A testimony about Summit School

This testimony was found on a message board. Names have been removed but they can be seen following the link of the original statement. All rights belong to the author.

Hello my name is i am the girlfriend of and yes I did go to Summit this is my story about the abuse I did suffer there

3 years ago I was commited into the psych ward of a hospital. I was almost 18 and would not be eligable for teenage services at that time..My mother did not think that adult treatment would be right for me and I did not think that either

Let me explain why i was commited into the psych ward..I used to hurt myself..very badly I almost died that day I entered the psych ward..I had massive blood loss from a large cut in my arm I still have a piece of the razor in the bone of my arm I had barely done drugs when I went into The Summit School but I was a big drinker.

I got transfered directly from the psych ward to The Summit School. I got to go home every weekend and I did have my cell phone so they didn't cut me off from people but they had a staff member who was originally a worker in Rikers which is a state prison one of the worse and she was awful..She constantly called us bitches and whores and sluts even if it wasn't warrented.

I did have a good social worker and the main staff member I spoke to really helped me but that doesn't make up for the fact that I was abused
on my last year of Summit I became "friends" with one of the male staff members..smart people can guess what happened..I didn't even think of it..My parents were away on vacation and he decided he would take a trip to my house..He got me drunk and high on both weed and cocaine and raped me twice..

I didn't think it was rape...I insisted it wasn't i have been raped before so this wasn't the first time..The first time was when I was 7 so I guess i didn't think it was wrong

He was 42 years old and had 2 kids and a wife..

The summit school fired him and made sure he would never work in a residential ever again..Now that doesn't mean he might go to a nonregulated residential and work there..which bothers me...

He honestly thought I was his girlfriend and would call me up and ask me if I could get out of the house and told me to tell my mum i was just going to Brooklyn and he'd get a hotel room and everything..I said no..over and over again

When my social worker told me that the school knew everything I denied it..I insisted it did not happen and I started crying hard as hell

I was 20 so they left it up to my district but the child abuse was called and they did talk to me..The district attorny for the sexual abuse unit of Staten Island was called and did talk to me and they were about to prosciute without my permission.

Unfortunately the bitch from rikers did tell the whole damn school so of course the students thought the wrong thing they thought I wanted it..They didn't know the whole story and of course the bitch from rikers left important details out..

But other staff members were amazing..They kept students away from me anything I needed they gave and they made extra steps to make sure I was okay I was victimized but I am a survivor.

When I got out of Summit..I did have to deal with a drug abuse problem..after that whole thing happened and even before that..I was doing Coke and Adderall daily but I didn't hurt myself anymore..but I guess once you get over something you just add another abusive behavor on top of that..I was trying to cover everything up...

The guy that raped me did not have a past history or anything they had done a background check but I dont understand why he decided to do it to me maybe because I was 20 and had a past history of being raped that he figured I was easy prey..and I hate that and it makes me feel dirty and like I asked for it..but I didn't i definately didn't and anyone who tells me that I was to blame for that is a inconsiderate asshole it did happen and I didn't want it..and I did say NO im not a whore

The fact is is that did not have sex with me while I was still in Summit we started dating when I got out of Summit he would never do that at least I dont think he would be that disgusting..but honestly I dont think anything that I do with my boyfriend is anyone else's buisness but he made it your guys and he is an asshole for that...I just dont want anyone to slander me

he slandered me and he will not be forgiven for that..but I just wanted you guys to hear my side of the story with Summit instead of what he says because I think he just doesn't listen to me when I talk about it and doesn't get the whole picture

I have been fighting against abuse for all of my life..i have had a bad abuse history not only with residential but also with inpatient and with my own family and schools..no one listens to someone with a disability thats what i honestly feel

But I am trying to heal and become a better me and to get over this and to fight and fight and fight against all abuse that happens because I will not let what happened to me happen to anyone else

A boy died at the facility in 2002. According the courts he was pushed by another kid at the facility. In 2014 a girl was found dead at the facility. It has been ruled a suicide.


Sources:

• The original statement on the Fornits Home for Wayward Web Fora
• Factsheet about the facility

A clients testimony about Logan River Academy

This testimony was found on a website. All rights goes to the original author

I was admitted in to LRA on July 3rd 2012 and discharged on August 27th 2013.

I am now in a boarding school. I was not court ordered but my parents hired transporters to remove me from my home by force. The transporters treated me well and drove me all the way from Houston, Texas to Logan, Utah.

Upon entering LRA I was strip searched down to my boxers, and I was then ordered to use my fingers to outstretch all the waist band of my boxers outward to ensure there weren't any hidden contraband items. A staff named Darby Golden was extremely physically abusive when it came to PI's and would throw fists and slam kids heads onto the wooden floors, often causing blood and scarring. Please do not use my name if investigating this (Darby Golden quit soon before I discharged).

I got along with a staff named Chandler Olsen, he was one of the few staff who actually cared about the well being of his students. Staff like Andrew Burris had zero regard for our well being and were emotionally abusive to the students they didn't like. I graduated the program by achieving the highest level. To do this I had to behave to LRA's expectations and achieve good feedback from my staff. This was difficult for many but easy for me because I understood how to trick the staff into believing my progress was legitimate.

I did make legitimate progress towards sobriety (substance abuse was my reason for admission) however this progress did not affect my level progression, I had to act like I wanted to behave according to their standards. This was torturous at times because I was under constant judgement 24/7 and one mistake can set back a kid's ability to progress in the levels. Students had zero emotional safety at this school because the vast majority of staff did not care for the kids, and were aggressive if the kids did not behave as demanded. I was never neglected for food or water however bathroom breaks in devo are limited and any more than 1 break for the bathroom every couple of hours was not tolerated. I was not diagnosed with any disorder from this program.

My relationship with my parents is now very good but this is due to my own growth and had nothing to do with the program. This program did not help me. Me being sober helped me. I hated this program, and I believe almost nobody can benefit from it. I have seen kids cry because of the staff's lack of regard for their emotions and they only get treated more poorly for showing such emotional instability and as a result stay in the program for longer periods of time. Feel free to prompt me with more specific questions.

Sources:

• The original testimony found on a website (shutdownlogangiver.com)
• Factsheet about the facility (Fornits Wiki)

A parents review of Logan River Academy

This testimony given by a parent to a former client was found on a website. All rights goes to the original author

"We actually chose to send our son to Logan River Academy, after paying an experienced Educational Consultant who highly recommended it...

The decision was the worst we have ever made, as our intention was to HELP our son, NOT punish him. We very quickly learned that the living environment at LRA was negative and hateful. There were only a couple of staff members who seemed to care at all (one has since left); but the rest--especially the dorm staff--used their size (frustrated ex-athletes) and authority to intimidate and emotionally torture the boys who actually NEEDED understanding and emotional support more than anything else. --Plus, for a place that calls itself a "residential treatment center", there was very little actual therapy or 'treatment' at all.

We pulled our son after only 5 months, the last 3 of which were spent primarily in "devo" (solitary). Unbelievably, when he/we told them he was leaving at the end of the month, they put him directly into "devo" because of what they labeled as "discharge attitude"! --Thankfully, he is now thriving at home, attending a small high school that treats students with respect and dignity--something Logan River Academy knows little about. --But he bears permanent emotional scars that I/we will not forgive LRA for."

Sources:

• The original testimony found on a website (shutdownlogangiver.com)
• Factsheet about the facility (Fornits Wiki)