The following episode contains disturbing and graphic accounts of survivor experiences. It may not be suitable for younger audiences. Please listen with care. Hey, it's Caroline. As many of our listeners know, I'm a survivor myself. I was sent to the Academy at Ivy Ridge when I was fourteen years old and didn't leave until I was almost seventeen. The Academy at ivy Ridge was a WASP affiliated facility located in upstate New York. Way upstate, like on the Canadian border. You could actually see Canada from the campus. It's this same school that was featured on the recent Netflix Stock You series the program. My time at ivy Ridge was a very difficult few years for my mom and me. It drove us apart instead of bringing us together like they had promised, something that we're still healing from to this day. In episode one, I told you this story was personal, and in this episode you'll find out why.

The following episode contains disturbing and graphic accounts of survivor experiences. It may not be suitable for younger audiences. Please listen with care. Hey, it's Caroline. As many of our listeners know, I'm a survivor myself. I was sent to the Academy at Ivy Ridge when I was fourteen years old and didn't leave until I was almost seventeen. The Academy at ivy Ridge was a WASP affiliated facility located in upstate New York. Way upstate, like on the Canadian border. You could actually see Canada from the campus. It's this same school that was featured on the recent Netflix Stock You series the program. My time at ivy Ridge was a very difficult few years for my mom and me. It drove us apart instead of bringing us together like they had promised, something that we're still healing from to this day. In episode one, I told you this story was personal, and in this episode you'll find out why.

From iHeartRadio London audio and executive producer Paris Hilton, this is Trapped in Treatment. We're your hosts. I'm Rebecca Mellinger Brown.

From iHeartRadio London audio and executive producer Paris Hilton, this is Trapped in Treatment. We're your hosts. I'm Rebecca Mellinger Brown.

And I'm Caroline Cole. We have one mission to make sure that no child has to experience the hell that is the trouble teen industry. This season is all about WASP, the Worldwide Association of Specialty Programs in Schools, one of the largest networks of treatment facilities in the industry, masterminded by one man, Robert Litchfield. The stories you will hear in today's episode are the personal allegations and accounts of myself, my mother, and two former staff who worked at the school I attended. All experiences, views, and opinions are our own.

And I'm Caroline Cole. We have one mission to make sure that no child has to experience the hell that is the trouble teen industry. This season is all about WASP, the Worldwide Association of Specialty Programs in Schools, one of the largest networks of treatment facilities in the industry, masterminded by one man, Robert Litchfield. The stories you will hear in today's episode are the personal allegations and accounts of myself, my mother, and two former staff who worked at the school I attended. All experiences, views, and opinions are our own.

Over the past five weeks, we've broken down the origins of the Worldwide Association of Specialty Programs in Schools, or WASP for short, and its creator, Robert Litchfield. Lichfield had his foot in the troubled teen industry door before establishing his programs. After getting his start as a dorm parent at Provocanian School, Robert Litchfield got an itch to open up programs of his own. He first enlisted the help of his brother in law, Dan Peart. Peerret opened Majestic Ranch on his property. Then Robert Litchfield's brother Narvin took over marketing for all things WASP. Plus the Internet was peeking its way into everyday life. So Narvin Litchfield jumped on this opportunity and helped his brother's programs become a top search result. While still in his early years, Robert attended a Life Spring seminar and ended up hiring two of the program's facilitators to develop a series of seminars for girls at his school in the Virkin, Utah. This set Lichfield's facilities apart from the rest of his competitors in the troubled team industry space and became the backbone of wasp's identity. Then, Litchfield gained operational control of a psychiatric hospital in Utah called Brightway, which funneled kids to various WASP affiliated programs, and though he would eventually stop directly running programs himself, allegations would continue to be generated against programs affiliated with Lichfield's organization. It seems to us that Robert Litchfield and his associates under stood the desperation of American families, focusing on the pain points and reeling families in one child at a time. We've taken you through multiple allegations told by survivors of various WASP programs, both in the United States and abroad. Some spoke about dog cages. Another claims she was used as a human doormat. It has been one dehumanizing and demeaning claim after the next.

Over the past five weeks, we've broken down the origins of the Worldwide Association of Specialty Programs in Schools, or WASP for short, and its creator, Robert Litchfield. Lichfield had his foot in the troubled teen industry door before establishing his programs. After getting his start as a dorm parent at Provocanian School, Robert Litchfield got an itch to open up programs of his own. He first enlisted the help of his brother in law, Dan Peart. Peerret opened Majestic Ranch on his property. Then Robert Litchfield's brother Narvin took over marketing for all things WASP. Plus the Internet was peeking its way into everyday life. So Narvin Litchfield jumped on this opportunity and helped his brother's programs become a top search result. While still in his early years, Robert attended a Life Spring seminar and ended up hiring two of the program's facilitators to develop a series of seminars for girls at his school in the Virkin, Utah. This set Lichfield's facilities apart from the rest of his competitors in the troubled team industry space and became the backbone of wasp's identity. Then, Litchfield gained operational control of a psychiatric hospital in Utah called Brightway, which funneled kids to various WASP affiliated programs, and though he would eventually stop directly running programs himself, allegations would continue to be generated against programs affiliated with Lichfield's organization. It seems to us that Robert Litchfield and his associates under stood the desperation of American families, focusing on the pain points and reeling families in one child at a time. We've taken you through multiple allegations told by survivors of various WASP programs, both in the United States and abroad. Some spoke about dog cages. Another claims she was used as a human doormat. It has been one dehumanizing and demeaning claim after the next.

As we've taken you through the stories of numerous survivors from various WASP programs, one thing remains apparent. There has been a huge lack of justice for the people who endured months or even years at these facilities. The extent of justice has been their ability to share their stories with you. As we dig into the world of WASP, we will continue to investigate why it was so challenging for survivors to hold WASP accountable.

As we've taken you through the stories of numerous survivors from various WASP programs, one thing remains apparent. There has been a huge lack of justice for the people who endured months or even years at these facilities. The extent of justice has been their ability to share their stories with you. As we dig into the world of WASP, we will continue to investigate why it was so challenging for survivors to hold WASP accountable.

Last week, we heard the stories of Chelsea and Marina, two young women who were first sent to Kossa by the Sea and then to High Impact, two facilities in northern Mexico that were seemingly attached to WASP, though senior leadership denied being connected to High Impact at the time.

Last week, we heard the stories of Chelsea and Marina, two young women who were first sent to Kossa by the Sea and then to High Impact, two facilities in northern Mexico that were seemingly attached to WASP, though senior leadership denied being connected to High Impact at the time.

They didn't even make you like They didn't make you feel like a human, but they also didn't make you feel like an animal.

They didn't even make you like They didn't make you feel like a human, but they also didn't make you feel like an animal.

I don't know how to explain it.

I don't know how to explain it.

It was so demoralizing.

It was so demoralizing.

