agape ranch abuse

Every year, thousands of young Mormons go on missions to try to recruit others into the religion. Home to a population of 1,600, it has a tiny main square, the worlds largest processor of eastern black walnuts, and 21 churches. ", "Today, the many victims who have come forth can rest assured that no more children will be hurt at Agape Boarding School," Bucklin said in a text. They denied it. They have law-enforcement ties, too. Colton Schrag remembers the night at the Agap Boarding School when, he says, a staff member punched him in the face. Church was on Wednesday and three times on Sunday. After a months-long investigation, the AGs office recommended 65 charges against 22 staff members, accusing them of abusing 36 children. That is blasphemous.. Though he is 16, he is a freshman; Agaps curriculum is often not compatible with local requirements. (Jill Toyoshiba/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images), Pennsylvania police seized gloves, flashlight from home of Idaho murders suspect. The allegations of abuse were filed at the Cedar County Circuit . Agape bills itself as a 30-year-old Christian outfit that "has helped thousands of troubled teens" in part "by showing God's love daily to these boys." But those who identify as abuse survivors . If you're using the Bible or God to justify any of these things, that is sacrilegious. In 1996, Agap moved to a 200-acre ranch in Cedar County, Missouri. Which means that even if Missouri does end up shutting down Agap, the school could open in another state just as the Clemensens did when they were driven out of Washington. He grabbed the bat, charged toward the front of the cafeteria, and shattered a plate-glass window. Editors Note: This story, which appears in the January 2023 issue of Rolling Stone, has been updated to include additional details on court cases that had not been decided until after the print deadline. But a Senate staffer helping to write the legislation cautions that in order to get a bill passed, they will likely have to tie compliance to funding, and are unlikely to mandate it. A 2007 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found thousands of abuse allegations between 1990 and 2007 in 2005 alone, 33 states reported 1,619 staff members involved in incidents of abuse. Colton Schrag, who spent years at Agape Boarding School in southwest Missouri, where dozens of former students have described experiencing abuse, testifies during a committee hearing on Feb. 10, 2021. "I would argue Pinehaven is doing a very good job with very difficult kids.". Passing under the majestic cross affixed to its towering arched entryway, Breshears gazed over a beautiful campus. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. These punishments, former students say, were often administered in a small room down a dark staircase, in the basement of the church, with blue padded floors and holes punched in the wall. Still, administrators at many of these schools insist they are a force for good. Bucklin wrote the video shows a staff . 4/5/2021. The state attorney generals office claims that Agap staff threw students into walls, pushed them to the ground, ordered them to perform 1,000 pushups, intentionally starved them, and forced them to sleep in handcuffs and wear them for as long as eight days. 3 KCPD officers shot; standoff continues into Wednesday morning. I am proof that money doesnt protect against abuse, Hilton told state legislators, speaking in support of a bill that would better protect children in troubled-youth treatment programs. They would put you down, says Breshears. When speaking with Rolling Stone, Clemensen denied the allegations against him and explained his approach to reform. After Schrag, then 14, refused to answer their questions, he said, one of the employees knocked him to the ground, and then others held him facedown, pressing a knee into his back and head. But in some states that have tried to close this oversight gap in recent years, like Montana, lawmakers have met with resistance. Agape Ranch will establish a safe environment of. The staff often singled out members of Brown Town for abuse, depositions filed by former Agap students suggest. NWS confirms EF-1 tornado near Goodman, Mo. If I can save one kid, its worth it to me.. Gaither declined to comment, but told the Cedar County Republican that Agap has the right to administer corporal punishment. South Carolina is a possibility; it still does not require religious schools to register with the state. It now has 12. Ellie Hill Smith, a state lawmaker from Missoula, was concerned that this meant the state had no way of ensuring children were safe in these programs. I for sure think it would be harder to bring charges, because then your standard of proof is going to be higher, said Daniel Pollack, a social work professor at Yeshiva University. Interested in learning more about the 2023 Legacy Gala? The Agape Boarding School was in Othello from 1992-96. More than a dozen people reported abuse at a religious boarding school in rural Missouri before the owners' daughter launched a campaign that got action. Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch was a reformatory boarding school located in Humansville, Missouri.The school opened in July 2006 and was closed in 2020 amid reports and lawsuits filed by former students alleging child abuse, as well as due to an investigation conducted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.. Before the school's closure, parents, former students, and staff filed multiple reports to . Bindley, who Clemensen calls one of Agaps top success stories, says the experience left him with lasting trauma, and left a stain on my childhood growing up., Colton Schrag says he decided to speak after PTSD drove him into counseling. Former students of Agape from Alabama, Texas, and Michigan have filed two civil lawsuits against the Boarding School for multiple charges that include physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Relevance: This course is designed for master's level counselors, addiction professionals, and nurses who have direct client contact. For many survivors of Agap, that would be tough to accept. Missouri's Agap Boarding School will close its doors due to a lack of finances, school officials say but the . One morning, he overheard one of the Clemensen daughters asking for help with a math problem, to which Bindley shot back a smartass remark. 1.0 Stephen H. Winter Haven, FL. In other words, Grandmother can spank the children as can Agap.. Its just a very scary place to be, Bradney said. The next evening, a man found Jacob begging for change at a neighboring county supermarket 10 miles from Blue Creek and called Clay County Child Protective Services. More than 90% of young adults aging-out of the foster care system will become homeless, incarcerated, in prostitution, sex trafficked, or dead within three years. Whatever the case, Clemensen has many allies where it perhaps counts the most: in the community. Alumni of Christian boarding schools for troubled teens in Missouri, including Agape and Circle of Hope, say state laws prevented inspections, enabling abuse to continue for decades. Once they were done, staff members took away Schrags clothes and bedding, he said, and made him wear only a bathrobe and his boxers for two months. (888) 614-0077. . After each event, the team assesses what went well, what could be done better, and how many children/foster families were positively impacted. It will stop providing service effective Jan. 20, according to a statement from the school for boys. Officials also said even if child protective services found that someone at a religious youth facility abused a child, there were no rules to prevent the person from continuing to work there. This created an environment ripe for abuse to happen. The founders, Boyd and Stephanie Householder, received 99 charges of sex crimes, child abuse . More than a decade later, legislators are finally making headway. 25, 2021 at 2:05 PM PDT. Many other states, such as New Jersey, Oklahoma and Texas, do not require religious boarding schools to be licensed by education or child welfare authorities because they are privately owned or privately funded. Trump Melts Down Over Murdoch Admitting Fox Lied About Election Fraud. Many Stockton residents consider Agap a mark of honor. Hilton tweeted to Missouri's attorney general and governor on June 21. By the time Askins contacted her, she had been in therapy for years, and was deeply enmeshed in an online community of former Agap and Circle of Hope survivors. She posted Askins video to TikTok, followed by a second post alleging her parents regularly beat her and had forced a student to eat until they threw up, then eat their own vomit. For $3,250 in tuition per month, the school claims on its website that it can turn around defiant and rebellious boys through spiritual growth., Parents, who are only allowed to visit with two weeks notice, are warned in the school handbook they should never try and interfere with the policies or rules of Agap Boarding School. I was just like, Screw it, he says. It was Clemensen who introduced the practice of restraints in the early 2000s, says Ryan Frazier, attorney for Monsees and Mayer PC, which is representing 18 former students in suits against the school. The industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that claims to help or fix troubled teenagers . Bryan Clemensen was not among those charged. Call us today and find long-term recovery. That was the last straw; they had him committed. Agape Ranch will establish a safe environment of 24 homes where foster children can receive the support they need in order to mature in all aspects of their lives. The school has been operating in Missouri where until 2021, privately owned schools were not required to report to the state. Agape Ranch plans out programs, fund raisers, and community outreach monthly. He says he was once ordered to perform 4,500 pushups for cussing and told if I didnt get it done, I couldnt eat my next meal. (Though Breshears says he couldnt do it, Agap denies ever denying a student a meal.) Use tab to navigate through the menu items. He says one told local police that he had escaped from a Nazi camp.. Thanks to the generous support of The Frazier Family Foundation, Gala sponsors, Gala attendees, and the community, $369,402 was raised in support of the next two homes at The Ranch during the 2021 Legacy Gala: A Matter of Time! Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students, 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Garland to face Congress amid ongoing special counsel investigations, FBI chief says agency feels pandemic likely started with Chinese lab leak, House select committee hearing paints China as a strategic antagonist, JetBlue flight forced to abort landing in close call at Logan Airport, Three officers shot, standoff follows in Kansas City, Mo., police say, Vanessa Bryant, family settles claims over Kobe crash site photos for $28.5M, Agape Boarding School, Stockton, Cedar County, Missouri. His outrage became open defiance. (KY3) - Missouri's attorney general is investigating a second Cedar County boarding school. He has been a trainer for 10 years specializing in substance abuse. 2023 The Associated Press. After the state removed students from the school in August, Circle of Hope voluntarily shut down. Sick with a heart condition, Jim left the force in 1979 and moved Kathy, Bryan, and his siblings to Stockton, a sweltering agricultural city on the once-mighty San Joaquin River. Then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt's office contended that 22 workers should have been charged, and with more serious crimes. I pre paid him in February to cut yard 2x for months. Please enter valid email address to continue. For example, when many foster children age out of the system, they have lived in an average of 12 foster homes. Seven boys tested positive for tuberculosis. Master's Ranch Christian Academy which has had a facility in southern Missouri for more than a decade opened a new location . 24 homes where foster children can receive the support they need in order to mature in all aspects of their lives. In November, Schrag joined close to two dozen men and women protesting outside Agap, holding signs that read Torture Is Not Treatment and Lies Wont Protect You Anymore.. Andrew Breshears in his Agap uniform. Bryan Clemensen stops a tour of the group home to pet Sally, the ranchs beloved camel. At least two other states Montana and Arkansas carve out licensing exemptions for religious facilities. Lawmakers held hearings and introduced a bill that would give the state some oversight. Former students and their attorneys allege that for years Clemensen has been a toxic presence at the school, encouraging his staff to use violence to maintain order. Agape Ranch is a thriving faith-based non-profit offering a forward-thinking and compassionate community-based solution to the foster care crisis facing America today. 1:00. Circle of Hope closed in 2020, and its owners, Boyd and Stephanie Householder, face 101 felony charges, including statutory rape, abuse and neglect of a child. It appeared to be a vast improvement over his previous digs. Gaither says at this point, they dont know if there will be any charges. vs. Agape Baptist Church Inc., et al: In the complaint filed on August 7, 2021, Alabama plaintiff shared his allegations of abuse while being under the custody of Agape Boarding School from approximately March 2012 to March 2013. By the time he ended up in the Padded Palace, he recalls, I was bleeding all over my head and hands. So he scrawled the words Fuck Agap on the wall using his own blood. Agape also faces criminal charges . (Agap denies these allegations. Regretfully, child abuse and neglect have continued to rise and the work of Agape Ranch is needed now more than ever. One deposed student describes attempting to jump off a staircase at Agap in a gesture of suicidal desperation which prompted a staffer to grab him, throw him six feet across the floor, sit on his back, and bash his head into the floor multiple times, leaving him in a pile of snot and blood, while screaming, Is this what you want? (Agap confirms restraining the student, but says it was not a form of abuse but an attempt to prevent harm to the boy.) Another former student said under oath that he was yanked out of bed and slammed to the floor for waking up late, kicked and punched in the balls by former dean of students Julio Sandoval, and kicked in the ribs and face in front of the rest of the school by Bryan Clemensen. We felt they needed God in their lives. The state, he says, had no clue how to get to a kids heart.. Clemensen said the decision to close "is voluntary and solely due to the lack of financial resources to continue caring for the boys.". There is no cost to you, not even if you enroll in any school we might mention to you. Im trying to aim for a decent life, you know what Im saying? In 1991, Todd Bindley, then 13, moved in. They noted that DSS had confirmed a case of child abuse and added the name of the Agap staffer responsible to the Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry, prohibiting him from working at a residential facility. There, according to Bindley, he was put to work painting, roofing, and