Fornits
Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy => Topic started by: Anonymous on September 20, 2006, 10:29:43 AM
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The Dahlonega Nugget has a front page article in today's paper about the Class Action lawsuit filed against HLA.
The article will be posted on the Nugget's web site later on today.
http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/ (http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/)
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It's there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/artic ... /01hla.txt (http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/articles/2006/09/20/news/01hla.txt)
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Hidden Lake Academy faces class action law suit
By Matt Aiken
A federal class action lawsuit accusing Hidden Lake Academy of the ?tragic mistreatment of troubled teenage students and families? was filed in the Gainesville branch of the United States District Court last Monday.
The civil action suit, filed by a team of Atlanta-based lawyers representing the families of two former students, centers around a laundry list of accusations against the therapeutic boarding school and its founder Dr. Leonard Buccellato.
Hidden Lake Academy is a SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) accredited boarding school which provides therapy for more than 150 students. The school is located off Camp Wahsega Road and was established in 1994.
On Sept. 11, the legal team of Gorby, Reeves, & Peters brought the operation of the establishment into question as it portrayed the school as an unsafe facility manned mostly by uncertified employees.
As a result, much of the lawsuit revolves around Hidden Lake's alleged misrepresentation of itself through its parent handbook and official Web site.
?HLA's zeal to cut corners and misrepresent itself stems from the fact that it is run in large part for the personal enrichment of its founder, defendant Buccellato,? the suit states.
One of the more serious accusations would appear to be HLA's alleged knowing introduction of ?violent and severely disturbed students? into the school population, despite assurances to the contrary.
Included in the plaintiffs' complaint is an apparent internal e-mail, dated Feb. 24, 2006, which was reportedly sent by former Admissions Director Clarke Poole to eventual Admissions Director Nicole Fuglsang as he pointed out the instability of particular students.
?There is a fairly long list of students whose appropriateness I have questioned, especially in the last year or so,? the e-mail states.
The author goes on to point out students allegedly admitted against his recommendation and goes so far as to liken one of these students to Hannibal Lecter.
?He should have been in a padded cell in a psychiatric prison, and we knew it going in,? wrote the author. ?It's difficult to distinguish his psychological evaluation, which was done by Len Buccellato and [name intentionally deleted in the suit] from that of Hannibal Lecter's.?
Poole reportedly left Hidden Lake Academy soon after the letter was sent.
?Hidden Lake's reluctance to reject court-ordered, severely disturbed and violent students stems from the fact that it is highly profitable to admit such students,? the complaint states.
The suit goes on to allege that the inclusion of some of these students led to several violent altercations and attacks on other students, one of which resulted in an investigation by the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office.
However, Capt. Jason Stover with the sheriff's office said he had no record of such an investigation.
According to the suit, tuition at the boarding school runs $5,900 per month. Students are expected to stay for the duration of the program, which can run 17 to 21 months.
According to the suit, parents must put down a hefty deposit as well.
Since, according to the suit, the product is not what was advertised, parents and their children are bound to a shoddy deal, leaving parents with the predicament of leaving their child at the school or removing them and forfeiting the deposit.
?Nevertheless, despite the fact that parents incur huge educational and financial costs for pulling out their children before graduation, more than fifty percent of HLA's students during the Class Period - nearly 400 families total - have failed to graduate from HLA, and instead left the program prematurely,? the suit states.
The suit then goes on to question the accreditation of HLA staff members.
?Throughout the Class Period [of 2000 to the present] a large number and, at certain times, an overwhelming majority, of HLA's teachers have not been certified, while a sizable number of the counseling staff lack bachelor's or master's degrees in areas related to social work, counseling, or psychology, and have not been clinically trained in counseling or social work,? the complaint states.
The Hidden Lake Academy Web site claims that ?teaching faculty at HLA hold a Bachelor to a Doctorate level degree in education.?
The complaint also alleges that employee Clay Erickson has taken the position of Director of Addiction Services despite having his license revoked by the Washington State Medical Disciplinary Board in 1993. The suit claims the suspension was due to ?his alleged alcoholism and abuse of controlled prescription drugs.?
The plaintiffs also claim that HLA failed to consistently employ sufficient medical staff while also neglecting to deliver on the advertised promise of providing a full-time special education teacher.
?HLA has also during the Class Period only rarely employed a licensed learning disability specialist and within the past several months or longer has not employed a registered or properly licensed nurse,? the suit states.
?Hidden Lake also provides students with deficient medical supervision, allowing unlicensed staff such as secretaries and pharmaceutical technicians who are unsupervised by a nurse or proper medical authority to dispense prescription medication to students.?
The complaint goes on to allege that HLA students who have been placed on restrictions have been utilized to clear land for future building projects.
?Buccellato's use of students to do HLA manual labor was similarly not disclosed to families at the time they entered into their enrollment contracts,? states the complaint. ?Further, Defendants' misuse of such students to do manual labor violates countless federal and state labor regulations.?
HLA is also accused of routinely performing strip searches on students after they return to campus following home visits. According to the plaintiff, this detail is not sufficiently advertised by the school.
The plaintiffs also allege that HLA often charges undisclosed extra fees despite the reported assurance that tuition is all-inclusive.
These reported extra charges range from marked-up toiletries purchases to exorbitant medical fees.
?Incredibly, HLA even overcharges students for vaccinations and shots, imposing a more than 50 percent mark-up for flu shots and $90 for a meningitis shot that costs significantly less,? the suit states.
?During the Class Period alone, these undisclosed overcharges have reportedly totaled some $800,000-$1,000,000 all of which amounted to pure profit to HLA,? the complaint states.
A myriad of accusations are also directed at Buccellato himself, who is accused of using school funds and employees for his own personal use.
?Buccellato uses HLA Inc. as his personal bank and employment agency by, among other things: billing to it significant amounts of his personal expenses, including extravagant dinners, gifts to friends and family, and lavish vacations totaling thousands of dollars; using school maintenance staff to maintain and repair personal rental properties; having the school pay his personal taxes and service his loan payments; arranging for present or former school therapists, such as Dr. Steven Taylor and Dr. Brad Carpenter, to work up to four days a week in his private psychology practice; enlisting school employees to work part-time at St. Francis Day School, a school that Buccellato also helps operate; and getting the school's food service provider to privately cater personal affairs, which he then bills to the school,? the suit states.
Buccellato is also accused of forging the name of his CEO, CFO, and Secretary Kenneth Spooner on official documents as well as bribing third party educational consultants in order to receive positive recommendations.
?Realizing the significant role consultants play in the school selection process, Buccellato showers consultants with gifts and other forms of undisclosed compensation,? the suit states.
The plaintiffs have also accused Buccellato of misappropriating donations that were intended to build a campus chapel.
?Buccellato has taken funds directly from the Student Chapel Fund program for his own personal use,? the complaint states.
Buccellato could not be reached for comment. Instead The Nugget was contacted by HLA's defense team of Quirk & Quirk.
Martin Quirk contended that the accusations against Hidden Lake Academy are merely the result of disgruntled parents who, after withdrawing their children prior to completion of the program, are now reluctant to forfeit their deposit. These fees, he added, are a normal part of such schools.
?A couple of parents that withdrew their children didn't like that provision, which they had signed,? said Quirk. ?And apparently blew it way out of proportion.?
The first set of unidentified plaintiffs are residents of Florida whose child was enrolled at HLA November 2004 to May 2005. During this time they reportedly paid $63,268, including a non-refunded deposit of $14,550.
The other set of plaintiffs are current residents of Pennsylvania. Their child was at Hidden Lake February 2005 to August 2006. During this time period they reportedly paid $102,727, including a non-refunded deposit of $14,709. Both sets of plaintiffs pulled their children from the program three months prior to their expected graduation dates.
According to the complaint, this suit could open the door for hundreds of families to join in the class action, the damages of which could reach more than $5 million.
The legal group of Gorby, Reeves, & Peters, which declined to comment for this story, has demanded a trial by jury.
Hidden Lake Academy has 20 days from the initial filing of this complaint to respond to the suit.
?The school is going to vigorously defend it,? responded Quirk. ?I think the justice system will prevail.?
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Martin Quirk contended that the accusations against Hidden Lake Academy are merely the result of disgruntled parents who, after withdrawing their children prior to completion of the program, are now reluctant to forfeit their deposit. These fees, he added, are a normal part of such schools.
?A couple of parents that withdrew their children didn't like that provision, which they had signed,? said Quirk. ?And apparently blew it way out of proportion.?
You keep on believing that Marty......
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Martin Quirk contended that the accusations against Hidden Lake Academy are merely the result of disgruntled parents who, after withdrawing their children prior to completion of the program, are now reluctant to forfeit their deposit. These fees, he added, are a normal part of such schools.
?A couple of parents that withdrew their children didn't like that provision, which they had signed,? said Quirk. ?And apparently blew it way out of proportion.?
Wouldn't it be nice if it were that simple?
Aren't contracts considered null and void in the case of misrepresentation of goods and/or services sold?