High Impact had a reputation for and history of allegations of abuse, but its cross border location specifically made it difficult for American officials to investigate the claims that abounded at the time. As we also know from some of the claims brought up in other episodes, horrifying conditions weren't exclusive to international waters.

High Impact had a reputation for and history of allegations of abuse, but its cross border location specifically made it difficult for American officials to investigate the claims that abounded at the time. As we also know from some of the claims brought up in other episodes, horrifying conditions weren't exclusive to international waters.

To US.

To US.

It seems like Robert Litchfield and his associates found a way to capitalize on the pain of families and crisis. It feels like they took advantage of fractured relationships in scared parents, and in doing so created a framework for WASP to generate millions of dollars. For some families, it would cost them everything. Families like mine. Though several WASP affiliated facilities were located outside of the US, today we will be focusing on one a little bit closer to home in Upstate New York. Parenting a teenager isn't easy. As a mother of a teen myself, I live and breathe it every day. It's a time of rapid growth. They're finding their independence, pushing boundaries, and preparing for adulthood as they should. As difficult as this moment may be, it's a natural part of growing up. It can be rocky, and when our children start making questionable choices, it can cause any parent to worry. A fearful parent will do anything for their child, including my own mother, Meretith Sinclair, who you'll hear throughout this episode. Our problems started when I was still pretty young.

It seems like Robert Litchfield and his associates found a way to capitalize on the pain of families and crisis. It feels like they took advantage of fractured relationships in scared parents, and in doing so created a framework for WASP to generate millions of dollars. For some families, it would cost them everything. Families like mine. Though several WASP affiliated facilities were located outside of the US, today we will be focusing on one a little bit closer to home in Upstate New York. Parenting a teenager isn't easy. As a mother of a teen myself, I live and breathe it every day. It's a time of rapid growth. They're finding their independence, pushing boundaries, and preparing for adulthood as they should. As difficult as this moment may be, it's a natural part of growing up. It can be rocky, and when our children start making questionable choices, it can cause any parent to worry. A fearful parent will do anything for their child, including my own mother, Meretith Sinclair, who you'll hear throughout this episode. Our problems started when I was still pretty young.

It starts slowly. It's not something that as all of a sudden a big event. Usually, I think, not just for us, but for other families, other kids.

It starts slowly. It's not something that as all of a sudden a big event. Usually, I think, not just for us, but for other families, other kids.

You know, some things that seemed easy for other kids just weren't for me. I was smart and would complete school projects, and then I just wouldn't turn them in. I found myself daydreaming in class, and I had a hard time focusing. I would have rather been anywhere else. I now realize that I probably had undiagnosed ADHD. On top of that, when my relationship with my mom and family started to fall apart, I started rebelling.

You know, some things that seemed easy for other kids just weren't for me. I was smart and would complete school projects, and then I just wouldn't turn them in. I found myself daydreaming in class, and I had a hard time focusing. I would have rather been anywhere else. I now realize that I probably had undiagnosed ADHD. On top of that, when my relationship with my mom and family started to fall apart, I started rebelling.

I'll say'm fifth grade. I started getting phone calls from her school that were maybe once a month with a problem that happened, not like she didn't turn in her homework or something, but bigger problems. So maybe that was once a month, and then it escalated to twice a month, and then in sixth grade, it was got to be say every week. Well, since it does start slowly, you know, you're seeing things and so it's like, okay, well, I'll implement the normal parent thing, which is okay, Well, because this happened, you are grounded for two weeks a week or what you know what I mean. You're just kind of like seeing it in Like now I can look back and see the whole movie. I can see the whole picture. I can see what should have been done. Okay, But at the time I had started just doing regular things that we all do well. Then things got bigger and the consequences got bigger, and things escalated.

I'll say'm fifth grade. I started getting phone calls from her school that were maybe once a month with a problem that happened, not like she didn't turn in her homework or something, but bigger problems. So maybe that was once a month, and then it escalated to twice a month, and then in sixth grade, it was got to be say every week. Well, since it does start slowly, you know, you're seeing things and so it's like, okay, well, I'll implement the normal parent thing, which is okay, Well, because this happened, you are grounded for two weeks a week or what you know what I mean. You're just kind of like seeing it in Like now I can look back and see the whole movie. I can see the whole picture. I can see what should have been done. Okay, But at the time I had started just doing regular things that we all do well. Then things got bigger and the consequences got bigger, and things escalated.

One day, when I was in the eighth grade, I got into a fight at school. A girl had thrown a basketball at me over a boy, and I felt like I had to defend myself. I ended up getting suspended. I admit it wasn't my shining moment, but this is when things really began to take a downward turn. I was angry at my mom. I felt resentful about dynamics and our family, and I felt like I had no one. On top of that, she didn't approve of my friends, how I dressed, or the music I listened to, which resulted in a lot of arguments and hurt feelings. But what hurt the most is I felt like I was losing my best friend, my mom. We couldn't see to eye. I mean, I was a teenager, But what I didn't understand at the time was that my mom didn't have all the answers and was trying to figure out this thing called life too. She was a single mom and was only twenty too when she had me. As children, we think our parents know everything, they are the ultimate authority. But as a mother now myself, I realized that it's not quite that simple.

One day, when I was in the eighth grade, I got into a fight at school. A girl had thrown a basketball at me over a boy, and I felt like I had to defend myself. I ended up getting suspended. I admit it wasn't my shining moment, but this is when things really began to take a downward turn. I was angry at my mom. I felt resentful about dynamics and our family, and I felt like I had no one. On top of that, she didn't approve of my friends, how I dressed, or the music I listened to, which resulted in a lot of arguments and hurt feelings. But what hurt the most is I felt like I was losing my best friend, my mom. We couldn't see to eye. I mean, I was a teenager, But what I didn't understand at the time was that my mom didn't have all the answers and was trying to figure out this thing called life too. She was a single mom and was only twenty too when she had me. As children, we think our parents know everything, they are the ultimate authority. But as a mother now myself, I realized that it's not quite that simple.

So I had talked to many doctors. I had talked to her a physician, you know her regular you kind of start at like the primary care physician.

So I had talked to many doctors. I had talked to her a physician, you know her regular you kind of start at like the primary care physician.

And I had reached out to a lot of people.

And I had reached out to a lot of people.

And I was getting therapy on my own, you know, for my own issues, and then also obviously involving my daughter. That was a major component of things falling apart and our family. So I had talked to anyone and everyone. I'd made phone calls to doctors people I didn't even know in person, just they were recommended. They might have been clear across the country trying to get some help.

And I was getting therapy on my own, you know, for my own issues, and then also obviously involving my daughter. That was a major component of things falling apart and our family. So I had talked to anyone and everyone. I'd made phone calls to doctors people I didn't even know in person, just they were recommended. They might have been clear across the country trying to get some help.

In this moment, I realized that maybe it hadn't been as easy as I thought for her to let me go.

