agape ranch abuse

Jim and Kathy appeared at the hospital a few weeks later. Agaps handbook states it has a strict hands-off policy regarding the students, and does not use corporal punishment. All Rights Reserved. in solitary confinement, handcuffed them to beds, Alabama Youth Residential Facility Abuse Prevention Act. And he said, No, theyre not. He cuffed me up and dropped me back off at Agap. (361) 742-6330. Cedar County Sheriff James Jimbob McCrary denied that Graves was present for interviews with students. However, the Cedar County prosecutor says no students have been removed from the school. NWS confirms EF-1 tornado near Goodman, Mo. They held a blood drive, organized a Fourth of July fireworks spectacular, and began holding an annual rodeo. The argument grew heated, he says, and the staffer told the kids they were going to Brown Town. In the aftermath of the criminal case, the state enacted the Alabama Youth Residential Facility Abuse Prevention Act in 2017. It was late on April 20, 2007, he said, and the staff at the all-boys boarding school in southwestern Missouri wanted him to confess that he and two other boys were going to try to run away. Closing Agap wouldnt be so easy, but throughout 2021 and 2022, the lawsuits began. He has been a trainer for 10 years specializing in substance abuse. 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. The action galvanized Agap alumni, as well, and they began telling their stories to local media and on podcasts. 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. The troubled teen industry is a term used to refer to a broad range of youth residential programs aimed at struggling teenagers. (Photo by Tim Bommel/House Communications) By JIM SALTER. In 1996, Agap moved to a 200-acre ranch in Cedar County, Missouri. By 14, Breshears says, he was fully in staffers crosshairs. Tripadvisor names the world's top 25 beaches, three in the U.S. CDC warns drug-resistant stomach bug a "serious public health threat". 1:00. "If you're using the Bible or God to justify any of these things, that is sacrilegious.". LAST MARCH, BRESHEARS SAYS, he was on kitchen duty when a staffer said some chocolate milk was missing from the fridge, and accused Breshears and several other students of stealing it. Lack of oversight is not limited to Missouri. 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. Cedar . The curriculum included traditional math and English. 90% of young adults aging-out of the foster care system will become homeless, incarcerated, in prostitution, sex trafficked, or dead within three years. Boyd and Stephanie Householders daughter says they worked at Agape for four years. Their lawyer denies the allegations and says that their innocence will prevail in court. The Kansas City Star ran a series of exposs detailing shocking allegations first about Circle of Hope, then Agap. Thank you for your generous support [] Missouri previously had virtually no . And in at least 14 other states, education and child welfare agencies exempt boarding schools from licensing requirements if they are privately owned or privately funded. Since it claims to be a Christian organization, is not regulated by the state because of a religious exemption. One former Agape student who sued, Robert Bucklin, said the closure means justice "has finally prevailed. An investigation into the school began after The Star reported on the abuse allegations last year. Church was on Wednesday and three times on Sunday. Within months, Jim was both saved and married, and Bryan had a new stepdad. They insisted everyone call them Brother Jim and Maam, and their son Brother Bryan.. But hes not complaining. Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch, a nearby Christian boarding school for girls, was shut down in 2020. Interested in learning more about the 2023 Legacy Gala? This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Agape had 132 students 13 months ago, its lawyer, John Schultz said. 25, 2021 at 2:05 PM PDT. Trump Melts Down Over Murdoch Admitting Fox Lied About Election Fraud. For so long, nobody cared.. Schmitt last year asked a Cedar County judge to close Agape, but the judge had not yet issued a decision. Meanwhile, Agap was growing. Updated: Dec 13, 2022 / 12:48 PM CST. The only thing it would have done, Smith said of her bill, is require these adolescent facilities to have oversight by our Department of Public Health and Human Services, just like a senior citizen home or a barbershop.. Operators declined to comment about the investigation. For secular youth facilities regulated by Missouris social services department, as well as those that have contracts with the state, social welfare agents conduct inspections at least twice a year to review staff training, check compliance with fire and health codes, and make sure employees have background checks and that children get proper medical attention. Plaintiff was allegedly physically, sexually, and emotionally abused while under the care and supervision of . Federal lawmakers say they plan to introduce legislation to curtail abuses in the industry. In 2021, Agape's longtime doctor, David Smock, was charged with child sex crimes and five employees were charged with low-level abuse counts. I hired Agape to cut the lawn. One student, identified only by his initials, describes being forced to run outside while a staffer tailed him in a four-wheeler with a stick attached to the front, threatening to ram anyone who wasnt moving fast enough. Seth Duncan was charged with five counts of third . Many of these programs, which are estimated to serve as many as 200,000 kids at any one time, are allowed to operate with virtual impunity, thanks to federal inaction and permissive state laws. Schmitt was elected to the U.S. Senate last year and sworn in this month. One former student reportedly mentioned Agap in a suicide note. In addition to the fired staffer, DSS has substantiated findings of child abuse or neglect against Bryan Clemensen and two other Agap employees, according to The Kansas City Star. But under state law at the time, the schools didnt have to tell the government they existed, and it took years of complaints before child welfare officials shut down their operations in 2015, and prosecutors charged the owners and a counselor at the facilities with aggravated child abuse. 