Westridge & Other Schools(Formerly LDS Perceptions thread)

[_truth dancer]

Just real quickly...

In my state, the TPR (termination of parental rights) is very rare and only done after every other possible consideration is made. This is the very, very last resort and must be done by a judge after a very thorough review of the child and family.

In these cases there is a court hearing and the judge appoints a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), the one who actually works with the child and a GAL, the child's attorney. Every child gets both in my County.

My guess is that these parents who place their children in an institution give the institution temporary guardianship of their children, but there is no court hearing which would mean no CASA or GAL.


~td~

[_GoodK]

How does the foster care piece function in reference to the residential youth treatment part?

Are these considered one and the same? Foster Care=Youth Residential Treatment, essentially parents temporarily relinquishing guardianship to the school?

This is something that needs to be clarified, marg. Seriously.

Foster care at West Ridge "Academy" works this way:

At a certain point, towards the end of their stay, a boy has the option of going on "day program." This means that you get to go home after school, and you attend West Ridge during the school day and for certain activities.

People from out of state - like me, obviously can't go on "day program" with our own families so we are sent to live with staff members. That is their "foster care" system. It actually costs more, too. Parents pay an additional $700.00 bucks a month for this, which the participating staff use to subsidize their mortgage payments.

Ironically, one of the two staff members I lived with on day program was Jared Hamner, the person Marg spoke with. And Jared is a liar.

[_JAK]

How does the foster care piece function in reference to the residential youth treatment part?

Are these considered one and the same? Foster Care=Youth Residential Treatment, essentially parents temporarily relinquishing guardianship to the school?

This is something that needs to be clarified, marg. Seriously.

Foster care at West Ridge "Academy" works this way:

At a certain point, towards the end of their stay, a boy has the option of going on "day program." This means that you get to go home after school, and you attend West Ridge during the school day and for certain activities.

People from out of state - like me, obviously can't go on "day program" with our own families so we are sent to live with staff members. That is their "foster care" system. It actually costs more, too. Parents pay an additional $700.00 bucks a month for this, which the participating staff use to subsidize their mortgage payments.

Ironically, one of the two staff members I lived with on day program was Jared Hamner, the person Marg spoke with. And Jared is a liar.

GoodK,

Would you be willing to be specific in detail here ragarding Jared Hamner? It could be useful.

JAK

[_GoodK]

You offer suggestions as to what you think needs to be done in the field of education, and don't seem to be aware that it is facilitated on an annual basis and is already part of the process.

Oh, okay.

You don't seem to be aware of what I am aware of.

people have accessed and posted valuable information on your behalf. Why aren't YOU posting it?

With all due respect to the others participating, there hasn't been much information posted here that I wasn't already aware of. I have been reading, and I do appreciate the conversation.

As far as what Jersey Girl has expertly contributed, well, I saw that you posted a license # of West Ridge Academy. Thanks, but this information was already posted on January 5, 2008 in response to an article that I wrote. What Jersey Girl is saying regarding Residential Treatment Facilities isn't worth reading. Why?

Because West Ridge "Academy" is not officially licensed as a Residential Treatment Facility.

What Jersey Girl is saying regarding the DHS doesn't mean a thing. Why?
Because the DHS effectively has nothing to do with West Ridge "Academy" or its day to day operations.

Do I mind the irrelevant contributions? Of course not. But I do mind when people like harmony loiter around on this thread, trying to throw barbs my direction in a desperate attempt to illicit a response or nod of recognition from me.
I get that a lot here; from weirdos like Bob Crockett (who sends me bizarre correspondences, still), Kevin "pray-for-me-my-head hurts" Graham, and Droopy "my-gay-son-hates-me" Coggins. It's normally easy to laugh at the harmonys of the board, but when it is about the Mormon Gulag I feel obligated to respond. There isn't a former boys ranch boy out there that would even call me an exaggerator, let alone a liar. I've talked to hundreds since October 2008. Truth is, I'm not lying about any of this.

And I feel like I deserve more credibility than I am given, by some here, considering that virtually everything I originally said about the Mormon Gulag has been substantiated in one way or the other.

For example:

I said that it was an LDS facility. Wailing and gnashing of teeth ensued (one needs only review the comments on my article at any of the blogs or message boards discussing it for verification).

Any doubts about this fact were put to rest months ago and re-cemented this past General Conference.

I said that there were full-time missionaries there, on staff. Again with the wailing and gnashing of teeth. "Liar!" "Anti-Mormon!" "Prop. 8 retaliation!"

Even after I obtained a picture of my friend Brian Kemsley meeting with a missionary I knew personally, Elder Stewart, I couldn't be trusted.

Of course the Gulag knew that I was telling the truth, and they couldn't let my story be the only one out there, so an advertisement/article was commissioned admitting to a rather large staff of full-time Mormon missionaries on campus.