In this moment, I realized that maybe it hadn't been as easy as I thought for her to let me go.

Most parents, most people who have kids, you feel like you're doing the right thing. So it starts out just like, Okay, well, I mean, I'm quite sure she's going to learn from this, because there was a punishment for it, you know, being grounded or whatever. And then you can see that that's not working. That didn't work. You know, Caroline would wait out her two weeks of being grounded, which often entailed no computer, no TV. I put all that in my trunk so she couldn't access it, blah blah blah. And then you know, you get to a point after talking to so many people, there's really no help, effective help from anyone, or helpful ideas. So really you get to the point of despair. That's how I felt, anyways, which is what me to sending her to this program. If someone you know, at that point, she was in eighth grade, So if I could have gone back, or thinking back, if someone would have suggested sending her somewhere or even in seventh grade or sixth grade, I would have thought, oh, gosh, no, I would never do that, you know, my first reaction. But things had escalated so much that I was searching and searching for help, not to get rid of her, not to send her off, not as a punishment. I thought it was true help.

Most parents, most people who have kids, you feel like you're doing the right thing. So it starts out just like, Okay, well, I mean, I'm quite sure she's going to learn from this, because there was a punishment for it, you know, being grounded or whatever. And then you can see that that's not working. That didn't work. You know, Caroline would wait out her two weeks of being grounded, which often entailed no computer, no TV. I put all that in my trunk so she couldn't access it, blah blah blah. And then you know, you get to a point after talking to so many people, there's really no help, effective help from anyone, or helpful ideas. So really you get to the point of despair. That's how I felt, anyways, which is what me to sending her to this program. If someone you know, at that point, she was in eighth grade, So if I could have gone back, or thinking back, if someone would have suggested sending her somewhere or even in seventh grade or sixth grade, I would have thought, oh, gosh, no, I would never do that, you know, my first reaction. But things had escalated so much that I was searching and searching for help, not to get rid of her, not to send her off, not as a punishment. I thought it was true help.

Like so many other parents, my mom got online. The internet was new, and she didn't know anything about keywords or targeted ads like we do today.

Like so many other parents, my mom got online. The internet was new, and she didn't know anything about keywords or targeted ads like we do today.

Again, I had never heard of anyone else doing it, however, and looking at the program online. I didn't go online searching for a program. I didn't even know that they existed. Was just searching for help, a book, an article, other parents, a blog, vlog, whatever, to get some help. But then you know, I came across this program, so yeah, you know, I think I was looking up like videos, you know, anything like or even just books I could buy to read to help. Well, whatever keywords I put in, like teenager, problems at home, problems at school, whatever, I mean, I just you know, drug use, this that alcohol use or you know, stealing things or you know all those key words. Of course, well, what do you know, here's troubled Team websites information. It wasn't really presented in a way at the time. When I saw it like a splashy ad with a splashy website, you know, it was more like like supposed to be for another parent. Oh thank goodness, I sent my child to I be rig or casted by the sea, or whatever other ones there were at the time in that group. So I felt like, oh, wait a minute, what this is something that this person had success with, you know, so I kind of think that those were just I think those were not real. As I found out.

Again, I had never heard of anyone else doing it, however, and looking at the program online. I didn't go online searching for a program. I didn't even know that they existed. Was just searching for help, a book, an article, other parents, a blog, vlog, whatever, to get some help. But then you know, I came across this program, so yeah, you know, I think I was looking up like videos, you know, anything like or even just books I could buy to read to help. Well, whatever keywords I put in, like teenager, problems at home, problems at school, whatever, I mean, I just you know, drug use, this that alcohol use or you know, stealing things or you know all those key words. Of course, well, what do you know, here's troubled Team websites information. It wasn't really presented in a way at the time. When I saw it like a splashy ad with a splashy website, you know, it was more like like supposed to be for another parent. Oh thank goodness, I sent my child to I be rig or casted by the sea, or whatever other ones there were at the time in that group. So I felt like, oh, wait a minute, what this is something that this person had success with, you know, so I kind of think that those were just I think those were not real. As I found out.

Later, my mother had no support, no system in place to guide her. She called the number on the website and what she heard spoke to her worst fears.

Later, my mother had no support, no system in place to guide her. She called the number on the website and what she heard spoke to her worst fears.

You know.

You know.

I feel like they really capitalized on our pain and sorrow and the problems we were going through. They they capitalized on that. And yeah, so it was time as of the essence, either they were filling up or really looking back on it now, the guilt trips. Do you want to be responsible? So if I say, your daughter's dad, things like that, which at the time, I was so overwhelmed, as parents are at that point at that stage, because you've tried talking to everybody, you know, doing every single thing you can to help your family. So you get to that point, Yeah, of course you're as a parent, you're thinking, well, no, no, of course I wouldn't want that. Even if you don't answer it outwardly, like inside yourself, it's a feeling of oh my gosh, that could I've got to do something now, you know.

I feel like they really capitalized on our pain and sorrow and the problems we were going through. They they capitalized on that. And yeah, so it was time as of the essence, either they were filling up or really looking back on it now, the guilt trips. Do you want to be responsible? So if I say, your daughter's dad, things like that, which at the time, I was so overwhelmed, as parents are at that point at that stage, because you've tried talking to everybody, you know, doing every single thing you can to help your family. So you get to that point, Yeah, of course you're as a parent, you're thinking, well, no, no, of course I wouldn't want that. Even if you don't answer it outwardly, like inside yourself, it's a feeling of oh my gosh, that could I've got to do something now, you know.

I knew at the.

I knew at the.

Time that my family really needed help. I was willing to do anything to fix our family. Neither of us were happy when the transporters arrived at my house to take me to Ivy Ridge. My mom actually told me that I was going to boarding school, and I was excited. I thought that this was going to be a college like experience. I was going to have a dorm room and make friends. We'd paint each other's nails and stay up late talking about boys, and I thought it was going to be a chance for me to figure out who I was outside of the pressure of my life at home. But it wouldn't turn out like either of us expected. I was sent away in June two thousand and four to the Academy at Ivy Ridge, a facility in Ogdensburg, New York. It's a tiny little town of about ten thousand people, surrounded by farmland and the Saint Lawrence River. Being this far away from home and the places I knew made Ivy Ridge feel even more isolated. Megan and her younger sister Andrea were both dorm parents during my time there. They were a bit nervous for the interview as it was the first time they have ever spoken publicly about their experiences working there. During their employment, they were about twenty one and nineteen years old, only two or three years older than some of the girls in their care including me. Here's Megan Oh.