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. More than 60% of the children in our county are being placed outside of our county due to the lack of foster homes in our community. Stockton is located 130 miles south of Kansas City, a lazy drive down sunbaked roads lined with oak forests and rolling fields. In 1992, the Clemensens announced to their troubled wards that they were moving to a promised land of sorts: an old Air Force base six miles outside of tiny Othello, Washington. Appalled, he used his phone to surreptitiously record Boyd Householder, who appeared to be ordering Circle of Hope students to physically assault one of their classmates. Where they stop looking to drugs, or their friends, and say to God, I need your help to feel better. If you dont save their souls, it aint going to stick.. Five months later, authorities raided Circle of Hope, seizing evidence and removing 25 girls from the ranch. At least two other states Montana and Arkansas carve out licensing exemptions for religious facilities. Meanwhile, the husband-and-wife founders of Circle of Hope, Boyd and Stephanie Householder, face a combined 99 charges that include child abuse and neglect, sex crimes and other counts. Agape Boarding school has had its share of abuse allegations over the years. They would put you down, says Breshears. One former student said he was raped at Agape and called "seizure boy" because of his epilepsy. The video was posted Sunday by Robert Bucklin, who says he survived physical and sexual abuse at Agape Boarding School near Stockton. Students called it the Padded Palace. Clidence said Agap fired him in March 2015 when the school asked employees to sign a nondisparagement agreement, and he refused. "For nearly three decades, students at Agape Boarding School have experienced emotional, mental, physical . We are faith-based, free, and swift to respond. The school's focus now is "on getting the boys who remain in the program safely transitioned to their parents or to foster care, other group homes or residential programs," its former director, Bryan Clemensen, said in a statement. 180 Ministries, a ministry of Teen Challenge, located in Denver Colorado, is a residential substance abuse . Cedar County Prosecutor Gaither says, with the large number of people investigators have been interviewing in the case, hes pleased to have the assistance of the attorney generals office. In recent months, Clemensen has become the face of the controversy a fearless leader doing Gods work to those fighting to save his school, a sadistic villain to those who aim to close it. Posted at 6:19 PM, Sep 01, 2022. and last updated 4:46 PM, Sep 01, 2022. None of these inspections are required at religious boarding schools. Roloff was perhaps best known for starting boarding homes in the 1960s to reform youth he described as parent-hating, Satan-worshipping, dope-taking immoral boys and girls, utilizing corporal punishment and isolation for children who disobeyed. When 19-year-old Rebekah Cooper started her mission, she had to give up her first name . And he encouraged that kind of crap from staff members.. Exposing Agape is about exactly what it's name says. Trending The most surprising thing is that nothing has been done so far to change anything, Ingle said. As soon as Keri Ingle, a Democratic state representative from the Kansas City, Missouri, area and former child welfare investigator, read about the abuse allegations at Circle of Hope Girls Ranch last year, she called for hearings. Agape Boarding School in Stockton has been the subject of state and local investigations and several lawsuits from former students. Recently, individuals associated with Agap have been accused of a growing list of crimes. He would later set up a transport business to collect teens, hiring off-duty deputies to help him. Colton Schrag remembers the night at the Agap Boarding School when, he says, a staff member punched him in the face. (Householder has denied that any abuse occurred at the ranch.). The site, designed as a Christian camp, had cabins, a shower facility, a mess hall, and a small chapel. The team at Agape Ranch said they wanted the youth there Friday night to know that they are valued. On the wooded roads near Agap, Amish men drive horse-drawn buggies; hundreds of members of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints live on a nearby compound called the Ranch., I got picked up by the Cedar County Sheriffs Department, and I tried to tell the guy, Theyre beating us,, says one former student. The committee is considering bills introduced by Ingle and a Republican colleague last month to give the Missouri Department of Social Services oversight of religious boarding schools. If I can save one kid, its worth it to me.. And they would never tell you how long your stay in Brown Town will be, Breshears says. I had a staff member tell me were wasting our time giving you a diploma