I've disclosed exactly why I was at the Mormon Gulag, yet the two prominent bishops participating on this board (Dan Peterson and Bob Crockett) have relentlessly tried to paint me as untrustworthy, dishonest, or otherwise lacking credibility with vague and sometimes libelous comments -- all text book cases of the ad hominem fallacy.

Despite what my step-dad has already said about me (which DCP privately solicited and chose to post on this message board) my book will contain several substantiating documents regarding my "treatment plan" at the Utah Boys Ranch and the "issues that led me there."

I may be a young, cocky, beer drinking, blunt smoking, foul-mouthed, womanizing smart ass -- but I don't speak up unless I know my crap. That is why - on topics such as this - I take offense to the accusations of being misinformed, uninformed, or dishonest. If anything, most of you are only now starting to catch up. Which I appreciate.

Eric: " Jersey Girl has decided to defend the Mormon Gulag and the failed bureaucracy that allows it to exist."

To this day, you have not put up solid evidence for your claims nor have you given us any indication by your postings that you are familiar with the system of rules, regulations and reporting procedures. You have blustered along with references of attorney's and given little else.

Here is a prime example of what I was just talking about.
What "solid evidence" does Jersey Girl expect me to have?

A video recording of West Ridge "Academy" staff beating children from my camera phone?

What does she mean? Does Jersey Girl require the same "solid evidence" from, say, boys who claimed to have been molested by Catholic priests?

Every opportunity I have had to provide solid evidence, I have done so or am prepared to do so.

For instance - I said that boys were forced to carry rocks around all day, moving them from pile to pile. Then, another boy (who I don't know) said the same thing in an interview on YouTube. Then, I found an actual photograph of the "new" work crew doing this exact activity!

I said that West Ridge Academy gets all of its food donated by Deseret Industries. Later, I was able to get actual photographs from inside the Gulag's kitchen of food items from a staff member who still works there.

I've purchased court records and posted the details of two separate legal cases involving West Ridge "Academy," one was a multi-million dollar lawsuit involving sexual abuse and molestation of a twelve year old boy.

If I'm not a reliable source, you can access the records yourself for fifteen cents a page through the Utah Courts.

But don't expect to find this information listed on West Ridge "Academy's" official website. Don't expect to find it anywhere, except the website I started and sponsor.

I made the "claim" that West Ridge "Academy" changed the name of their work crew and made an announcement heralding the end of their blanket and rope protocol a few weeks after the Scarecrow Festival protest.
I have physical evidence of this, and now Marg has confirmed it on her own through the source.

And despite all my work on the Utah Boys Ranch front, I've also contributed to the overall understanding of Mormon apologetics.

It was credible, crucial information from yours truly that enabled the distinguished Doctor Scratch to break the story of the full-time FARMS fund raiser Ed Snow. His tours with DCP to hit-up wealthy Mormons in Southern California. The fact that some key Mopologists do in fact earn money from their apologetic endeavors.

All information from the same credible source which was later substantiated.

I fail to see why my credibility is still being called into question.
I feel like Rodney Dangerfield, here.

You will never get West Ridge "shut down".

Oh yes I will. In fact, I guarantee it.

It will never be shut down on the basis of undocumented and unreported 9 year old allegations.

Besides the point, my "allegations" are not nine years old, are not undocumented, and not unreported.

It will never be shut down.

I promise you, it will be.

The program you were sent to as a teen no longer exists.

Says who? You? Who are you?

Hey, really quick: How did you hear about the Utah Boys Ranch? Who did you first hear about it from?

I guess you would know better, though, right? Better than staff members, both former and current, better than actual residents, both former and current, right?

Wroooo-oooong.

The evidence of that is available to anyone with internet access and who knows how to look for it. Why didn't YOU look for it?

And back to the kind or garbage I was talking about in my last post... Pure nonsense. It's beyond blatantly false -- it's teetering between a lie and utter stupidity. I'd expect this sort of density from harmony, not usually you, Jersey Girl.

You did not singlehandedly change the very nature of how West Ridge operates.

Oh yes I did. In many ways, most importantly, with their "work crew." For that simple change alone, I am a "hero" to the boys who were at and are at the Mormon gulag. You can ask them.

Are you on the Executive committe.

You mean the Executive committee that I recently told you about? Oh man. That made me laugh. I expect you to fully understand why I find your posts on this subject entirely counterproductive and uninformed, now. I also expect an apology, which I'm still waiting for.

While you have been making a website, writing a book, posting on this message board and your own, case workers, educators, therapists, MD's, administrators and board members have revamped the program at West Ridge.

There is a lot wrong with the above statement - mostly involving what I do or don't do - but here again I'd like to point out another statement that certainly originated in your own anal cavity. There is no other possible source.