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IS THAT WHY THE ORS, DHR,CPS, SAIS, SACS, SEC. OF
STATE,PHYSICIAN,DENTAL, AND PSYCHOLOGY STATE BOARDS
have launched their own investigations...????
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That's the second time someone from Hidden Lake has refered to those involved with the lawsuit as "disgruntled".
I wonder if it's to late to change some of the wording in the lawsuit to reflect appropriate titles for Buch and the gang.
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Aren't contracts considered null and void in the case of misrepresentation of goods and/or services sold?
Excellent question........
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yeah usually, in the complaint i belive that was also one of the terms of the contract stated to be unconcionable.
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The suit goes on to allege that the inclusion of some of these students led to several violent altercations and attacks on other students, one of which resulted in an investigation by the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office.
However, Capt. Jason Stover with the sheriff's office said he had no record of such an investigation.
This was my point about this episode. When I was dealing with an HLA staffer on this board, she said that the police had been called and had interviewed all parties involved and said the investigator told her that the girl's vaginal injuries were "probably self-inflicted."
I could find no indication that the police were ever contacted or dispatched to investigate. My response was that this is pure negligence on the part of HLA who failed to report a serious felony to the police.
Either way you look at it, it's extremely troubling and it appears the HLa staff posting on this board was lying about the incident and its "investigation."
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Here's the exchange:
Guest
Posted: 07 Apr 2006 15:16 Post subject:
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I am not one to typically defend what is written on this site, but this story is not fully true. This incident was reported to the police and there was a full police investigation. Reports that they were not let in are not accurate.
In this incident there were two very disturbed young ladies involved. The victim did not do all of it to herself, but did ask the other girl to do it to her so that she could claim that she was raped and get pulled from the school. The perpertrator was kept at the school for another month, but was not allowed to be around the other students. HLA went to great lengths to find an appropriate placement for her instead of just dumping her back onto her family, who was in no way able to care for her at the time. The family was actually very appreciative of this.
Should these girls have even been at HLA in the first place? No. Were they removed when that fact was made evident? Yes.
My response:
This incident was reported to the police and there was a full police investigation.
Not only was there not a full investigation, no police report was ever filed. If you contend there was, by all means post it. People who are intimately involved in this case have confirmed that there was never a police report, and niether girl was interviewed by investigators.
There is no public record of it (no case number), and I challenge you to show that there is.
I'm not sure who you are, but you are obviously not at the level at which you'd have a clear perspective of this incident or you are intentionally misleading about the facts.
Then this:
I am sure the investigation is closed now and is likely a matter of public record. Look it up yourself.
BTW... Who is the top management person who resigned over this? I am not aware of this, so I am not sure that the truth is being told about that.
And then this:
On 2006-04-07 08:41:00, Anonymous wrote:
"I am sure the investigation is closed now and is likely a matter of public record. Look it up yourself.
BTW... Who is the top management person who resigned over this? I am not aware of this, so I am not sure that the truth is being told about that. "
That's precisely what I'm saying. There is no public record and no police report.
There have been inquiries into this matter by attorneys and private investigators and there is no police report, nor was any investigation undertaken.
You're local. Take a quick drive down to the PD on your lunch break and request the reports. You won't find any.
Get back to me with your findings or post them.
Clarke Poole resigned over this and other issues surrounding HLA's unethical behavior. He's just one example.
_________________
"Compassion is the basis of morality."
-Arnold Schopenhauer[ This Message was edited by: Dysfunction Junction on 2006-04-07 08:49 ]
And finally:
Clarke is who I assumed was the staff in question. Clarke was not a top management person, but I agree that he resigned for the reasons mentioned. I cannot explain why there is no police report, other than the fact that no charges were filed to my knowledge. I do konw for a fact that there were detectives at HLA investigating this incident. Actually, they were the first ones to suggest that this was staged by the girls.
We have some seriously disparate reports of this incident. Obviously, this staffer was lying about the police investigating this crime on HLA's campus.
If the police were called, there has been a huge coverup. If not, there has been incredible negligence and I believe it is a felony offense for a school NOT to report a sex crime against one of its students.
Either way... HLA has some serious explaining to do.
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any such incidents are to be reported to Child Protective Services...
Call Kit Wallace at CPS... According to CPS,no incidents at HLA HAVE EVER BEEN
REPORTED TO CPS...Heck, one family has said they cannot even get an incident report from HLA to submit to their insurance company
for re-imbursement of hosptial bills. THey were referred to QUirk and QUirk....I think this says it all!
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I wonder if this article can be forwarded to Atlanta news outlets.
After all, this is a story of local interest since Len has offices in
Atlanta. He is also involved in civic affairs there and is well-known
by many families who have relied on his "expertise" as a psychologist and Educational Consultant.
Does anyone have contacts there?
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Stuggling Teens posted the Nugget article today.
http://www.strugglingteens.com/news/news.html (http://www.strugglingteens.com/news/news.html)
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Holy shit, they actually posted that? Did Lon grow a heart and a brain?
*peers around the curtain, looking for wizards*
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Holy shit, they actually posted that? Did Lon grow a heart and a brain?
*peers around the curtain, looking for wizards*
Non Prophet
Junior Member
Member # 5273
posted September 20, 2006 11:52 AM
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quote:
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Originally posted by WillieNelson:
Fornits has little value. The posters have an agenda and it does not involve providing an honest evaluation of programs. There ARE no good programs, according to Fornits.
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I'm not sure how this statement reconciles with this one:
quote:
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Originally posted by WillieNelson:
I don't understand why you would say to be "wary" of advice received from parents on this site. ANY advice should be taken in the spirit in which it is given- one family's experience with a program. However, most if not ALL the legitimate parents posting on this site give thoughtful and truthful advice about programs and their own experiences. If you are receiving alarming messages, they are probably not from any of the regular members of this site.
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This is quite a dichotomy, Willie. On one hand you exhort readers not to be wary of anything posted on this site, but to completely discount information from another site, even though it is offered in the same spirit.
Upon thoroughly examining this site and fornits, it is without question that the fornits database is far more penetrating (backed up with links and documents) than this one.
I suggest you skip over the coarse language and look for the information you need. You are much more llikely to find the skeletons in the closets of teen-help facilities by searching fornits. Isn't that what's important?
This site, while useful in some ways, presents a very structured, slanted appraisal of the teen-help industry, as it is an extension of a teen program marketing business. In other words (regardless of the validity of certain pieces of information), this site has a "dog in the fight" in the teen-help controversy and it therefore necessarily reflects that bias.
Fornits, on the other hand, is not a for-profit enterprise and, as such has no "agenda" as an earlier poster suggested. Rather, it is a meeting place for those interested in examining the true depth and breadth of information about the teen-help industry, including the heavily suppressed negative aspects of it.
For instance, fornits has posted links to a massive lawsuit against the "flagship" TBS whose owner funded the creation of NATSAP. NATSAP has gotten plenty of positive coverage over the past few days on this site, while this massive lawsuit against its progenitor has been completely and utterly ignored - not even a mention, even though ISACCORP.org (a watchdog group) has reported it and it is on the front page of the Dahlonega Nugget (the local paper where the facility is situated) today.
Please refer:
http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/artic ... /01hla.txt (http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/articles/2006/09/20/news/01hla.txt)
This salient point dovetails with the above poster's assertion that a program that is currently being investigated for child sexual assault was championed by one or more parents on this site, despite the fact that the lawsuit and investigation are public knowledge (and completely unacknowledged on this site).
Food for thought.
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Wow, that is ownaj.
Now all they have to do is discuss it!
*crickets*
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A 70-page complaint! Those lawyers sure didn't fool around.
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and, twenty days to answer..
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Martin Quirk contended that the accusations against Hidden Lake Academy are merely the result of disgruntled parents who, after withdrawing their children prior to completion of the program, are now reluctant to forfeit their deposit. These fees, he added, are a normal part of such schools.
?A couple of parents that withdrew their children didn't like that provision, which they had signed,? said Quirk. ?And apparently blew it way out of proportion.?
You keep on believing that Marty......
At this weekends' Parent WorkShop, one parent told me that HLA
re-iterated "that it was a couple of disgruntled parents"....and basically no big thing...however, Cates neglected to say that HLA was being investigated by "ALL" STATE and corresponding Federal
Agencies.... Now, to understand this undertaking, there is no way
a firm like Berger and Montague would take this lawsuit if it did not have merit.... it is no different with the State and Federal agencies..
Investigations of this magnitude take time, man power and an exhorbitant amount of money....let's get real HLA....
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LIES. LIES AND MORE LIES.
A WAY OF LIFE AT HLA............
THEY PREACH IT
AND THEY TEACH IT!
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Martin Quirk contended that the accusations against Hidden Lake Academy are merely the result of disgruntled parents who, after withdrawing their children prior to completion of the program, are now reluctant to forfeit their deposit. These fees, he added, are a normal part of such schools.
?A couple of parents that withdrew their children didn't like that provision, which they had signed,? said Quirk. ?And apparently blew it way out of proportion.?
You keep on believing that Marty......