Time that my family really needed help. I was willing to do anything to fix our family. Neither of us were happy when the transporters arrived at my house to take me to Ivy Ridge. My mom actually told me that I was going to boarding school, and I was excited. I thought that this was going to be a college like experience. I was going to have a dorm room and make friends. We'd paint each other's nails and stay up late talking about boys, and I thought it was going to be a chance for me to figure out who I was outside of the pressure of my life at home. But it wouldn't turn out like either of us expected. I was sent away in June two thousand and four to the Academy at Ivy Ridge, a facility in Ogdensburg, New York. It's a tiny little town of about ten thousand people, surrounded by farmland and the Saint Lawrence River. Being this far away from home and the places I knew made Ivy Ridge feel even more isolated. Megan and her younger sister Andrea were both dorm parents during my time there. They were a bit nervous for the interview as it was the first time they have ever spoken publicly about their experiences working there. During their employment, they were about twenty one and nineteen years old, only two or three years older than some of the girls in their care including me. Here's Megan Oh.

I was looking for a job because I had just moved to New York and.

I was looking for a job because I had just moved to New York and.

So our background we were raised Mormon, and my mom was going to the LDS Church in Potsdam, and she had found out or heard about the academy, because if you're from Saint Mawrence County, you know the Academy at Ivy Ridge. We didn't, however, so I was looking for a job and they were hiring. At that time, I was torn between working at a radio station or working at the.

So our background we were raised Mormon, and my mom was going to the LDS Church in Potsdam, and she had found out or heard about the academy, because if you're from Saint Mawrence County, you know the Academy at Ivy Ridge. We didn't, however, so I was looking for a job and they were hiring. At that time, I was torn between working at a radio station or working at the.

Academy at Ivy Ridge.

Academy at Ivy Ridge.

And the radio station was going to pay me six dollars an hour, and the academy was going to pay me probably around that. However, we would get paid more because we had like nights on and nights off, so you'd get extra money because you were there for days at a time.

And the radio station was going to pay me six dollars an hour, and the academy was going to pay me probably around that. However, we would get paid more because we had like nights on and nights off, so you'd get extra money because you were there for days at a time.

So as a twenty.

So as a twenty.

One year old who was looking for a job, I was like, of course, I'm going to choose the one where I'm going to get more money.

One year old who was looking for a job, I was like, of course, I'm going to choose the one where I'm going to get more money.

At twenty one years old, Megan was hired and would become intricately involved in the lives of young, impressionable girls. But it wasn't just about the money for her. There was another reason she felt drawn to the school for girls.

At twenty one years old, Megan was hired and would become intricately involved in the lives of young, impressionable girls. But it wasn't just about the money for her. There was another reason she felt drawn to the school for girls.

What we thought we were getting into wasn't what we were doing.

What we thought we were getting into wasn't what we were doing.

So it was about a job, but at the same time, it was also about working with women or girls who we were told that had behavioral issues. And we have our own backgrounds and probably could have ended up there too, you know, honestly. So my biggest thing growing up was like helping girls not have to go through some of the shit that we went through.

So it was about a job, but at the same time, it was also about working with women or girls who we were told that had behavioral issues. And we have our own backgrounds and probably could have ended up there too, you know, honestly. So my biggest thing growing up was like helping girls not have to go through some of the shit that we went through.

So in my mind, that's what I thought we were going to do.

So in my mind, that's what I thought we were going to do.

Andrea, her sister, felt the same, like.

Andrea, her sister, felt the same, like.

A mentorship program almost like be a mentor for these girls to and and this is probably what we created in our own minds because it's the most part of this thing from the reality of what actually happened when we started working there.

A mentorship program almost like be a mentor for these girls to and and this is probably what we created in our own minds because it's the most part of this thing from the reality of what actually happened when we started working there.

Once hired, they were assigned a group of girls.

Once hired, they were assigned a group of girls.

But I do remember going and being interviewed by like the head guy. I don't think that I trained for very long underneath somebody, though I really think it was.

But I do remember going and being interviewed by like the head guy. I don't think that I trained for very long underneath somebody, though I really think it was.

In my mind. It was just a few days before I had my own family.

In my mind. It was just a few days before I had my own family.

Andrea felt whatever training they did receive was inadequate.

Andrea felt whatever training they did receive was inadequate.

We were not qualified, Like I can't say bad enough. We were not I had a CNA certification, certified nurses Aid and that's what I did for a couple of months prior to working there, But I didn't have a college degree. I didn't even go to college until after I left working at Academy. I was just thrown into it, like, here's your group of girls. These are the rules. They're supposed to follow. This as their schedule. So like seen twenty one, no experience, just here you go, now be in charge of these girls.

We were not qualified, Like I can't say bad enough. We were not I had a CNA certification, certified nurses Aid and that's what I did for a couple of months prior to working there, But I didn't have a college degree. I didn't even go to college until after I left working at Academy. I was just thrown into it, like, here's your group of girls. These are the rules. They're supposed to follow. This as their schedule. So like seen twenty one, no experience, just here you go, now be in charge of these girls.

What they say they were taught was how to dole out punishment. Here's Andrea again explaining her perspective of what she recalls while working there.

What they say they were taught was how to dole out punishment. Here's Andrea again explaining her perspective of what she recalls while working there.

You demoted the girls for everything that they did, and I mean everything, and as a staff, you would like get in trouble if you did not give out like demerits and if you're it was impossible for your family to have a perfect day without demerits. If that was the case, you as a staff were not doing your job, and so then it would come down on you. So it was like you were forced to find reasons to punish these girls and take their points away so that they couldn't rank up. And so that was something that was really hard because you formed bonds of these They were kids, Like I was nineteen, and some of them were like a year if not the same age as I was, but some of them were as young as like twelve years old. And it's like, when you don't feel good, you just want to be comforted, but as a staff, you're not allowed to comfort them because you would get in trouble because then they're just basically playing on your emotions and taking advantage of you and like manipulating you. That was a big thing that you were always being manipulated by these girls, so you would you would have to go out of the way to find things that they did wrong, even if they didn't necessarily do anything wrong. Or if maybe they did do something wrong but it was like insignificant. But to them, it wasn't like if they dropped their pen on the floor, then they were not being considerate of their family and being disruptive. You would have to give them a demera. And it's like was like this, it's like psychological warfare.

You demoted the girls for everything that they did, and I mean everything, and as a staff, you would like get in trouble if you did not give out like demerits and if you're it was impossible for your family to have a perfect day without demerits. If that was the case, you as a staff were not doing your job, and so then it would come down on you. So it was like you were forced to find reasons to punish these girls and take their points away so that they couldn't rank up. And so that was something that was really hard because you formed bonds of these They were kids, Like I was nineteen, and some of them were like a year if not the same age as I was, but some of them were as young as like twelve years old. And it's like, when you don't feel good, you just want to be comforted, but as a staff, you're not allowed to comfort them because you would get in trouble because then they're just basically playing on your emotions and taking advantage of you and like manipulating you. That was a big thing that you were always being manipulated by these girls, so you would you would have to go out of the way to find things that they did wrong, even if they didn't necessarily do anything wrong. Or if maybe they did do something wrong but it was like insignificant. But to them, it wasn't like if they dropped their pen on the floor, then they were not being considerate of their family and being disruptive. You would have to give them a demera. And it's like was like this, it's like psychological warfare.