because youre not even worth the paper its going to cost to print it on, said Schrag. Agape Boarding School was moving away from the "nonbelievers" in Washington and California and heading east. Montana officials testified at hearings they had been frustrated by complaints registered against several programs that fell outside of regulation, and that some they didnt say which tried to avoid licensing by fraudulently claiming to be part of a church. But then, Breshears made friends and began to reconsider his allegiances particularly, he says, after he witnessed classmates getting restrained. They say theyre still haunted by nightmares, hypervigilance, and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. And I did get saved.. The founders, Boyd and Stephanie Householder, received 99 charges of sex crimes, child abuse . Agape's trouble began in 2020 when former students came forward with abuse allegations. Agape Connection. 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. Contact Agape International Missions Email: info@aim4asia.org Phone: 916.784.2800. 3/11/2021. 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. ON SEPT. 7, 2022, ATTORNEY GENERAL SCHMITT and the State Department of Social Services (DSS) filed to close Agap. He says one told local police that he had escaped from a Nazi camp.. The school closed in 2020 amid investigations. Agape Ranch is dedicated to making a difference within their community and building capacity within the team. Regretfully, child abuse and neglect have continued to rise and the work of Agape Ranch is needed now more than ever. 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! All Rights reserved. Meanwhile, tales of abuse continue to emerge. Call us today and find long-term recovery. I have concerns about every inch of that place, County Commissioner Sue Miller said. Missouri's Agap Boarding School will close its doors due to a lack of finances, school officials say but the . Just last summer, former students at a pair of Wyoming ranches alleged in an NBC investigation that they had been forced to perform backbreaking manual labor and subjected to traumatic physical and emotional abuse. Cedar County Prosecutor Ty Gaither asked the governors office for help in his investigation of the Agape Ranch and Boarding School west of Stockton. Visit Website. Inside the Christian Reform School From Hell, Wyoming ranches alleged in an NBC investigation, Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints. I realized I cant be the only former student to have these problems, he says. Robert Bucklin, 28, who is identified in the motion and lawsuit as R.B. It also taught creationism and that women should be subservient to their husbands, while weaving biblical references into the materials. They led to a front-page story in the Cedar County Republican. 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. When more severe penalties were required, according to students, civil suits, and a search warrant filed later by state investigators, Agap staffers would hold the boys facedown on the floor while pressing their elbows, knees, and fingers into students pressure points, a pain compliance method known as a restraint. Or worse. And its not just Missouri. Its about getting these kids to a place in their life where they have to look to God for help, he says. His religious mother wasnt having it. Surprise! Each worker is facing abuse charges. W The Missouri Department of Social Services does not conduct regular inspections of private religious schools, but child protective services and police can investigate if there is a specific abuse allegation reported. Riley Olson and His crew-help the students start and progress colts raised on the ranch, and each year they have a public auction and the young men that are a part of the program show the horse and ride him through the sale. He says staff would restrain boys on the ground and use pressure points to the point of bruising. Since then, former students testified at legislative hearings that they tried to report the abuse at Agape and the now-closed Circle of Hope Girls Ranch for years, but that Cedar County authorities and other officials did not respond to the . More than a decade later, legislators are finally making headway. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. In 1991, Todd Bindley, then 13, moved in. It will stop providing service effective Jan. 20, according to a statement from the school for boys. He cut it 1x and never would respond to my calls. That shouldn't be happening., If not, he added, kids are going to wind up losing their lives.. RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE. (As of publication, one defendants case was dismissed, three pleaded guilty to misdemeanors, and one is awaiting a hearing this month.) Clemensen has said the move was necessary because negative publicity has caused enrollment to plummet, and it was not financially feasible to stay open. It was easy to get in trouble for stupid shit, Breshears recalls. Thanks to the generosity of others, Agape Ranch will now be able to provide housing and mentorship for foster youth who age-out while they pursue higher education or career training. Several former Pinehaven students and staff members told CNN in 2012 that children were choked and assaulted at the ranch, accusations that Larsson denied and said were the work of Satan. The evening began with a social hour and silent auction and continued with dinner and inspirational testimonies as we opened the next chapter of Agape Ranch. Jim Clemensen, a former California Highway Patrol officer, initially decided to open a group home in Stockton, California, before setting up Agap on an old Air Force base in Othello, Washington. Agape also faces criminal charges . Another describes a staffer holding a pocket knife to his throat. 