At this weekends' Parent WorkShop, one parent told me that HLA
re-iterated "that it was a couple of disgruntled parents"....and basically no big thing...however, Cates neglected to say that HLA was being investigated by "ALL" STATE and corresponding Federal
Agencies.... Now, to understand this undertaking, there is no way
a firm like Berger and Montague would take this lawsuit if it did not have merit.... it is no different with the State and Federal agencies..
Investigations of this magnitude take time, man power and an exhorbitant amount of money....let's get real HLA....
IF THIS WERE JUST A COUPLE OF DISGRUNTLED PARENTS AND THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG AT HLA, WHY IS HLA RUNNING AROUND CHANGING EVERYTHING?????
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Good question:
Dear Parents and Consultants:
Recently, we noticed an increase in the number of negative incidents in our medications dispensary. As we all know, degrees and certifications do not automatically make an organized, responsible employee. Personnel are consistently evaluated and staff changes made if we see no way of correcting the situation. All health-related organizations have negative incidents occur, but we always endeavor to address the issues and make changes in order to move forward.
Joe Stapp is now acting as the Dispensary supervisor. Joe is an Assistant Headmaster, clinical supervisor, and a former peer group counselor at Hidden Lake Academy.
In order to minimize errors and continue to provide quality care for the students, Joe is looking to implement the following changes:
Blister packaging medication in order to help with better medication management.
Acquiring delivery service from the pharmacy with whom HLA contracts.
Increasing communication among the dispensary staff in order to better coordinate dispensary duties.
Begin a more formal process of tracking dispensary activities to catch problems before they occur.
Begin cross-training assistant counselors on Dispensary duties to ensure adequate coverage in the Dispensary.
If you have any additional issues needing to be addressed involving the Dispensary, please feel free to contact Joe Stapp. We look forward to another great school year at HLA.
Sincerely,
Nicole Fuglsang, MA, NCC, LPC
Director of Admissions/ Public Relations
Hidden Lake Academy
nicolef@hiddenlakeacademy.com
phone (706) 864-4730
fax (706) 864-9109
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Let me guess... Joe can clearly identify the difference between welbutrin, prozac, and lexapro? How many other schools utilize non-nursing/medical staff to dispense medications (on a large volume basis)? Are the assistant counselors well versed on which meds get cheeked the most and distributed on campus. This is sort of like hearing the train whistle blow and having the vantage point of seeing that the bridge ahead is completely out. I sense a derailment coming up soon.
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IF THIS WERE JUST A COUPLE OF DISGRUNTLED PARENTS AND THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG AT HLA, WHY IS HLA RUNNING AROUND CHANGING EVERYTHING?????
Let's see....apparently..
Dr. Buccellato sited on campus....saying "Hi" on Monday.
Charles Cates not saying anything...well, some things don't change..
It has been reported that shredding is taking place....50
gallon drum for burning has been replaced...or has it been sidelined
temporarily....ask housekeeping...
Clay Erickson's M.D. has been removed from HLA website....M.D. was removed years back...
Clay Erickson has just been demoted from the 'Dispensary'...
Ease of Pulling your child now...no meetings, just good-bye..
Testimonials on web-site, is that new?
Faculty credentials now up-dated on web-site....
Perhaps while they are at it, they could release the childrens academic records now, since it is a federal regulation...
Anyone care to add to the lists??
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Now, he needs to lower the monthly tuition by one half!!
:cry2:
Justifiable, and in conjunction with qualifications, certification and facilities.
:wink:
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Am I correct in my assumption that it doesn't matter what changes they make now? The lawsuit focuses only on things that happened during the dates stated on the suit.
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Am I correct in my assumption that it doesn't matter what changes they make now? The lawsuit focuses only on things that happened during the dates stated on the suit.
That's they way it would appear, but the changes are an obvious attempt to right the wrongs of the years past. Parents should still hold HLA responsible for the resources HLA claims to currently have available versus what HLA actually currently has available.
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This is getting to be like "As HLA Turns"....
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Pick up your "Nugget"..... to enter "Soapville", Episode II...
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THe nuggett did such a great article last week,
this week I expected a follow up , but all was there was 3 PLANTED editorials from HLA EMPLOYEES
1- Charles Cates, sounds like writings of Buccellato, ( what no shame on you from Holloway this time)
2- Diane Stephenson, the GAY partner of employee Betty Greene, Diane is trying to extract funds from HLA for her charities and doing all she can not to get Betty fired, Betty can;t do counseling so what powder puff job have they created for her THIS TIME? HLA CAN NOT FIRE A GAY PERSON NO MATTER HOW INCOMPITENT
3- Barry Bailey , a paid clergy, lets see , he needs his paycheck right?
There was NOT ONE single community support letter that was not getting A PAYCHECK from the school. HLA you sure are good and making your people write the support letters. but what does the community think?
We broke Mountain Brook and we will break HLA , Isn't Time that you pack up and go away.
Thank you
Billy Wells
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THe nuggett did such a great article last week,
this week I expected a follow up , but all was there was 3 PLANTED editorials from HLA EMPLOYEES
1- Charles Cates, sounds like writings of Buccellato, ( what no shame on you from Holloway this time)
2- Diane Stephenson, the GAY partner of employee Betty Greene, Diane is trying to extract funds from HLA for her charities and doing all she can not to get Betty fired, Betty can;t do counseling so what powder puff job have they created for her THIS TIME? HLA CAN NOT FIRE A GAY PERSON NO MATTER HOW INCOMPITENT
3- Barry Bailey , a paid clergy, lets see , he needs his paycheck right?
There was NOT ONE single community support letter that was not getting A PAYCHECK from the school. HLA you sure are good and making your people write the support letters. but what does the community think?
We broke Mountain Brook and we will break HLA , Isn't Time that you pack up and go away.
Thank you
Billy Wells
Was this from today's paper?
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THe nuggett did such a great article last week,
this week I expected a follow up , but all was there was 3 PLANTED editorials from HLA EMPLOYEES
1- Charles Cates, sounds like writings of Buccellato, ( what no shame on you from Holloway this time)
2- Diane Stephenson, the GAY partner of employee Betty Greene, Diane is trying to extract funds from HLA for her charities and doing all she can not to get Betty fired, Betty can;t do counseling so what powder puff job have they created for her THIS TIME? HLA CAN NOT FIRE A GAY PERSON NO MATTER HOW INCOMPITENT
3- Barry Bailey , a paid clergy, lets see , he needs his paycheck right?
There was NOT ONE single community support letter that was not getting A PAYCHECK from the school. HLA you sure are good and making your people write the support letters. but what does the community think?
We broke Mountain Brook and we will break HLA , Isn't Time that you pack up and go away.
Thank you
Billy Wells
Betty Green is an "Addictions Counselor?"/Peer Group
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Can we get a link to those editorials. Everytime I try and bring up the webpage it just shows last weeks article. Nothing new.
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While you're waiting....
From AccessNoGeorgia
http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/hall/ ... ?ID=107326 (http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/hall/newfullstory.asp?ID=107326)
Updated Wednesday, September 27 at 7:01 AM
Lumpkin boarding school sued
by Ken Stanford/Scott Kimbler
GAINESVILLE - A therapeutic boarding school in Lumpkin County is being sued by the parents of two former students.
The 70-page complaint, filed in federal court in Gainesville against Hidden Lake Academy, alleges "the tragic mistreatment of trouble teenage students and their families."
The suit charges the therapeutic boarding school has been using non-certified teachers, has enrolled a number of "violent" or "severely disturbed" students, and has charged families for numerous incidental costs. All of this, and more, according to the litigation, is in direct contrast to Hidden Valley's stated mission and goals and objectives.
Mark Quirk, an attorney for Hidden Valley, said Tuesday the accusations are the result of disgruntled parents.
"That are not happy with the tuition agreement," he said. "And, they claim the marketing material does not reflect what is going on at the school."
The school is located at 830 Hidden Lake Road, Dahlonega.
According to the suit, it was founded in 1994 and is "geared to high school-aged students, typically between the ages of 12-18, who exhibit oppositional-defiant behavior, low self-esteem, depressing, alcoholism, drug addiction, attention deficit disorder, deteriorating family relationships and other social deficits.
It charges $5,900 a month in what the suit says "is represented...to be an all-inclusive tuition."
The plaintiffs, listed in the suit only as J.O.R. and R.R. of Florida, parents of T.R., who attended Hidden Lake between November 2004-May 2005 and D.M. and R.B. of Pennsylvania, parents of C.B., who attended the school from February 2005-August 2006.
Quirk said he feels the contract is plain and the law is on the schools side.
"The suit will be responded to and vigorously defended," Quirk said.
Related Links:
Hidden Lake Academy
Email Ken Stanford
Email Scott Kimbler
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http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/editorial/ (http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/editorial/)
To the editor:
I write in response to the cover story written by Matt Aiken in the Sept. 20 edition of The Dahlonega Nugget, ?Hidden Lake Academy faces class action law suit.?
Mr. Aiken summarizes the allegations of a class-action lawsuit without mentioning some important facts about Hidden Lake Academy that your readers should know, including the fact that Mr. Aiken was once employed by Hidden Lake Academy.
