Liz wrote:What I don't understand, though, TD, is that this type of behavior is massively illegal. Why in the hell hasn't it been shut down? Why hasn't social services become involved? Harmony and I have both asked this question on multiple occasions and have yet to receive an answer.
I applaud what Eric is trying to do. I just don't understand why legal action has not come crashing down on this place. This is child abuse, for f***'s sake!!!!
Just guessing here based on experience. Social services will likely not become involved based on reports of allegations from one person. What will likely happen (I say likely because I'm not certain what the status is of DSS is in Utah with regards to staffing, funding, etc. # of social workers available to do unannounced onsite visits or other factors that affect how the org functions) is that a file will be created regarding the facility in question.
If the facility is licensed as Goodk's post implies, the license # should be easily accessible to the public as well as any reports of abuse/neglect against it, including follow up and responses. GoodK likely has access to the state license# and therefore, access to reports filed against it.
Child abuse, as GoodK has described it, isn't easy to prove, Liz. I remember a while back when he discussed putting children on leashes. That is likely FULLY ALLOWABLE under state statutes for Utah regarding legal restraint of patients, tethering of students and methods of keeping the child "with" the group, without isolating the child and keeping them stationary and unable to run away. So long as the "leash" isn't secured around the child's neck (I believe it was secured around the waist) it's fully permitted.
With regards to the blankets, that GoodK has described. The facility according to state statutes that I looked up is responsible for clothing the students. A blanket can be considered clothing, Liz. Does it seem humiliating to us? Yes. Is it still clothing? Yes, it is. It's warm, it covers your body = clothing.
Remember the colored t-shirts? We can look at that situation one-three ways.
(1) The t-shirts are there to humiliate and ostracize students. (2) The t-shirts are there to ensure the safety of the group as a visual form of color coded organization.
(3) The t-shirts are there to create a sense of belonging for the students which is critical to their ability to progress to a state of well being.
Do you get that?
What I'm getting at here, Liz, is that the state statutes that we all assume are there to ensure the well being of minor children can be "stretched" to include leashes, blankets and the color coded t-shirts.
Do we see the potential for the above being used to degrade students? Yes.
Are they legal? Yes.
What about the students who claim they were physically assaulted by staff? For all we know, the students engaged in a fist fight with each other or a student had an accident that resulted in injury. All the staff has to do is create a report that states that is so. The student will likely never see it, the family will get a copy of an accident/incident report, it will be dropped into a file and unless a death occurs, DSS likely will never see it as anything but business as usual in a facility for incorrigible youth.
Anyone who knows the state statutes and how to act accordingly, also knows how to get around them.
Would I misreport an incident that resulted in injury? No way. Would an unethical child abuser do it? Hell yes.
If I misrepresented any of GoodK's descriptions, I hope he'll correct me asap.
Editing: You need TWO state license #'s. If the facility was licensed as Utah Boys Ranch and Westridge, it has had TWO state license #'s. That's assuming it's a state licensed facility and I would assume that it is, unless the content of it's curriculum has a certain percentage of religious content... in which case, it may not (according to and depending on state rules/regs) need to be licensed.