helping to dismantle a web of lead pipes covered in asbestos, which he was told to carry to the top of a hill and throw into a pit used to burn garbage. It was then he discovered an effort far more worthwhile than smashing windows: At least 18 other former students were filing lawsuits accusing the school and its staff of emotional, sexual, and physical abuse. Askins reached out to Child Protective Services and then shared the video with the Householders estranged daughter, Amanda. hen Andrew Breshears arrived at the Agap Boarding School in 2018, he was a sandy-haired 12-year-old who weighed less than 100 pounds. The stories of abuse told through reports by NBC News, the Kansas City Star and others prompted Missouri lawmakers to hold hearings and propose legislation last month to ramp up state oversight. The boarding school typically has about 150 boys enrolled, ages 12 to 17, and they share the ranch with farm and exotic animals, including cows, horses, llamas, water buffalo, camels and zebras, according to the schools website. W So far Clemensen has kept his name out of the registry; he lost an appeal on Nov. 17, and filed for a judicial review in circuit court, which granted him a temporary restraining order keeping him off the list. Updated: Dec 13, 2022 / 12:48 PM CST. But instead of the therapeutic environment the schools leaders promised, Schrag and 11 others who were sent to Agap as children from the late 1990s up to last year, as well as four former staff members, told NBC News they saw Agap workers hold boys down and hit them. The newly appointed attorney general, Andrew Bailey, had said he planned to continue pursuing closure. He smacked me in the face with his elbow for saying the f-word. Plaintiff was allegedly physically, sexually, and emotionally abused while under the care and supervision of . The school follows a fundamentalist Baptist belief system, according to a 2002 St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, and displayed a photo of the radio evangelist Lester Roloff, who died in a plane crash in 1982. Stockton is located 130 miles south of Kansas City, a lazy drive down sunbaked roads lined with oak forests and rolling fields. That meant calling out and even disciplining classmates for infractions like cursing, talking in line, refusing to pledge allegiance to the Christian flag, or talking about their pasts. Earlier this year, Smock, the schools longtime physician, was charged with 12 felony sexual-molestation crimes against those in his care. After abuse allegations at Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch, a religious boarding school near Agap, began spreading on TikTok last spring, the Cedar County Sheriff's Department opened an investigation, which the state attorney general joined and is ongoing. Some former students have made the allegations against Agape Boarding School and Legacy Boys Academy in Stockton, Masters Ranch in far southern Missouri, and Circle of Hope Girls Ranch near . His religious mother wasnt having it. Agap did not respond to repeated requests for comment and interviews via phone, email and a letter left at the schools reception desk. Boarding schools fleeing abuse claims in other states find 'Promised Land' in Missouri . It also lays out a set of childrens rights, banning corporal punishment and verbal and emotional abuse, and giving youth the ability to call their parents whenever they want. Agape Boarding School, a Christian reform school in Cedar County, is under investigation by local authorities and the Missouri Attorney Generals office. "If you have children who are fearful that they're going to be sent back to these facilities, you see a lot of instances where children might recant their stories," said Caitlin Whaley, director of legislation for the department. The next home at The Ranch is for youth aging-out of foster care and the need is urgent. At least three Cedar County Sheriff's Department employees currently or previously work at Agape, including two full-time deputies, one of whom is married to the daughter of Agape's founder, the petition read. I have concerns about every inch of that place, County Commissioner Sue Miller said. The argument grew heated, he says, and the staffer told the kids they were going to Brown Town. I realized I cant be the only former student to have these problems, he says. They also look at records from any incidents in which a child is injured or restrained. He is pleased to hear the Missouri attorney generals office is now investigating Agape Boarding School. Seth Duncan was charged with five counts of third . STOCKTON, Mo. J.M. It was a video secretly recorded at nearby Circle of Hope Ranch that finally moved state authorities to get involved. They said that they were bringing me to my parents, he says. The Montana Family Foundation, an anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage advocacy organization, lobbied against the proposals, as well, and Smith said their opposition scared lawmakers who didnt want a negative mark on the conservative groups legislative scorecard. 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