Established in 1994, Hidden Lake Academy treats students struggling with a number of issues, predominantly Oppositional Defiant Disorder (?ODD?). It is located on about 200 acres about 20 minutes from downtown Dahlonega in the mountains. Its facilities are state-of-the-art.
Unlike other schools, it is not a lock-down facility, meaning that the students may come and go as they please. Children with ODD are routinely uncooperative, defiant, and hostile towards authority figures to the extent that parents are at their wits' end as to how to deal with them.
Hidden Lake students also show addictive, compulsive, and self-destructive behaviors, behaviors addressed by the school's teachers and counselors. These students can be the most challenging students to treat and usually come to Hidden Lake Academy when the parents failed to find anything else that could help them.
Not only does Hidden Lake Academy treat these students, it is considered the premier institute in this area and has a high success rate. Part of the reason for this high success rate is the number of dedicated professionals that the school has to treat them. The number of the school's employees approximates the number of students it has.
This level of support provides opportunities for focused attention and has helped countless students.
HLA students have been accepted at some of the best colleges in the country and have become productive members of society.
The school's beautiful surroundings help the students realize that they are special, as does the carefully considered therapeutic program. Countless former students and parents of former students have thanked Hidden Lake Academy for the tremendous benefit of a Hidden Lake Academy education.
While I am not a lawyer, your readers should know that anyone can say practically anything they want in a court filing and that information is privileged under Georgia law, meaning that you cannot sue someone who defames you in a court filing.
Your readers should also know that this is an anonymous lawsuit brought by two students and their parents, meaning that the people making these allegations did not identify themselves in the lawsuit. A number of people on the Internet anonymously defame companies for the same reason, the lack of accountability. The lawsuit also apparently relies on erroneous information provided by disgruntled ex-employees.
Many of you know individuals employed by Hidden Lake and recognize their dedication in helping young people turn their lives around and become solid citizens. The employees of our school are hurt and angry by the allegations in the lawsuit. The lawsuit will be vigorously defended, and the allegations will be more specifically addressed by our defense team. In the meantime, we hope that the public will not judge our school based on the allegations in a court filing of two anonymous students and their parents and The Nugget's front-page summary of the allegations in that lawsuit.
Sincerely,
Charles Cates, PhD
Headmaster
Hidden Lake Academy
Hidden Lake needs community support
To the editor:
The front page attack by Atlanta lawyers on Hidden Lake founder and staff was a real one-sided lambasting, I must say, and it painted a pretty grim picture that might have had some justification if Hidden Lake was a normal school system.
When those lawyers made their blistering attack they conveniently forgot that Hidden Lake is a last chance boarding academy that offers objectively-defined teenagers an alternative to prison. Such a school is inherent with risks and the possibility of violence and retaliation.
Great risk comes with the territory for such a school like this to run successfully requires a staff with vision, compassion and belief in the young people who get sent there.
Students at Hidden Lake are offered a chance to redeem and rehabilitate themselves under the supervision of a compassionate yet heavily disciplined staff that ranges the gamut in educational and awareness expertise, and employs a host of dedicated personnel from educators, local ministers, specialized counselors, and athletic and physical education majors.
I myself am a part-time employee of the spiritual reflections staff and I have been traveling to Hidden Lake at least one Sunday per month to minister to students and help raise awareness by teaching Native American Spirituality and the Science of the Medicine Wheel.
I have taught at multi-cultural studies at NCG and hold a bachelor's degree in ministerial counseling from UBU, so I feel that I am qualified. I have been ministering to the young men and women of Hidden Lake for eight years, and I have become very fond and appreciative of the founder and staff at this facility.
In my eight years there, I have also become friends with many fine students who have graduated from HLA and went on to colleges and universities all over the country.
Without HLA, many of these students who graduated would never have had a chance.
It is true that HLA requires a non-refundable deposit, but this is standard for all boarding and rehab facilities in the U.S. Running such facilities requires great expense and a lot of risk-taking.
Such a facility also requires boot-camp style discipline, but this is so much better than prison, where personal favors, violence, hard labor and hopelessness are the norm.
I have had several conversations with Mr. Buccellato and every one of them has been centered around his consistent desire to find new and innovative ways to reach young men and women who are in trouble and need help.
He strikes me as a man willing to take the risks that most people will not take.
He is willing to reach out to the troubled young teen that for whatever reason finds him- or herself in dire straits. The dedicated core of his staff and the people who have stuck with him feel the same way.
They are a truly compassionate group of people who love what they do and they know from past experience at Hidden Lake that they can make a positive difference in a troubled teenager's life.
It is unfortunate that there are many families who cannot afford to send their troubled teen to Hidden Lake, but it is no different than going to see a doctor in Lumpkin County. There are many poor kids in Lumpkin County who can't afford to get their teeth fixed or see a doctor when they are sick. A visit to the doctor or dentist is no different from Hidden Lake. There are those who can afford it and there are those who can't.
We need to bridge the gap and support not only facilities like HLA but also encourage similar facilities for the poor among us so that financially-unable teens can also have a last chance alternative to prison and the opportunity to better themselves in a socially balanced co-ed atmosphere.
We have a unique and much-needed pioneering school system operating in Lumpkin County. HLA's accreditation is one of the first of its kind, and it fills a void in our educational system. HLA turns failure into success and is much deserving of our community support.
The kids at HLA are a great bunch and I love them all. I always get a good feeling when I see a Hidden Lake bus.
Sincerely,
Rev. Barry Bailey
Dawsonville
The other side of the story: the good HLA does
To the editor:
I am surprised that two disgruntled parents can cause enough havoc for their activities to reach the front page of The Nugget. Let me tell you another side of this story.
Len Buccellato, the president of Hidden Lake Academy (HLA), has been on the Board of United Way for Lumpkin County since its inception four years ago. One hundred percent of the school's employees have contributed every year to the United Way campaign. Is there another business in the community that can claim that record?
Another HLA owner, Ken Spooner, has been an active member of the Community Helping Place (CHP) Board for several years.
Through his efforts, HLA has sponsored the Gold Party-an event that raises considerable funding for food, clothing, and furniture for the poor of Lumpkin County. Income from the Gold Party amounts to about $40,000 a year; our county commission has just designated $5,000 a year for the same population. Is there another business in the community that can claim that record?
I have personally witnessed the daily work of HLA students in the social service agencies of this community. Each student, as a part of her/his learning experience, contributes several hours a week to supplement paid staff and volunteer time. Some of the organizations where you will regularly see HLA students are: NOA, Head Start, PAWS Animal Shelter, Senior Center, one of the nursing homes.
Is there another school in the community that gives its students such enriching opportunities for service?
Students also participate in the churches of this county.
I have personally observed and worshipped with incredibly perceptive students who contribute their own religious experiences.
Is there another school in the community that encourages students to seek answers to life's questions?
I know Clay Erickson as a caring human being who gives students an opportunity to learn that we all have made mistakes in our lives. Is there any parent in this community who would not want her kids to profit by examples from her own errors?
Lumpkin County needs to be proud of Hidden Lake Academy and its contributions to our daily life. I am hoping that each of us will provide support during this unfortunate time for them.
Sincerely,
Diane Stephenson
Dahlonega
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While you're waiting....
From AccessNoGeorgia
http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/hall/ ... ?ID=107326 (http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/hall/newfullstory.asp?ID=107326)
Updated Wednesday, September 27 at 7:01 AM
Lumpkin boarding school sued
by Ken Stanford/Scott Kimbler
GAINESVILLE - A therapeutic boarding school in Lumpkin County is being sued by the parents of two former students.
The 70-page complaint, filed in federal court in Gainesville against Hidden Lake Academy, alleges "the tragic mistreatment of trouble teenage students and their families."
The suit charges the therapeutic boarding school has been using non-certified teachers, has enrolled a number of "violent" or "severely disturbed" students, and has charged families for numerous incidental costs. All of this, and more, according to the litigation, is in direct contrast to Hidden Valley's stated mission and goals and objectives.
Mark Quirk, an attorney for Hidden Valley, said Tuesday the accusations are the result of disgruntled parents.
"That are not happy with the tuition agreement," he said. "And, they claim the marketing material does not reflect what is going on at the school."
The school is located at 830 Hidden Lake Road, Dahlonega.
According to the suit, it was founded in 1994 and is "geared to high school-aged students, typically between the ages of 12-18, who exhibit oppositional-defiant behavior, low self-esteem, depressing, alcoholism, drug addiction, attention deficit disorder, deteriorating family relationships and other social deficits.
It charges $5,900 a month in what the suit says "is represented...to be an all-inclusive tuition."
The plaintiffs, listed in the suit only as J.O.R. and R.R. of Florida, parents of T.R., who attended Hidden Lake between November 2004-May 2005 and D.M. and R.B. of Pennsylvania, parents of C.B., who attended the school from February 2005-August 2006.
Quirk said he feels the contract is plain and the law is on the schools side.
"The suit will be responded to and vigorously defended," Quirk said.
Related Links:
Hidden Lake Academy
Email Ken Stanford
Email Scott Kimbler
"Mark Quirk"? "Hidden Valley"? I can see this is some hard-hitting investigative reporting.