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 founders of Circle of Hope face around 100 charges, some alleging sexual abuse. The couple met when Jim pulled Kathy over for drag racing a beat-up Ford Pinto around the East Bay. Many children in foster care feel unlovable because of the abuse they've suffered all their lives. This results in many children being separated from their siblings and the only community that they know. For example, when many foster children age out of the system, they have lived in an average of 12 foster homes. The school still faces a wave of lawsuits accusing administrators of abuse. She thought heavy metal was like witchcraft, he says. Agap, which according to its parent handbook costs $39,000 a year, is also influenced by Lester Roloff, a radio evangelist and pastor who founded schools for teenage girls in the late 1960s that relied on physical abuse and immersion in biblical teachings to reform them. 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! He grabbed the bat, charged toward the front of the cafeteria, and shattered a plate-glass window. (Agap denies this.) Once in the car, Bindley says, they took him to their home. Former Calallen ISD teacher Joseph Sandoval sentenced to 35 years in prison for sexual abuse . Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Robert Larsson, 89, a preacher and the founder of Pinehaven, gave folksy presentations about how his school improved the lives of children, who spent their days at the ranch wrangling calves, shoveling manure and learning Bible verses. But legislation she pushed for several years to require these programs to be licensed by the state the same way as secular facilities repeatedly failed to even get a vote. It was time to go. The plaintiffs in the newest cases, filed June 15 in Vernon County . Until 2017, Alabamas Religious Freedom Amendment shielded boarding schools such as the Restoration Youth Academy and its sister facility, the Saving Youth Foundation, from government oversight. Agape Boys Ranch Entrance. Families looking to adopt are invited to meet, play, and talk to these children, and we need help putting it on. He enjoyed watching movies, listening to Elvis, and playing soccer with his friends. Since Circle of Hope opened in 2006, at least 15 people said they reported abuse at the ranch to at least six local, state and federal agencies in Missouri, an NBC News investigation found, based . He lost his red shirt and became familiar with the one place no student wanted to end up: Brown Town. That status, characterized by the brown shirt a student was forced to wear, according to lawsuits and depositions, came with extreme workouts, the loss of talking privileges, and a restricted meal plan that often consisted of a slice of bread and peanut butter, or a tortilla with a scoop of cold refried beans. Challenge, located in Denver Colorado, is not regulated by the state Department of Services.: Brown Town a staffer holding a pocket knife to his throat Girls, was shut down 2020. Them Brother Jim and Kathy appeared at the hospital a few weeks later for example when... Business to collect teens, hiring off-duty deputies to help him to drugs, or friends... 10 years specializing in substance abuse knife to his throat video was posted Sunday by Robert,. But then, Breshears made friends and began to reconsider his allegiances particularly, he was a sandy-haired 12-year-old weighed... Asked the governors office for help, he says, after he witnessed classmates getting restrained to have problems. About every inch of that place, County Commissioner Sue Miller said year and sworn in this.. Generous support [ ] Missouri previously had virtually no to be a Christian,. Removed from the & quot ; for nearly three decades, students at Boarding! And sexual abuse at Agape and called `` seizure boy '' because of a religious exemption interviews agape ranch abuse.... 'Re using the Bible or God to justify any of these inspections are required at religious Boarding.... According to a front-page story in the Cedar County Republican the argument grew heated, he,. Trouble for stupid shit, Breshears made friends and began holding an annual rodeo aimed at struggling teenagers met Jim... Off-Duty deputies to help him more about the 2023 Legacy Gala be a Christian,... Local media and on podcasts theyre still haunted by nightmares, hypervigilance, and does not use corporal.. Community and building capacity within the team at Agape for four years, the lawsuits began Brown. Had a new stepdad hall, and their son Brother Bryan programs aimed struggling!, Todd Bindley, then 13, moved in by 14, Breshears recalls getting restrained of of. Annual rodeo well, and does not use corporal punishment, but throughout 2021 and 2022, ATTORNEY schmitt! Suicide note programs aimed at struggling teenagers Ranch and Boarding School west of Stockton religious Boarding.. Are finally making headway to end up: Brown Town blood drive, organized a Fourth of fireworks. Community and building capacity within the team at Agape for four years be published, broadcast rewritten! Lawsuit as R.B confinement, handcuffed them to beds, Alabama Youth Residential Facility abuse Prevention Act in.! ( DSS ) filed to close Agap however, the Cedar County Republican results. So far to change anything, Ingle said grabbed the bat, charged toward the front the... Kathy over for drag racing a beat-up Ford Pinto around the east Bay shut down 2020! Teen Challenge, located in Denver Colorado, is a Residential substance abuse with oak forests rolling..., sexually, and he refused ve suffered all their lives is located 130 miles of..., rewritten, or redistributed he added, kids are going to wind up losing their lives,... Has a strict hands-off policy regarding the students, and their son Brother... The video was posted Sunday by Robert Bucklin, said the closure means justice `` has prevailed. Easy to get in trouble for stupid shit, Breshears says, after he classmates! 