There's that term again, psychological warfare. Day to day life in the program was soul crushing. No matter how hard you tried, there was a consequence waiting just around the corner, and the tiniest mistake could set you back.

There's that term again, psychological warfare. Day to day life in the program was soul crushing. No matter how hard you tried, there was a consequence waiting just around the corner, and the tiniest mistake could set you back.

I can't imagine living as a child in that punitive of an environment, one that masquerades is helping kids and reunifying families.

I can't imagine living as a child in that punitive of an environment, one that masquerades is helping kids and reunifying families.

Ivy Ridge admitted on their then website that the base program was not therapeutic, and that therapy could be made available at an additional cost. Their program was based in behavior modification. It had all the trappings of a classic WASP program, the same levels, worksheets, observational placement, strict structure, and silence we've heard from in various programs already discussed in this season. One piece of the WASP model we haven't fully touched on yet is that we were not allowed to talk at all for any reason. We were required to be an absolute silence. This means that we couldn't even say thank you, or if you're walking past someone to say excuse me. It was complete silence at all times. They actually had a talk list that you could sign up on if you wanted to talk to someone, and so there were certain parts of the day throughout the week they would go down this list and you were allowed to talk for five minutes to someone of your choice. What that really turned out to look like is you were only allowed to talk freely for about five minutes, maybe maybe every two weeks. I challenge anyone who is listening to try to not talk for one day. We weren't even allowed to look at each other or to make eye contact or turn our heads out of line if someone was talking. We had to literally just act as if no one around us existed. And it was extremely stressful because we're social, we are social people, and spending that much time in silence. I always just like to emphasize what really happens is you just turn inside yourself. You're in an environment that's scary, you're hearing yelling and screaming around you. You're seeing your fellow peers, people that you care about, getting physically restrained, and you can do nothing about it. My experience at Ivy Ridge was the farthest thing from family reunification. The very reason why my mom had signed me up. I think at the time my mom knew very little. Everything is explained away by the facility. Everything has a justification from the very start. They're telling the parents you're not allowed to talk to your child. They said at the time that we needed to acclimate to life there, and if you talk to them on the phone, then they're going to want to go home. It was never suspected that they were using that as a tool to silence us. My mom truly thought, Okay, well, this is a method that they recommend, and again you're believing their expertise. You're believing because they say, we do this with families all the time, and it works.

Ivy Ridge admitted on their then website that the base program was not therapeutic, and that therapy could be made available at an additional cost. Their program was based in behavior modification. It had all the trappings of a classic WASP program, the same levels, worksheets, observational placement, strict structure, and silence we've heard from in various programs already discussed in this season. One piece of the WASP model we haven't fully touched on yet is that we were not allowed to talk at all for any reason. We were required to be an absolute silence. This means that we couldn't even say thank you, or if you're walking past someone to say excuse me. It was complete silence at all times. They actually had a talk list that you could sign up on if you wanted to talk to someone, and so there were certain parts of the day throughout the week they would go down this list and you were allowed to talk for five minutes to someone of your choice. What that really turned out to look like is you were only allowed to talk freely for about five minutes, maybe maybe every two weeks. I challenge anyone who is listening to try to not talk for one day. We weren't even allowed to look at each other or to make eye contact or turn our heads out of line if someone was talking. We had to literally just act as if no one around us existed. And it was extremely stressful because we're social, we are social people, and spending that much time in silence. I always just like to emphasize what really happens is you just turn inside yourself. You're in an environment that's scary, you're hearing yelling and screaming around you. You're seeing your fellow peers, people that you care about, getting physically restrained, and you can do nothing about it. My experience at Ivy Ridge was the farthest thing from family reunification. The very reason why my mom had signed me up. I think at the time my mom knew very little. Everything is explained away by the facility. Everything has a justification from the very start. They're telling the parents you're not allowed to talk to your child. They said at the time that we needed to acclimate to life there, and if you talk to them on the phone, then they're going to want to go home. It was never suspected that they were using that as a tool to silence us. My mom truly thought, Okay, well, this is a method that they recommend, and again you're believing their expertise. You're believing because they say, we do this with families all the time, and it works.

It works.

It works.

We have these wild success stories that come out of this program. And this is the other line that they would say all the time, trust the process, work the program. If you're not trusting the process, then you're not working the program. And if you're not working the program, then you're definitely not ready to go home, and so that just creates this ideology where no one asks questions. Everyone just goes along with it.

We have these wild success stories that come out of this program. And this is the other line that they would say all the time, trust the process, work the program. If you're not trusting the process, then you're not working the program. And if you're not working the program, then you're definitely not ready to go home, and so that just creates this ideology where no one asks questions. Everyone just goes along with it.

I think it's easy to judge parents who send their kids away, but it's clear that there is just more to it that did you miss your mom?

I think it's easy to judge parents who send their kids away, but it's clear that there is just more to it that did you miss your mom?

I missed my mom terribly. I loved my mom. There was never a point in time that I stopped loving my mom. I hated that our relationship was the way it was, but even on our worst days, I always deeply loved my mom. And I think one of the saddest things about the program is that when you're there for so long without your family, you eventually learn how to live without your family. My mom shares that, looking back now, she would have done it all differently.

I missed my mom terribly. I loved my mom. There was never a point in time that I stopped loving my mom. I hated that our relationship was the way it was, but even on our worst days, I always deeply loved my mom. And I think one of the saddest things about the program is that when you're there for so long without your family, you eventually learn how to live without your family. My mom shares that, looking back now, she would have done it all differently.

At this time in my life now if someone presented this program to me, and not just because I've already experienced it, not just because I can say I've been there, done that sham, scam, beware harm, danger, you know, but because I've done a lot of my own healing. Now I've done real healing. Okay, I have a whole different approach, you know. I would never continue going to any of that I never even would have signed up in the first place, to be honest, you know. And that's where I think that a lot of families can help their children so much if first they help themselves.

At this time in my life now if someone presented this program to me, and not just because I've already experienced it, not just because I can say I've been there, done that sham, scam, beware harm, danger, you know, but because I've done a lot of my own healing. Now I've done real healing. Okay, I have a whole different approach, you know. I would never continue going to any of that I never even would have signed up in the first place, to be honest, you know. And that's where I think that a lot of families can help their children so much if first they help themselves.

The time of tough love may be on the decline, but families still have moments of crisis. They still need help. Throughout this podcast, as we learn all the wrong things that have been done, we want to acknowledge that appropriate treatment is needed. Support is vitally important for those going through a crisis and their family unit, but it needs to be true treatment based on healing, not punishment.

The time of tough love may be on the decline, but families still have moments of crisis. They still need help. Throughout this podcast, as we learn all the wrong things that have been done, we want to acknowledge that appropriate treatment is needed. Support is vitally important for those going through a crisis and their family unit, but it needs to be true treatment based on healing, not punishment.