Do these folks even READ what they write? I wonder why people from north Georgia are viewed as "uneducated hicks"?
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I myself am a part-time employee of the spiritual reflections staff and I have been traveling to Hidden Lake at least one Sunday per month to minister to students and help raise awareness by teaching Native American Spirituality and the Science of the Medicine Wheel. Rev. Barry Bailey
Looks like Rev. Barry Bailey has his own agenda.
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While you're waiting....
From AccessNoGeorgia
http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/hall/ ... ?ID=107326 (http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/hall/newfullstory.asp?ID=107326)
Updated Wednesday, September 27 at 7:01 AM
Lumpkin boarding school sued
by Ken Stanford/Scott Kimbler
GAINESVILLE - A therapeutic boarding school in Lumpkin County is being sued by the parents of two former students.
The 70-page complaint, filed in federal court in Gainesville against Hidden Lake Academy, alleges "the tragic mistreatment of trouble teenage students and their families."
The suit charges the therapeutic boarding school has been using non-certified teachers, has enrolled a number of "violent" or "severely disturbed" students, and has charged families for numerous incidental costs. All of this, and more, according to the litigation, is in direct contrast to Hidden Valley's stated mission and goals and objectives.
Mark Quirk, an attorney for Hidden Valley, said Tuesday the accusations are the result of disgruntled parents.
"That are not happy with the tuition agreement," he said. "And, they claim the marketing material does not reflect what is going on at the school."
The school is located at 830 Hidden Lake Road, Dahlonega.
According to the suit, it was founded in 1994 and is "geared to high school-aged students, typically between the ages of 12-18, who exhibit oppositional-defiant behavior, low self-esteem, depressing, alcoholism, drug addiction, attention deficit disorder, deteriorating family relationships and other social deficits.
It charges $5,900 a month in what the suit says "is represented...to be an all-inclusive tuition."
The plaintiffs, listed in the suit only as J.O.R. and R.R. of Florida, parents of T.R., who attended Hidden Lake between November 2004-May 2005 and D.M. and R.B. of Pennsylvania, parents of C.B., who attended the school from February 2005-August 2006.
Quirk said he feels the contract is plain and the law is on the schools side.
"The suit will be responded to and vigorously defended," Quirk said.
Related Links:
Hidden Lake Academy
Email Ken Stanford
Email Scott Kimbler
"Mark Quirk"? "Hidden Valley"? I can see this is some hard-hitting investigative reporting.
Do these folks even READ what they write? I wonder why people from north Georgia are viewed as "uneducated hicks"?
It's been corrected:
Lumpkin boarding school sued
by Ken Stanford/Scott Kimbler
GAINESVILLE - A therapeutic boarding school in Lumpkin County is being sued by the parents of two former students.
The 70-page complaint, filed in federal court in Gainesville against Hidden Lake Academy, alleges "the tragic mistreatment of trouble teenage students and their families."
The suit charges the therapeutic boarding school has been using non-certified teachers, has enrolled a number of "violent" or "severely disturbed" students, and has charged families for numerous incidental costs. All of this, and more, according to the litigation, i
"The suit will be responded to and vigorously defended,"
Mark Quirk
s in direct contrast to Hidden Lake's stated mission and goals and objectives.
Mark Quirk, an attorney for Hidden Lake, said Tuesday the accusations are the result of disgruntled parents.
"That are not happy with the tuition agreement," he said. "And, they claim the marketing material does not reflect what is going on at the school."
The school is located at 830 Hidden Lake Road, Dahlonega.
According to the suit, it was founded in 1994 and is "geared to high school-aged students, typically between the ages of 12-18, who exhibit oppositional-defiant behavior, low self-esteem, depressing, alcoholism, drug addiction, attention deficit disorder, deteriorating family relationships and other social deficits.
It charges $5,900 a month in what the suit says "is represented...to be an all-inclusive tuition."
The plaintiffs, listed in the suit only as J.O.R. and R.R. of Florida, parents of T.R., who attended Hidden Lake between November 2004-May 2005 and D.M. and R.B. of Pennsylvania, parents of C.B., who attended the school from February 2005-August 2006.
Quirk said he feels the contract is plain and the law is on the school's side.
"The suit will be responded to and vigorously defended," Quirk said.
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Let's see if we can't respond to this elequent yet misguided reply:
Mr. Aiken summarizes the allegations of a class-action lawsuit without mentioning some important facts about Hidden Lake Academy that your readers should know, including the fact that Mr. Aiken was once employed by Hidden Lake Academy.
Tell me Chuck, why would you want to mention this fact? If anything it gives the story more creedence..see Matt is best suited to tell the story because he knows exactly what kind of bullshit goes on over there. Thanks for reminding everyone.
Established in 1994, Hidden Lake Academy treats students struggling with a number of issues, predominantly Oppositional Defiant Disorder (?ODD?). It is located on about 200 acres about 20 minutes from downtown Dahlonega in the mountains. Its facilities are state-of-the-art.
If by state of the art you mean run down and disgusting then yes I agree. Oh maybe he's refering to the new lab they just built, or perhaps the chapel that I hear is very nice. We also can't forget that by predominantly he means "every kid who walks through the door". This is due to the owners own admission that all kids are diagnosed with ODD. This is for as he puts it "Insurance purposes".
Unlike other schools, it is not a lock-down facility, meaning that the students may come and go as they please. Children with ODD are routinely uncooperative, defiant, and hostile towards authority figures to the extent that parents are at their wits' end as to how to deal with them.
They may come and go as they please, should they however go without our permission we will call the police and have them returned followed by trying to have them court ordered. If we catch them trying to leave while still on campus we will of course attack them to prevent them from doing so.
Hidden Lake students also show addictive, compulsive, and self-destructive behaviors, behaviors addressed by the school's teachers and counselors. These students can be the most challenging students to treat and usually come to Hidden Lake Academy when the parents failed to find anything else that could help them.
Now be honest Chuck, youre just guessing here. Afterall most students arent evaluated prior to being enrolled. As to other options there may in fact be other options, however since many Ed Cons are paid off they refuse to offer parents any.
Not only does Hidden Lake Academy treat these students, it is considered the premier institute in this area and has a high success rate. Part of the reason for this high success rate is the number of dedicated professionals that the school has to treat them. The number of the school's employees approximates the number of students it has.
The fact that many of these professionals are unqualified and unlicensed means nothing. As to being the premier institute in the area, isnt it the only institute in the area? Maybe Chuck hasnt gotten the memo yet about MBA getting shot down.
This level of support provides opportunities for focused attention and has helped countless students.
.....out of their college fund.
HLA students have been accepted at some of the best colleges in the country and have become productive members of society.
They are accepted provided we allow them their transcripts back. What we don't mention is that many traditional boarding schools around the country refuse to accept students who once attended here.
The school's beautiful surroundings help the students realize that they are special, as does the carefully considered therapeutic program. Countless former students and parents of former students have thanked Hidden Lake Academy for the tremendous benefit of a Hidden Lake Academy education.
And you can bet with unqualified teachers, that education is top notch!
While I am not a lawyer, your readers should know that anyone can say practically anything they want in a court filing and that information is privileged under Georgia law, meaning that you cannot sue someone who defames you in a court filing.
We do however sue people all the time for disagreeing with what we want them to think and say about our program.
Your readers should also know that this is an anonymous lawsuit brought by two students and their parents, meaning that the people making these allegations did not identify themselves in the lawsuit. A number of people on the Internet anonymously defame companies for the same reason, the lack of accountability. The lawsuit also apparently relies on erroneous information provided by disgruntled ex-employees.
What he's asking is should anyone out there know the names of the plantiffs to please contact him. It's amazing to me how at HLA the words 'honest' and 'disgruntled' are interchangable.
Many of you know individuals employed by Hidden Lake and recognize their dedication in helping young people turn their lives around and become solid citizens. The employees of our school are hurt and angry by the allegations in the lawsuit. The lawsuit will be vigorously defended, and the allegations will be more specifically addressed by our defense team. In the meantime, we hope that the public will not judge our school based on the allegations in a court filing of two anonymous students and their parents and The Nugget's front-page summary of the allegations in that lawsuit.
No please look into yourselves, you'll come to the same concluscions as the rest of us did.
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"Betty Green is an "Addictions Counselor?"/Peer Group"
This kills me. When my kid was there, she was a School Communicator. Then she was listed on the HLA website as a person who worked in the Shipping Dept. Now she's an Addictions Counselor.
Unbelievable.
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I am surprised that two disgruntled parents can cause enough havoc for their activities to reach the front page of The Nugget. Let me tell you another side of this story.
I hope it's a good one. Rest assured though Di-Di, there are many more than two.
Len Buccellato, the president of Hidden Lake Academy (HLA), has been on the Board of United Way for Lumpkin County since its inception four years ago. One hundred percent of the school's employees have contributed every year to the United Way campaign. Is there another business in the community that can claim that record?
100% really? Sooooo are they forced to contribute?