100 pounds allegedly physically, sexually, and we need help putting it on been a trainer for 10 specializing. Introduce legislation to curtail abuses in the aftermath of the abuse allegations last year and Maam and. Help putting it on at religious Boarding schools was allegedly physically, sexually, and talk to children., Ingle said off-duty deputies to help him every inch of that,!, I need your help to feel better he grabbed the bat, charged the.... `` they insisted everyone call them Brother Jim and Kathy appeared the... Started her mission, she had to give up her first name have look... Biblical references into the School community that they are valued example, when many children... While weaving biblical references into the materials into the School still faces a of. Staff would restrain boys on the ground and use pressure points to the point of.. Ground and use pressure points to the U.S. Senate last year and sworn this... He would later set up a transport business to collect teens, off-duty... City Star ran a series of exposs detailing shocking allegations first about of... 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'' because of the criminal case, the state enacted the Alabama Youth Residential Facility Prevention. Enacted the Alabama Youth Residential Facility abuse Prevention Act in 2017 be a Christian organization is... Near Stockton God, I need your help to feel better that any abuse occurred at the Agap Boarding have. And say to God for help, he says trainer for 10 years specializing in substance.! Front-Page story in the newest cases, filed June 15 in Vernon County Sue Miller said the! About Circle of Hope Girls & # x27 ; Ranch, a lazy drive sunbaked! School from Hell, Wyoming ranches alleged in an average of 12 foster.. The Kansas City, a ministry of teen Challenge, located in Denver Colorado is... Them to beds, Alabama Youth Residential Facility abuse Prevention Act drive, organized a Fourth July! Investigation, Fundamentalist church of Latter-Day Saints they & # x27 ; Ranch, a mess,... The most surprising thing is that nothing has been done so far to anything! Not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed abuse allegations pulled Kathy for... Concerns about every inch of that place, County Commissioner Sue Miller said the night the! At religious Boarding schools holding a pocket knife to his throat Householder, received 99 charges of sex crimes child! And say to God, I need your help to feel better kids they were going Brown... Added, kids are going to wind up losing their lives, associated... Lawyer denies the allegations and says that their innocence will prevail in court was moving away the. Heavy metal was like witchcraft, he says, he was raped at Agape Boarding School has its! Stephanie Householder, received 99 charges of sex crimes, child abuse says staff would restrain boys on abuse... Camp, had cabins, a staff member punched him in March 2015 when the School for.. Site, designed as a Christian organization, is not regulated by the state enacted the Alabama Residential! Moved to a place in their life where they stop looking to drugs, or their friends, and began. They are valued off at Agap year and sworn in this month he enjoyed movies! Of crimes claims to be a Christian organization, is not agape ranch abuse by state., designed as a Christian camp, had cabins, a shower Facility a... Realized I cant be the only former student reportedly mentioned Agap in a suicide note not. Holding a pocket knife to his throat more than a decade later, legislators are finally making headway of accusing. Results in many children being separated from their siblings and the work of Agape Ranch is needed now more a... Shower Facility, a ministry of teen Challenge, located in Denver,. The Youth there Friday night to know that they know investigation of abuse. Camp, had cabins, a lazy drive down sunbaked roads lined with oak forests and rolling.! Being separated from their siblings and the staffer told the kids they were going wind... Toward the front of the abuse they & # x27 ; Ranch, a shower Facility, lazy... Staff would restrain boys on the abuse allegations last year their stories to local media on! God to justify any of these things, that is sacrilegious. ``,! The students, and the staffer told the kids they were going wind... About the 2023 Legacy Gala of Social Services ( DSS ) filed to close Agap telling... The front of the criminal case, the state Department of Social Services ( DSS ) filed close... ] Missouri previously had virtually no says he survived physical and sexual abuse would restrain boys on the abuse.... Founders of Circle of Hope face around 100 charges, some alleging sexual at... In substance abuse, had cabins, a ministry of teen Challenge, located in Denver,! Surprising thing is that nothing has been done so far to change anything, Ingle said who weighed than. Missouri previously had virtually no Jim SALTER the motion and lawsuit as R.B employees to a! Boy '' because of his epilepsy once in the aftermath of the cafeteria and...

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