You know.

You know.

I think a lot of people just point their finger at the kids. Okay, this kid's rotten. They're talking back, they're doing this, They're gonna be an harms way. And you know, not to take away from the responsibility of the kids, you know, especially as they get to be teenagers. You know, they're not full adults, their brains haven't fully formed yet, but they do have still some responsibility in their behaviors. But I think because parents, especially in my era, my generation of people, it's like, well, you know, we want things to be right, you know, we want our kids to be right. We want our communities to be right. We want we want to be right. We want, and by right I mean like actually be right, and also be right, like be be good, you know. But I think to really do that, we have to look at ourselves, and not just look at ourselves, but actually get real help for our own issues that have nothing to do with these wonderful kids that we gave breath to that we love that we've just gone sideways.

I think a lot of people just point their finger at the kids. Okay, this kid's rotten. They're talking back, they're doing this, They're gonna be an harms way. And you know, not to take away from the responsibility of the kids, you know, especially as they get to be teenagers. You know, they're not full adults, their brains haven't fully formed yet, but they do have still some responsibility in their behaviors. But I think because parents, especially in my era, my generation of people, it's like, well, you know, we want things to be right, you know, we want our kids to be right. We want our communities to be right. We want we want to be right. We want, and by right I mean like actually be right, and also be right, like be be good, you know. But I think to really do that, we have to look at ourselves, and not just look at ourselves, but actually get real help for our own issues that have nothing to do with these wonderful kids that we gave breath to that we love that we've just gone sideways.

You know, Caroline's mom wasn't alone in her desire to have things in her world be right. We spoke with doctor Elliott Curry, the author of The Road to Whatever, Middle Class Culture and the Crisis of Adolescence and a professor of sociology at the University of California at Irvine, to help understand the unique social environment that may have influenced the emergence of society's belief in the need for teen treatment.

You know, Caroline's mom wasn't alone in her desire to have things in her world be right. We spoke with doctor Elliott Curry, the author of The Road to Whatever, Middle Class Culture and the Crisis of Adolescence and a professor of sociology at the University of California at Irvine, to help understand the unique social environment that may have influenced the emergence of society's belief in the need for teen treatment.

We talked today all the time about what a polarized, divided society we've become, right, And it's really true. Back when I wrote that book, and again it seems remarkably long ago, but just talking roughly twenty years ago that I began writing, you know, we certainly had the emergence of this kind of political and social ideology that began to push back against the ideas that had predominated in the nineteen sixties and seventies that we should become a more inclusive society, we should kind of lighten up when it came to punishment. And the thing about it was that it went along with a much broader critique about American society at that time, which I'd say began around the nineteen eighties, and it was kind of a backlash against what was seen as the excessive tolerance and leniency and emphasis on self esteem that happened during the nineteen sixties and seventies, right when people were challenging the norms of the society. This was a time around the time of the election of Ronald Reagan in nineteen eighty when you begin to see a massive political shift in this country toward a very different conception of what we as a society were supposed to be about. You know, everything from punishment in schools so the way kids should be brought up in families, to children's rights in the juvenile justice system. You began to see a very fierce backlash.

We talked today all the time about what a polarized, divided society we've become, right, And it's really true. Back when I wrote that book, and again it seems remarkably long ago, but just talking roughly twenty years ago that I began writing, you know, we certainly had the emergence of this kind of political and social ideology that began to push back against the ideas that had predominated in the nineteen sixties and seventies that we should become a more inclusive society, we should kind of lighten up when it came to punishment. And the thing about it was that it went along with a much broader critique about American society at that time, which I'd say began around the nineteen eighties, and it was kind of a backlash against what was seen as the excessive tolerance and leniency and emphasis on self esteem that happened during the nineteen sixties and seventies, right when people were challenging the norms of the society. This was a time around the time of the election of Ronald Reagan in nineteen eighty when you begin to see a massive political shift in this country toward a very different conception of what we as a society were supposed to be about. You know, everything from punishment in schools so the way kids should be brought up in families, to children's rights in the juvenile justice system. You began to see a very fierce backlash.

In stark contrast to today's love of gentle parenting. The eighties and nineties preferred a different approach.

In stark contrast to today's love of gentle parenting. The eighties and nineties preferred a different approach.

The sense that we should restore a much tougher vision, which stressed euphemistic words like accountability and consequences, things of this sort. It was so pervasive back then that I used to hear this language, this focus on the need for consequences and accountability versus you know, nurturing and supporting and helping children. And it was a shift towards a much more punitive kind of society, much more punitive use of government, much more neglectful government way in terms of cutting back on all kinds of supports for people, including the American middle class, and that process continues.

The sense that we should restore a much tougher vision, which stressed euphemistic words like accountability and consequences, things of this sort. It was so pervasive back then that I used to hear this language, this focus on the need for consequences and accountability versus you know, nurturing and supporting and helping children. And it was a shift towards a much more punitive kind of society, much more punitive use of government, much more neglectful government way in terms of cutting back on all kinds of supports for people, including the American middle class, and that process continues.

The concept of tough love became one of the pillars of the Troubled teen industry, and it's a concept that many parents took to heart. We asked Tabitha Echavaria, the clinical psychologist from episode three, who did her thesis on WASP, her thoughts on society's acceptance of tough love at the time.

The concept of tough love became one of the pillars of the Troubled teen industry, and it's a concept that many parents took to heart. We asked Tabitha Echavaria, the clinical psychologist from episode three, who did her thesis on WASP, her thoughts on society's acceptance of tough love at the time.

And people who know about behavior and behavior change and psychological treatment knew that, you know, tough love was tough love.

And people who know about behavior and behavior change and psychological treatment knew that, you know, tough love was tough love.

How air quotes around tough love.

How air quotes around tough love.

Was just like a nice way of talking about punishment. I don't think parents don't know that we've already figured out that that's not that that's not effective, and in fact, that it actually causes more harm than actual research says that it causes harm. And I don't think that they knew that.

Was just like a nice way of talking about punishment. I don't think parents don't know that we've already figured out that that's not that that's not effective, and in fact, that it actually causes more harm than actual research says that it causes harm. And I don't think that they knew that.

Tough love wasn't what I needed, But it does help put my mom's decision into context. By the time I left Ivy Ridge in two thousand and six, things at the program were coming apart. There had been a riot at the school that brought a lot of national attention, and then in February of two thousand and five, the then New York State Attorney General began investigating the program on a variety of complaints from parents of children who attended the school, including alleged physical abuse of students. During the course of the investigation, the Attorney General's office discovered that the school was grossly misrepresenting its academic credentials on its website and promotional materials. I remember around this time things at Ivy Ridge began to change. In hindsight, I think they were trying to make the programs seem more like a typical school. They started a boys basketball team. We performed Romeo and Juliet, and some of the overly stringent rules became more relaxed. I remember overhearing dorm parents discussed how the program was under fire. There was a part of me that hoped Ivy Ridge would be shut down and I would get to go home. Even though we knew it was performative, it still felt good to have a sliver of normalcy.