Another HLA owner, Ken Spooner, has been an active member of the Community Helping Place (CHP) Board for several years.
So Ken is an owner now? I was't aware of this.
Through his efforts, HLA has sponsored the Gold Party-an event that raises considerable funding for food, clothing, and furniture for the poor of Lumpkin County. Income from the Gold Party amounts to about $40,000 a year; our county commission has just designated $5,000 a year for the same population. Is there another business in the community that can claim that record?
Hey..you gotta pay off the right people sometimes. Too bad it didn't last.
I have personally witnessed the daily work of HLA students in the social service agencies of this community. Each student, as a part of her/his learning experience, contributes several hours a week to supplement paid staff and volunteer time. Some of the organizations where you will regularly see HLA students are: NOA, Head Start, PAWS Animal Shelter, Senior Center, one of the nursing homes.
So are the kids forced to do this? Don't some places consider that slavery?
Is there another school in the community that gives its students such enriching opportunities for service?
What the public schools there don't have optional service clubs?
Students also participate in the churches of this county.
Anything to get out of there for a little while.
I have personally observed and worshipped with incredibly perceptive students who contribute their own religious experiences.
Di-Di you go to church to worship, not to watch children.
Is there another school in the community that encourages students to seek answers to life's questions?
Yes...all of them.
I know Clay Erickson as a caring human being who gives students an opportunity to learn that we all have made mistakes in our lives. Is there any parent in this community who would not want her kids to profit by examples from her own errors?
Wasnt it just Dr. Erikson a short time ago? What happened?
Lumpkin County needs to be proud of Hidden Lake Academy and its contributions to our daily life. I am hoping that each of us will provide support during this unfortunate time for them.
Yeah...cause otherwise wifey is out of a job.
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"Betty Green is an "Addictions Counselor?"/Peer Group"
This kills me. When my kid was there, she was a School Communicator. Then she was listed on the HLA website as a person who worked in the Shipping Dept. Now she's an Addictions Counselor.
Unbelievable.
Betty Greene is not qualified to be an Addictions Counselor. She's not certified by any of the agencies.
B.A. Keuka College - New York. M.S. - North Georgia College & State University LAPC. Betty is active in the local Holly Theatre and donates her free time to community agencies.
From a previous post:
It appears to me that HLA needs two licenses to operate and provide the services they currently provide.
One: Residential Care Facility
http://rules.sos.state.ga.us/cgi-bin/pa ... x.html&d=1 (http://rules.sos.state.ga.us/cgi-bin/page.cgi?g=DEPARTMENT_OF_HUMAN_RESOURCES%2FFAMILY___CHILDREN_SERVICES__CHILD_CARE_INSTITUTIONS%2FCHILD_CARING_INSTITUTIONS%2Findex.html&d=1)
Two: Drug Abuse Treatment and Education Program (Considered a "Health Care Program")
http://rules.sos.state.ga.us/cgi-bin/pa ... x.html&d=1 (http://rules.sos.state.ga.us/cgi-bin/page.cgi?g=DEPARTMENT_OF_HUMAN_RESOURCES%2FMENTAL_HEALTH__MENTAL_RETARDATION___SUBSTANCE_ABUSE%2FDRUG_ABUSE_TREATMENT_AND_EDUCATION_PROGRAMS%2Findex.html&d=1)
Ever wonder why the RCF regs don't stipulate anything about Addiction/Substance Abuse treatment requirements. DATDP regs are a completely different license and set of regulations a program must adhere to if they provide treatment and/or education for Substance Abuse.
Did ORS know that HLA was providing Addictions Services? Surely if they ever bothered to look at the HLA website they would've seen a "Dir of Addictions Services" and an "Addictions Counselor"; although neither are Certified as Addictions Counselors. This fact alone should have dispelled any notion that HLA was exempt from licensure.
From the DATEP Regs:
290-4-2-.02 Title and Purposes. These rules shall be known as the Rules and Regulations for Drug Abuse Treatment and Education Programs. The purpose of these rules is to provide minimal requirements for the licensing and inspection of drug abuse treatment and education programs, not subject to regulation as licensed hospitals, or approved Emergency, Receiving, Evaluation and/or Treatment (ERET) services or licensed Narcotic Treatment Programs monitored by the State Methadone Authority.
(d) "Drug abuse treatment and education program" or "program" means any system of treatment or therapeutic advice or counsel provided for the rehabilitation of drug dependent persons and shall include programs offered in residential and/or non-residential settings.
(e) "Drug dependent person" means a person who is in imminent danger of becoming dependent upon or addicted to the use of drugs or who habitually lacks self-control as to the use of drugs or who uses drugs to the extent that his health is substantially impaired or endangered or his social or economic function is substantially disrupted.
(f) "Drugs" means any substance defined as a drug by federal or Georgia law or any other chemical substance which may be used in lieu of a drug to obtain similar effects, with the exception of alcohol and its derivative.
(o) "Residential Intensive Treatment Program" means a residential program staffed by professional and paraprofessional persons which provide highly structured treatment and therapeutic activities that focus on stabilization, abstinence, and skills required for recovery; [and] are not classified as a "residential sub-acute detoxification program".
(r) "Special Program" means a program that provides therapeutic services to drug dependent persons which does not fit into existing program classifications.
290-4-2-.05 Licenses. No governing body shall operate a drug abuse treatment and education program in the state without first obtaining a license or provisional license. A licensed program may offer one or more of the program services described in these rules.
(4) Clinical Director. The governing body of the program shall designate a clinical director who is responsible for all treatment services provided.
(6) The clinical director must be either a doctor of medicine licensed to practice in this state, or a licensed practitioner who is licensed to provide treatment, therapeutic advice or counsel for the rehabilitation of drug dependent persons in compliance with state practice acts, or a certified addiction counselor. [HLA of course, has none.]
Re: The Addictions Counselor/Director
Clay Erickson
Director of Addiction Services
B.A. - Pacific Southern University. M.A. ? Antioch University
http://www.hiddenlakeacademy.com/loadPr ... ?userID=35 (http://www.hiddenlakeacademy.com/loadProfile.aspx?userID=35)
So, they removed his MD. Under who's order?
Still don?t see any credentials that qualify him to hold the position of Director of Addiction Services.
http://wwf.fornits.com/viewtopic.php?t= ... c&start=30 (http://wwf.fornits.com/viewtopic.php?t=14370&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30)
Betty Greene
Addictions Counselor/Peer Group
B.A. Keuka College - New York. M.S. - North Georgia College & State University LAPC. Betty is active in the local Holly Theatre and donates her free time to community agencies.
?M.S.: Master of Science in Psychology Individuals with an M.S. degree in psychology have a background in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders and have a focus on clinical research. Professionals with this degree are often more inclined toward research than clinical practice.
L.A.P.C.: Licensed Associate Professional Counselor
May only practice under the supervision of an L.P.C. They must earn the L.P.C. within five years of obtaining the L.A.P.C. The practice must be a paid practice.
Who supervises Betty Greene?
What Are the Certifications for Addiction Counselors?
Certified Addiction Counselors ( CAC ) are not licensed so the consumer/client has no guarantees or protection. CACs are very effective in the field of addiction. Only a licensed therapist (as mentioned above) can deal with issues other than addiction. A licensed therapist may, in conjunction with a CAC , work with the client if he/she is addicted. No direct referral to a CAC should be made by anyone other than a licensed professional.
In other words, an AC must be an LPC and be Certified with GACA or must be an Assoc Counselor under the supervision of an LPC.
http://www.gaca.org/ (http://www.gaca.org/)
This info came from a very helpful site that lists all licensed professionals and the requirements to hold those positions in the state of Ga.
http://www.archatl.com/offices/cyp/vass ... apists.htm (http://www.archatl.com/offices/cyp/vassistance/therapists.htm)
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Mr. Aiken summarizes the allegations of a class-action lawsuit without mentioning some important facts about Hidden Lake Academy that your readers should know, including the fact that Mr. Aiken was once employed by Hidden Lake Academy.
Mr Aiken also did not provide any personal opinions about HLA, simply the unbiased facts of the lawsuit.
treats students struggling with a number of issues...addictive, compulsive, and self-destructive behaviors, behaviors..... the most challenging students to treat and usually come to HLA when the parents failed to find anything else that could help them.....a last chance boarding academy....an alternative to prison.....inherent with risks and the possibility of violence and retaliation.....Great risk comes with the territory for such a school like this...offered a chance to redeem and rehabilitate themselves.... requires boot-camp style discipline, but this is so much better than prison, where personal favors, violence, hard labor and hopelessness are the norm.
Sounds like Juvenile Delinquents.
Guess how they describe the kids and the programs purpose depends on which audience they are addressing.
HLA "treats" kids? Is ORS aware of this?
Treatment facility, or Private Boarding school that doesn't provide therapy?
Time to get off the fence.
You can't be a "Treatment Facility" to the public and a Boarding School that provides no therapy to the Regulatory Agency.
The good Rev is an employee? Why isn't he listed on the website?
Do parents know he works with their children?
Is he a Native American?
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The good Rev is an employee? Why isn't he listed on the website?
