are willing to blindly ignore tell tale signs of abuse and oppression just because they have been told that's the kind of treatment they need to change their life. Whats sad is that this is completely untrue, these are just the things the program will convince you of, and its appalling that these kids come to believe they deserve that kind of treatment. I tend to believe if there were better public schooling out there people would have more options and these programs wouldn't be able to get away with this kind of mind fuckery. but that is neither here nor there.
Lets get down to facts here, Don't you think it was odd that you were not allowed to speak to your parents for months, until both you and they finished a seminar? Are you aware that having your personal mail intercepted is illegal? Don't you think its a violation of child protection laws that there were no phones available to reach the police or child protective services in a necessary situation? Don't you think that restraining and isolating a kid (usually for days) as punishment for not "following directions" is unnecessary and constitutes physical abuse?
If you can answer yes to any of these questions then you will see that we aren't really on different sides of this issue, only difference is we are fighting for YOUR rights, and the protection of kids in these schools, and you are still too sentimental about the warm and fuzzy changes you made to admit the system that was in place was completely illegal... We aren't trying to stop kids from changing their unhealthy habits, we just think these programs are committing crimes while they hide behind a seemingly noble purpose. Since most of us have experienced abuse at the hands of even the same people who are running these facilities today (Dace Goulding ring any bells) you should understand why we are compelled to demand change in this industry. We are just trying to do what we can to make sure that no more kids will suffer through the same experience. So go ahead and tell us about the great experience you had at Darrington but keep in mind, if we weren't here throwing a fit for the last 10 years, believe me kid, life in the program would have been A LOT worse. You can just thank us for forcing them to mind their P's and Q's, although by the looks of the pending investigation, they haven't done all too well.
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From: 2 kids escape from darrington academy (Topix) (http://www.topix.com/forum/blogs/T3GHEB95N43PIJCG8)
This is crazy after all this time this blog is still running. Since its about me ill thread some info.
I was the one who ran away that day and when the police found me the next day i was brought back, Richard Darrington then knocked my front tooth out by body slamming me, luckily mr gagne and a police officer took me to the dentist, After the dentist I was given an option, go to jail for attacking Darrington or come back to the academy, I chose jail. At 17 years old with no prior record I was sent to county jail for a lied statement saying I attacked Darrington. I got out a week later, went back to school, played ball, lived my life. I was sent there because my mom and I weren't getting along. 6 months later Thomas was fired and then wrote a statement about the assault on me and the truth of that day. A warrant was secured and during that they found abuse and video cameras. Richard Darrington was charged with assault in my matter and other charges were filed as well. The state can not find Thomas to testify so they will not be trying Mr. Darrington in court.
Its a closed chapter, people told me I would be there till 18, I even went on a 9day hunger strike to make a phone call to my father. After that is when I escaped. The day I was assaulted did change the outcome of many events. Its just the way and the way is what makes us the people we our today. Im actually glad Richard will not be tried. The school is closed down and I've been told he will never work for a school or kids again. He wasn't a good man but maybe he is now, I say that because lying to police and having a 17yr old kid with no record sent to a adult jail in blue ridge georgia is crazy. I haven't asked for money or even filed a lawsuit like I saw in a post.
Its just over, done, next chapter. Im 23 years old now and seeing this I smile a little bit thinking about the irony. I'll always remember the look on his face when I began bleeding everywhere and my tooth was on the ground. He was scared. It didn't help me screaming ''Im going to make you famous cocksucker'' either. In the end, its a famous story, it's the story of a school that changed the course of many peoples lives closing down. Its all the closure thats needed.
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I guess Rich Darrington ended up the little cocksucker.