Tough love wasn't what I needed, But it does help put my mom's decision into context. By the time I left Ivy Ridge in two thousand and six, things at the program were coming apart. There had been a riot at the school that brought a lot of national attention, and then in February of two thousand and five, the then New York State Attorney General began investigating the program on a variety of complaints from parents of children who attended the school, including alleged physical abuse of students. During the course of the investigation, the Attorney General's office discovered that the school was grossly misrepresenting its academic credentials on its website and promotional materials. I remember around this time things at Ivy Ridge began to change. In hindsight, I think they were trying to make the programs seem more like a typical school. They started a boys basketball team. We performed Romeo and Juliet, and some of the overly stringent rules became more relaxed. I remember overhearing dorm parents discussed how the program was under fire. There was a part of me that hoped Ivy Ridge would be shut down and I would get to go home. Even though we knew it was performative, it still felt good to have a sliver of normalcy.

It's important to remember Academy at Ivy Ridge was marketed as if it were a boarding school. The school website claimed that the academic curriculum was a progressive academic curriculum, which is individualized and competency based. Parents like Caroline's mother, were told that their children would be receiving a top tier education, but the Attorney General's investigation would reveal that Ivy Ridge was only a candidate for accreditation and was working its way through the multi year process for becoming accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools. However, to be accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, it was required that the school be licensed, certified or registered in the state in which it's located. Because Ivy Ridge was never licensed, certified, or registered in New York State. The school never should have been considered for accreditation.

It's important to remember Academy at Ivy Ridge was marketed as if it were a boarding school. The school website claimed that the academic curriculum was a progressive academic curriculum, which is individualized and competency based. Parents like Caroline's mother, were told that their children would be receiving a top tier education, but the Attorney General's investigation would reveal that Ivy Ridge was only a candidate for accreditation and was working its way through the multi year process for becoming accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools. However, to be accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, it was required that the school be licensed, certified or registered in the state in which it's located. Because Ivy Ridge was never licensed, certified, or registered in New York State. The school never should have been considered for accreditation.

I caught wind of.

I caught wind of.

The school.

The school.

Didn't tell me. I read about it. I think in a newspaper. You know, back at that time, of course there was internet, but it wasn't like now where you're getting like, you didn't have smartphones. I think it was still flip phone days. Okay, so you're still reading the newspapers regularly and whatnot. And I read that Ivy Ridge is not acknowledged by the State of New York in any capacity.

Didn't tell me. I read about it. I think in a newspaper. You know, back at that time, of course there was internet, but it wasn't like now where you're getting like, you didn't have smartphones. I think it was still flip phone days. Okay, so you're still reading the newspapers regularly and whatnot. And I read that Ivy Ridge is not acknowledged by the State of New York in any capacity.

So while I was at Ivy Ridge, I completed over two years of school, and I took my school very seriously. I wanted to get really good grades. I had a college plan that was all worked out, and you know, to my knowledge, I was doing very well in school. But I think I had about three months left in the program when it was discovered that Ivy Ridge was not accredited, which meant that the education they were providing meant nothing. It meant that all of the credits that I had earned could not be transferred. It was a scandal.

So while I was at Ivy Ridge, I completed over two years of school, and I took my school very seriously. I wanted to get really good grades. I had a college plan that was all worked out, and you know, to my knowledge, I was doing very well in school. But I think I had about three months left in the program when it was discovered that Ivy Ridge was not accredited, which meant that the education they were providing meant nothing. It meant that all of the credits that I had earned could not be transferred. It was a scandal.

Approximately one hundred and ten kids would leave Ivy Ridge believing that they had received a diploma and hundreds more would believe that their credits would be transferred to future educational institutions, but it was a lie.

Approximately one hundred and ten kids would leave Ivy Ridge believing that they had received a diploma and hundreds more would believe that their credits would be transferred to future educational institutions, but it was a lie.

They are not approved by the State Board of Education of New York, nor are they licensed, nor will any child who's ever attended the school or is attending it now have a diploma, or they would not acknowledge the grade levels that they had work through supposedly at the school, and they didn't have teachers there. It was online, super basic.

They are not approved by the State Board of Education of New York, nor are they licensed, nor will any child who's ever attended the school or is attending it now have a diploma, or they would not acknowledge the grade levels that they had work through supposedly at the school, and they didn't have teachers there. It was online, super basic.

Caroline's mom was shocked. By this time. Caroline had been in the program for over two years, right in the middle of her high school years. So her mom did what she thought was best.

Caroline's mom was shocked. By this time. Caroline had been in the program for over two years, right in the middle of her high school years. So her mom did what she thought was best.

So I stopped paying them, and I said, all resumed pain. When you become licensed or you know, whatever the process is for a school in the state of New York accredited licensed, I will then pay the rest and I will keep paying. Well, suddenly, what do you know, Oh, oh my gosh, she's just speeding through these levels. Oh she's graduating. Yeah, I was no longer paying, and I have paid over one hundreds, one hundred thousand dollars you know, to these people. Hundred I think at that point a one hundred and thirty eight thousand I had paid.

So I stopped paying them, and I said, all resumed pain. When you become licensed or you know, whatever the process is for a school in the state of New York accredited licensed, I will then pay the rest and I will keep paying. Well, suddenly, what do you know, Oh, oh my gosh, she's just speeding through these levels. Oh she's graduating. Yeah, I was no longer paying, and I have paid over one hundreds, one hundred thousand dollars you know, to these people. Hundred I think at that point a one hundred and thirty eight thousand I had paid.

And for a few weeks the misrepresentations continued. Caroline's mom received a call from a senior staff member of IVY Ridge.

And for a few weeks the misrepresentations continued. Caroline's mom received a call from a senior staff member of IVY Ridge.

And he told me that they were just weeks away, weeks away from accreditation, and they'll be happy to let me know when I can resume payment. They'll be happy when their accreditation process is complete. They've just been worked tirelessly, you know.

And he told me that they were just weeks away, weeks away from accreditation, and they'll be happy to let me know when I can resume payment. They'll be happy when their accreditation process is complete. They've just been worked tirelessly, you know.

On August seventeenth, two thousand and five, Academy at Ivy Ridge entered into an agreement with the State of New York where they agreed to pay civil penalties of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to the Attorney General's Office for issuing unauthorized high school diplomas in lieu of trial or admission of liability. It was also ordered to issue partial refunds to families of students who attended the school. The Attorney General had found that and I quote the actions, representations, and conduct of IVY Ridge as described herein constitute repeated and persistent, fraudulent and illegal conduct actionable by the Attorney General. At the time. Ken Kay, president of WASP, denied any allegations of abuse and specified that WASP did not quote deal directly with the kids.