Do parents know he works with their children?
Good questions. This is the first I've ever heard of the guy. I was never told he was working with my child.
According to his editorial:
"I myself am a part-time employee of the spiritual reflections staff and I have been traveling to Hidden Lake at least one Sunday per month to minister to students and help raise awareness by teaching Native American Spirituality and the Science of the Medicine Wheel.
I have taught at multi-cultural studies at NCG and hold a bachelor's degree in ministerial counseling from UBU, so I feel that I am qualified. I have been ministering to the young men and women of Hidden Lake for eight years, and I have become very fond and appreciative of the founder and staff at this facility."
He feels he is qualified to do what? I don't know what kind of hocus-pocus the Science of the Medicine Wheel is, but I didn't pay $5700 per month for some wannabe to come in playing medicine man. What a bunch of crap.
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The Drums are Beating, hear them!
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The Drums are Beating, hear them!
Is that the burn-barrel drum we hear beating? :o
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I didn't pay $5700 per month for some wannabe to come in playing medicine man. What a bunch of crap.
That's about as ludicrous as him claiming to be a catholic priest and doing confessionals. Who did he study with? Who gave him his pipe? Who gave him permission to practice NA Spirituality?
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Diane and Len's connections go a little deeper than United Way
Diane Stephenson & Buccellato
http://hawkeye.ngcsu.edu/~gaystral/archives.htm (http://hawkeye.ngcsu.edu/~gaystral/archives.htm)
North Georgia Gay Straight alliance (NGGSA)
Lesbian owned B&B in Dahlonega, Georgia, USA - Above the Clouds
Lesbian owned B&B in Dahlonega, Georgia, USA - Above the Clouds: Come look out on a 50 mile view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Private suites, beautifully furnished. Exciting full breakfast. ... Contact(s):Diane Stephenson/Betty Greene. Lesbian Owned. Clientele: Lesbian ... Enjoy the view in a private bubble bath with shower ... back in the hot tub and gaze at the stars ...
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See, now this is the kind of shit that freaks me out. Didn't I read something here about Lenny and HLA treating homosexuality? What. The. Fuck.?????
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The united way campaign WAS mandatory, if you didn't contribute, it was seen as disloyalty by Len. Nothing there is voluntary, it's all a test of loyalty. We all know what happens to people who stand up to him or are percieved as disloyal. Is the 3,000 penalty for staff quiting still in effect?
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I have taught at multi-cultural studies at NCG and hold a bachelor's degree in ministerial counseling from UBU, so I feel that I am qualified. I have been ministering to the young men and women of Hidden Lake for eight years, and I have become very fond and appreciative of the founder and staff at this facility.
Is that the Universal Brotherhood University? If you happen by Fornits, might you give us a run-down on your practice?
Anyone else able to describe his "teachings"?
How were you "ministered" to?
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The united way campaign WAS mandatory, if you didn't contribute, it was seen as disloyalty by Len. Nothing there is voluntary, it's all a test of loyalty. We all know what happens to people who stand up to him or are percieved as disloyal. Is the 3,000 penalty for staff quiting still in effect?
What's the 3,000 penalty?
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Just as Diane Stephenson cited that Matt Aiken neglected to state that he was an English teacher at HIdden Lake Academy, with no degree.Diane neglected to say that her life partner, Betty Greene ,is an Addictions Counselor with no license at HLA..not to mention the Bed and Breakfast....
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Also, there are minor children involved, it is not anonymous, initials are used to protect the privacy of the children..and parents...HLA
knows darn good and well who the families in question are..
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Also, there are minor children involved, it is not anonymous, initials are used to protect the privacy of the children..and parents...HLA
knows darn good and well who the families in question are..
Of course they do. It's just an attempt to divert the attention off the real issues. Nice try though.
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The united way campaign WAS mandatory, if you didn't contribute, it was seen as disloyalty by Len. Nothing there is voluntary, it's all a test of loyalty. We all know what happens to people who stand up to him or are percieved as disloyal. Is the 3,000 penalty for staff quiting still in effect?
What's the 3,000 penalty?
As I understand, a counselor/teacher who leaves before an agreed upon date is fined $3000. Not sure about teachers, but PG counselors contract to stay until their PG graduates. It's a selling point.
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The united way campaign WAS mandatory, if you didn't contribute, it was seen as disloyalty by Len. Nothing there is voluntary, it's all a test of loyalty. We all know what happens to people who stand up to him or are percieved as disloyal. Is the 3,000 penalty for staff quiting still in effect?
What's the 3,000 penalty?
As I understand, a counselor/teacher who leaves before an agreed upon date is fined $3000. Not sure about teachers, but PG counselors contract to stay until their PG graduates. It's a selling point.
Damn! Bucci thinks of all sorts of ways to make money!
Side note - how legal is it to do something like that? Did anyone contact the state to find out?
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It is not inforceable and most of the counselors know it. That is why so many of them have left over the years despite the threat of penalty.
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HLA can withhold from their last checks...just like the parents 3 month deposit...both counselors and teachers have it in their contracts..
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Do you seriously think they're going to get that much money in a single check from HLA?
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HLA can withhold from their last checks...just like the parents 3 month deposit...both counselors and teachers have it in their contracts..
Hmmm... $500 weekly paycheck minus $3000. I can't see how that works.
Let's not forget: HLA pays dirt wages, then tries to steal those wages.
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HLA can withhold from their last checks...just like the parents 3 month deposit...both counselors and teachers have it in their contracts..
Hmmm... $500 weekly paycheck minus $3000. I can't see how that works.
Let's not forget: HLA pays dirt wages, then tries to steal those wages.
Unless he holds a portion of their wages in an accrual account, which is forfeited in the employee leaves early.
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This is such a deplorable situation and it just keeps going and going and going!
HIDDEN LAKE ACADEMY IS ABOUT CHIILDREN
STRUGGLING CHILDREN!
How in the world have they been able to operate as long as they have?
A business that profits from children and commands monthly tuition of $5,900 per month should be offering these counselors just the opposite.
As incentive and to acknowledge our gratitude to our newly hired counselors in good standing????you will receive a $3,000 bonus at the time your first peer group completes graduation!
Everything about HLA operations is SICK! :evil:
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IF THIS WERE JUST A COUPLE OF DISGRUNTLED PARENTS AND THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG AT HLA, WHY IS HLA RUNNING AROUND CHANGING EVERYTHING?????
Let's see....apparently..
Dr. Buccellato sited on campus....saying "Hi" on Monday.
Charles Cates not saying anything...well, some things don't change..
It has been reported that shredding is taking place....50
gallon drum for burning has been replaced...or has it been sidelined
temporarily....ask housekeeping...
Clay Erickson's M.D. has been removed from HLA website....M.D. was removed years back...
Clay Erickson has just been demoted from the 'Dispensary'...
Ease of Pulling your child now...no meetings, just good-bye..
Testimonials on web-site, is that new?
Faculty credentials now up-dated on web-site....
Perhaps while they are at it, they could release the childrens academic records now, since it is a federal regulation...
Anyone care to add to the lists??
NOW "ALL INCLUSIVE" HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THEIR WEB-SITE....
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This is such a deplorable situation and it just keeps going and going and going!
HIDDEN LAKE ACADEMY IS ABOUT CHIILDREN
STRUGGLING CHILDREN!
How in the world have they been able to operate as long as they have?
A business that profits from children and commands monthly tuition of $5,900 per month should be offering these counselors just the opposite.
As incentive and to acknowledge our gratitude to our newly hired counselors in good standing????you will receive a $3,000 bonus at the time your first peer group completes graduation![
b]Everything about HLA operations is SICK![/b] :evil:
They do have a bonus program for when your group graduates. It is based how many students in your group graduate.
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This is such a deplorable situation and it just keeps going and going and going!
HIDDEN LAKE ACADEMY IS ABOUT CHIILDREN
STRUGGLING CHILDREN!
How in the world have they been able to operate as long as they have?
A business that profits from children and commands monthly tuition of $5,900 per month should be offering these counselors just the opposite.
As incentive and to acknowledge our gratitude to our newly hired counselors in good standing????you will receive a $3,000 bonus at the time your first peer group completes graduation![
b]Everything about HLA operations is SICK![/b] :evil:
They do have a bonus program for when your group graduates. It is based how many students in your group graduate.
So that explains why the "counselors" do everything they can to
convince parents to keep their kids at HLA for the entire "program"
How twisted is that? My son's counselor told me of one girl who
was graduated from the program in spite of the fact that she had made no progress at all. Had this girl's interests been served?
NO! But HLA's bottom line had. These are despicable people.
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This is such a deplorable situation and it just keeps going and going and going!
HIDDEN LAKE ACADEMY IS ABOUT CHIILDREN
STRUGGLING CHILDREN!
How in the world have they been able to operate as long as they have?
A business that profits from children and commands monthly tuition of $5,900 per month should be offering these counselors just the opposite.
As incentive and to acknowledge our gratitude to our newly hired counselors in good standing????you will receive a $3,000 bonus at the time your first peer group completes graduation![
b]Everything about HLA operations is SICK![/b] :evil:
They do have a bonus program for when your group graduates. It is based how many students in your group graduate.