This has gone on long enough. I can't bring myself to entertain any more of it. Hopefully Liz and others will understand why I absolutely disregard Jersey Girl's "expert opinions" after reading this post, why I call her posts what they are. That's all I can really hope for. Most of what she says can be verifiably falsified within this long thread of posts.

Oh and one more thing -- yes, she most certainly has argued on this board for a literal flood scenario involving Noah and his magic Arc.

I guess some claims are less susceptible to "solid evidence" than others, despite how old they are.


JAK:

I'll respond about Jared Hamner later. I have to think about how much in real life information I'm willing to share at this time.




.

[_JAK]

Quite understandable, GoodK to my interest in more detail about Jared Hamner.

JAK

[_harmony]

And despite all my work on the Utah Boys Ranch front, I've also contributed to the overall understanding of Mormon apologetics.

Oh really? How? When? Where?

It was credible, crucial information from yours truly that enabled the distinguished Doctor Scratch to break the story of the full-time FARMS fund raiser Ed Snow. His tours with DCP to hit-up wealthy Mormons in Southern California. The fact that some key Mopologists do in fact earn money from their apologetic endeavors.

Ah. So you're one of Scratch's secret informers? Not quite so secret now, though. Not that we didn't already know that.

I fail to see why my credibility is still being called into question.
I feel like Rodney Dangerfield, here.

You aren't that important. You aren't that famous. And you certainly aren't that funny.

You did not singlehandedly change the very nature of how West Ridge operates.

Oh yes I did. In many ways, most importantly, with their "work crew." For that simple change alone, I am a "hero" to the boys who were at and are at the Mormon gulag. You can ask

My oh my... you're a hero in your own mind. Good to know that some things never change.

[_harmony]

Do I mind the irrelevant contributions? Of course not. But I do mind when people like harmony loiter around on this thread, trying to throw barbs my direction in a desperate attempt to illicit a response or nod of recognition from me.

It's not my fault you don't own the board, GoodK. I don't post on your board; I post on this one. If you don't like that, piss off. I'll post on any thread that's open, and I'll give my opinion on any situation in discussion, and you can take that to the bank.

There isn't a former boys ranch boy out there that would even call me an exaggerator, let alone a liar. I've talked to hundreds since October 2008. Truth is, I'm not lying about any of this.

You might want to be a little more accurate in your conversation. I know several former boys ranch boys. None of them were ever at a ranch in Utah, but they are all former boys' ranch boys. And none of them was ever abused.

And I feel like I deserve more credibility than I am given...

Oh, woe is you! You want credibility? Quit making empty threats. Take responsibility for your own actions. Grow the hell up. Get a life.

[_Jersey Girl]

Oh and one more thing -- yes, she most certainly has argued on this board for a literal flood scenario involving Noah and his magic Arc.

No, I haven't argued for a literal flood, Eric. I argued against your assertions that the Bible describes a global flood. Here is but one of my posts on the topic:

The Caananite's, who produced the Flood story, grasp on geography has everything to do with the issue of local vs global flood.

I suppose that God could have flooded a flat earth just as easily as a round one, however, the Caananite's concept of what constituted "the earth" is what the story is based on. It takes away from the global flood perspective because the Caananite's had no concept of global as you do today.

For you to take the story out of the ancient cultural context in which it was written and attempt to "demolish" the global aspects (in these exchanges) based on YOUR understanding of what constitutes "global" is wrong-headed at best.

I have no problem with the story viewed as myth or allegory, however, your claim of "global" has nothing to do with the author's understanding of global.

The Bible doesn't teach, as you claim, a global flood in the way that global is understood today. For you to frame an ancient story written by ancient authors in contemporary terms, is way off base.

And this:

GoodK, the only problem with that little strawman argument is that the authors didn't write about a global flood of epic proportions that covered the entire planet. They wrote about, at best, a localized flood. Whether or not there really was a localized flood is irrelevant, it is a story about judgement and most likely allegory.

You look back on my participation on that old thread as if I were defending the flood story when, infact, I was arguing a point. That I argued ONE point, Eric, is not evidence that I argued for the literal flood story. You can't seem to discern the difference.

I argued from a literary perspective, not a belief perspective. If you're going to make statements about positions I've taken on this board, try to be accurate.

I may be a young, cocky, beer drinking, blunt smoking, foul-mouthed, womanizing smart ass -- but I don't speak up unless I know my s***.

Right.

[_harmony]

If you're going to make statements about positions I've taken on this board, try to be accurate.

[_Jersey Girl]

You mean the Executive committee that I recently told you about?

You told me something about the Executive Committee?

You posted a list of names that you posted under the heading "Executive Committee", attached that to a list of the Board of Directors, then attempted to "document" it by posting a link to the website where the Executive Committee isn't listed at all and only the Board of Directors appears.

Will you be posting a link to the Executive Committee (current and dated) that you listed?