On August seventeenth, two thousand and five, Academy at Ivy Ridge entered into an agreement with the State of New York where they agreed to pay civil penalties of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to the Attorney General's Office for issuing unauthorized high school diplomas in lieu of trial or admission of liability. It was also ordered to issue partial refunds to families of students who attended the school. The Attorney General had found that and I quote the actions, representations, and conduct of IVY Ridge as described herein constitute repeated and persistent, fraudulent and illegal conduct actionable by the Attorney General. At the time. Ken Kay, president of WASP, denied any allegations of abuse and specified that WASP did not quote deal directly with the kids.

At the time, I was not aware that my mom had stopped paying for the program and was considering unenrolling me, but I did notice that suddenly I seemed to be skating through. Within a few months, I moved up in levels and there were talks about finally graduating, something I had worked so hard for. By the time I graduated, I had been there for twenty nine months, almost two and a half years. Looking back, I was a shining example of a student. I was president of student council in a model upper level, completed all the seminars, and was going to church every Sunday. And they couldn't lose me as a statistic. They couldn't lose me to getting pulled from the program. No, they needed to prove that graduating worked. And so when my mom said that she was thinking about pulling me because she couldn't afford it any longer, I believe they made sure that I was graduating because they needed me as a success story, and they needed me to say that the program worked, and so they pushed me through pretty quickly after that.

At the time, I was not aware that my mom had stopped paying for the program and was considering unenrolling me, but I did notice that suddenly I seemed to be skating through. Within a few months, I moved up in levels and there were talks about finally graduating, something I had worked so hard for. By the time I graduated, I had been there for twenty nine months, almost two and a half years. Looking back, I was a shining example of a student. I was president of student council in a model upper level, completed all the seminars, and was going to church every Sunday. And they couldn't lose me as a statistic. They couldn't lose me to getting pulled from the program. No, they needed to prove that graduating worked. And so when my mom said that she was thinking about pulling me because she couldn't afford it any longer, I believe they made sure that I was graduating because they needed me as a success story, and they needed me to say that the program worked, and so they pushed me through pretty quickly after that.

Although she was excited to finally be able to go home. She didn't know that the most difficult part would be reckoning that the parts of herself that she lost in the program.

Although she was excited to finally be able to go home. She didn't know that the most difficult part would be reckoning that the parts of herself that she lost in the program.

I was there for so long. I drank the tea, I really did. I absolutely became what they called programized, and I went to the seminars. I took the seminars very seriously. I took my program very seriously because I wanted nothing more than to go home, and I knew in order to go home, I had to show progress, and I had to show that I was taking steps to be better and to make good decisions, and to show leadership and all of these other characteristics that were expected of you in order to go home. And so I became a shell of who I was when I went in. I loved music. I wanted to be a music journalist. I loved dancing. I loved to socialize, and when I got out of the program, I had really lost sight of a lot of that.

I was there for so long. I drank the tea, I really did. I absolutely became what they called programized, and I went to the seminars. I took the seminars very seriously. I took my program very seriously because I wanted nothing more than to go home, and I knew in order to go home, I had to show progress, and I had to show that I was taking steps to be better and to make good decisions, and to show leadership and all of these other characteristics that were expected of you in order to go home. And so I became a shell of who I was when I went in. I loved music. I wanted to be a music journalist. I loved dancing. I loved to socialize, and when I got out of the program, I had really lost sight of a lot of that.

It would take me many years to fully acknowledge what had happened to me at the Academy at Ivy Ridge and to find myself again. Over the next few years, after the Attorney General's investigation, enrollment at ivy Ridge would drop dramatically, and they officially shuttered their doors in two thousand and nine. The Academy at Ivy Ridge lives in my memory and the memories of so many others as some of the worst years of our lives. The school actually closed so quickly that many remnants of its existence are still there in the forests of Ogdensburg, with everything left just as it was, papers littered the floor, uniforms hanging in closets in eerie museum of the place the director once called the boarding school of the future. The lasting impact that the program has had on my family is sadly not a unique experience. It's only the tip of the iceberg, one that extends far below the surface for those affected. Just as I was progrimized, core aspects of the WASP curriculum were taken outside of the facility walls too. They tried to brainwash my mom next week on trapped in treatment.

It would take me many years to fully acknowledge what had happened to me at the Academy at Ivy Ridge and to find myself again. Over the next few years, after the Attorney General's investigation, enrollment at ivy Ridge would drop dramatically, and they officially shuttered their doors in two thousand and nine. The Academy at Ivy Ridge lives in my memory and the memories of so many others as some of the worst years of our lives. The school actually closed so quickly that many remnants of its existence are still there in the forests of Ogdensburg, with everything left just as it was, papers littered the floor, uniforms hanging in closets in eerie museum of the place the director once called the boarding school of the future. The lasting impact that the program has had on my family is sadly not a unique experience. It's only the tip of the iceberg, one that extends far below the surface for those affected. Just as I was progrimized, core aspects of the WASP curriculum were taken outside of the facility walls too. They tried to brainwash my mom next week on trapped in treatment.

They told me I was going to be Shania Twain, okay, and that what's that song, man, I feel like a woman? Okay, that I need to go buy a Shania Twain outfit, and that I was going to be Shania Twain. So there's like eighty ninety people there, that I would be dancing for everybody in the middle of this ballroom, seminar ballroom. Not only that, but I would be picking out one man out of the audience and doing a lap dance for this guy. Okay, I'm not kidding. I mean I was just terrified. I was just terrified, like, oh my god.

They told me I was going to be Shania Twain, okay, and that what's that song, man, I feel like a woman? Okay, that I need to go buy a Shania Twain outfit, and that I was going to be Shania Twain. So there's like eighty ninety people there, that I would be dancing for everybody in the middle of this ballroom, seminar ballroom. Not only that, but I would be picking out one man out of the audience and doing a lap dance for this guy. Okay, I'm not kidding. I mean I was just terrified. I was just terrified, like, oh my god.

All of ours to reach Robert Litchfield for comment were unsuccessful, and he did not respond to our request for comment. From our research, no one mentioned in this episode has ever been charged with or found guilty of any crime stemming from allegations of abuse or in connection with WASP or any of the schools affiliated therewith.

All of ours to reach Robert Litchfield for comment were unsuccessful, and he did not respond to our request for comment. From our research, no one mentioned in this episode has ever been charged with or found guilty of any crime stemming from allegations of abuse or in connection with WASP or any of the schools affiliated therewith.

Hey guys, it's Paris.

Hey guys, it's Paris.

Thanks for listening to episode six. WASP was tearing families apart, but why are they so effective?

Thanks for listening to episode six. WASP was tearing families apart, but why are they so effective?

We'll continue to explore this question throughout the season.

We'll continue to explore this question throughout the season.

Make sure to sign up at the link in the episode description to get involved.

Make sure to sign up at the link in the episode description to get involved.

See you next week.

See you next week.