So that explains why the "counselors" do everything they can to
convince parents to keep their kids at HLA for the entire "program"
How twisted is that? My son's counselor told me of one girl who
was graduated from the program in spite of the fact that she had made no progress at all. Had this girl's interests been served?
NO! But HLA's bottom line had. These are despicable people.
This could explain why they also keep kids there that aren't appropriate for their program or kids who need help way above what they're qualified to provide. Pure GREED.
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See, now this is the kind of shit that freaks me out. Didn't I read something here about Lenny and HLA treating homosexuality? What. The. Fuck.?????
Did HLA ever claim to treat homosexuality?
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I think they very much used to. If I'm not mistaken it used to be on the website. I do know for a fact that many inmates were sent there by their parents for that very reason.
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Wait a second.....isn't Len gay?
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See, now this is the kind of shit that freaks me out. Didn't I read something here about Lenny and HLA treating homosexuality? What. The. Fuck.?????
Did HLA ever claim to treat homosexuality?
Yes, absolutely. When I worked there HLA claimed to parents that they could "treat" homosexuality. I sat in many reals with certain kids who were openly gay while uneducated, untrained "counselors" slammed them for being gay, painting it as a form of "oppositional defiance" of their parents' wishes.
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I think the whole thing behind "treating" homosexuality was that HLA tried to help kids that were struggling with their sexuality. HLA certainly was not trying to change gay kids into straight kids.
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Wait a second.....isn't Len gay?
Yes, he is. And recently there has been a lot of speculation that Charles Cates has failed to stand up to his moral, ethical and professional responsibilities due to his "relationship" with Len.
I'm not sure how "intimate" their relationship is, but many staff believe there is more there than only a "professional relationship."
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Alright now I'm really confused. Len's gay but HLA used to 'treat' homosexuality. DJ, who worked there, says kids were 'slammed' by staff for it and it was considered part of ODD????? What the hell?
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Wait a second.....isn't Len gay?
Yes, he is. And recently there has been a lot of speculation that Charles Cates has failed to stand up to his moral, ethical and professional responsibilities due to his "relationship" with Len.
I'm not sure how "intimate" their relationship is, but many staff believe there is more there than only a "professional relationship."
More confusion. I thought Len had a boyfriend named Ken. What the hell is going on there?
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I think the whole thing behind "treating" homosexuality was that HLA tried to help kids that were struggling with their sexuality. HLA certainly was not trying to change gay kids into straight kids.
According to the former staff members that's exactly what they were trying to do.
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Wait a second.....isn't Len gay?
Yes, he is. And recently there has been a lot of speculation that Charles Cates has failed to stand up to his moral, ethical and professional responsibilities due to his "relationship" with Len.
I'm not sure how "intimate" their relationship is, but many staff believe there is more there than only a "professional relationship."
More confusion. I thought Len had a boyfriend named Ken. What the hell is going on there?
Word is Bucci and Spoonie have an "open" relationship.
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Alright now I'm really confused. Len's gay but HLA used to 'treat' homosexuality. DJ, who worked there, says kids were 'slammed' by staff for it and it was considered part of ODD????? What the hell?
Anything for a dollar.....
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You all better be careful about slander. The defense is going to use things on this board to portray all of you as a bunch of crazies who are out to get HLA.
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You all better be careful about slander. The defense is going to use things on this board to portray all of you as a bunch of crazies who are out to get HLA.
More interchangeable words: crazies = disgruntled = honest.
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You all better be careful about slander. The defense is going to use things on this board to portray all of you as a bunch of crazies who are out to get HLA.
What part of the last hour of discussion isn't true?
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You all better be careful about slander. The defense is going to use things on this board to portray all of you as a bunch of crazies who are out to get HLA.
Awwww, SHH missed us. :rofl:
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I think the whole thing behind "treating" homosexuality was that HLA tried to help kids that were struggling with their sexuality. HLA certainly was not trying to change gay kids into straight kids.
This is incorrect. It was viewed as a behavior problem that could be changed. That's a fact. Put it in the book.
Remember, the headmaster at the time had no training or education at all in psychology or any related field and the counseling director was a phony "doctor" with a degree from a diploma mill. When you view it through that lens, it isn't hard to believe that they thought homosexuality could be treated as a behavior problem.
As crazy as it sounds, those nut jobs were crazy enough to believe it and say it.
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DJ, how did Len reconcile his own homosexuality with that at the time he was 'treating' students for it?
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DJ, how did Len reconcile his own homosexuality with that at the time he was 'treating' students for it?
I have no idea. He was never directly challenged on the issue in front of me, but other staffers and often wondered about that.
I think, again, it all just comes back to money. As long as the cash is coming in, introspection is unecessary.
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I have no idea. He was never directly challenged on the issue in front of me, but other staffers and often wondered about that.
I think, again, it all just comes back to money. As long as the cash is coming in, introspection is unecessary.
Oh I'm sure. Were the parents of these kids being treated for homosexuality aware of Len's sexual orientation at the time?
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He probably simply didnt care. As long as parents were ponying up the cash, what difference did it make?
You might ask yourself the same question as to why they can berate girls there for being whores if they've had one sexual partner, God help them if they've had more then one. Yet apparently Buchi's sexual appetite is insatiable, he just can't get enough. Hypocritical much?
As to Charlie its definitly been suggested that he may be in violation of the
sex agreement
Maybe he and Buch need to be placed on bans.
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I have no doubt that he didn't care and that the bottom line was the almighty $$$. What I'm curious about is if the parents were informed of HIS sexual orientation while they were expecting his facility to treat their own kids for the same thing.
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You all better be careful about slander. The defense is going to use things on this board to portray all of you as a bunch of crazies who are out to get HLA.
Didn't you jump around screaming this like crazy when people were posting about Bill? Hmm, whatever happened with that? Anyone been served by Big Bad Bill yet?
It ain't slander if it's true. DOH! :rofl:
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Robert, that post was not mine. I havent posted in weeks. Please verify with Deborah that the IP was not mine. I am not posting on these threads. Only reading some of them.
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:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
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Robert, that post was not mine. I havent posted in weeks. Please verify with Deborah that the IP was not mine. I am not posting on these threads. Only reading some of them.
Nor was the afore mentioned post mine. I am well aware that you have not posted in sometime and the reasons as to why. The offer I made to you in PM still stands.
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Aww come on now Robert. You can't throw a tease out there like that and not let us in on it!!
:flame: :D
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I have no idea. He was never directly challenged on the issue in front of me, but other staffers and often wondered about that.
I think, again, it all just comes back to money. As long as the cash is coming in, introspection is unecessary.
Oh I'm sure. Were the parents of these kids being treated for homosexuality aware of Len's sexual orientation at the time?
I really have no idea. We never spoke to the parents much. When parents were scheduled to come on campus, many of us were directed to round up the "problem children" and get them away from the main campus areas until the parents were gone.
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Robert, that post was not mine. I havent posted in weeks. Please verify with Deborah that the IP was not mine. I am not posting on these threads. Only reading some of them.
You're reading every goddamn one. ::bwahaha::
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I have no doubt that he didn't care and that the bottom line was the almighty $$$. What I'm curious about is if the parents were informed of HIS sexual orientation while they were expecting his facility to treat their own kids for the same thing.
I don't recall it being something that was broadcasted no. As inmates we sort of discovered it on our own, it wasn't difficult, there were always a number of openly gay employees there, and any disparaging remarks made regarding homosexuality were swiftly punished. If you mentioned it to your parents you were generally branded a homophobe and forced to attend sensitivty reals.
I knew of one inmate who was sent on an intervention simply because he said the word 'Queen' within earshot of Len. No matter that the inmate in question was not refering to either Len or homosexuals in general, simply the band.
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You all better be careful about slander. The defense is going to use things on this board to portray all of you as a bunch of crazies who are out to get HLA.
I would hope they'd have the good sense to not be so petty. I'm sure they wouldn't want the anonymous posts made from HLA revealed. Talk about crazy- posing as happy parents and ex-participants, commenting on previous clients "issues", baiting previous clients for personal information. Those are some I remember off-hand.
And by the way, while the majority of the 100+ posters who have posted in this forum have had direct experience with HLA, there is the ocassional poster who had no involvement, but drops in to comment. Which posts would the defense assign to which poster/plaintiff? Can't lump everyone together to draw any conclusions on a public forum.
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And by the way, while the majority of the 100+ posters who have posted in this forum have had direct experience with HLA, there is the ocassional poster who had no involvement, but drops in to comment.
:wave:
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:wave: ::kiss::
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I read this forum, and I have commented previously--and I have no involment with HLA, period. So, will I be sued, also?
This is a public forum, remember.
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:wave: ::kiss::
:wink: :D
I read this forum, and I have commented previously--and I have no involment with HLA, period. So, will I be sued, also?
This is a public forum, remember.
Nah, they're too scared. Especially right now. If they sued anyone they'd just open themselves up to way too much scrutiny that they're well aware they couldn't withstand.