discovery ranch lawsuit

Paris Hilton just came out with a documentary on her experience at another abusive program just down the street from DR. It got heated on the ranch and Duane kept referring to this person as a "freeloader." The ranch hasn't been short of intruders, in many forms including surveillance cameras and spy drones. When I came back to real life I had forgotten how to smile and had to train myself to make facial expressions that corresponded to the emotions I should have felt in various circumstances. When we have the opportunity to get together, its a very special and meaningful time for all of us, we reminisce about the little funny stories that helped us get through the day during our time, we think about about all the suffering we endeared and how we survived, and we always take the time to honor our close friends that didnt and have passed. The lawsuit filed by the staff parents said the couple joined Eagle Ranch as staff parents in April 2020 and ended their employment in January 2022. If you have any logic in your brain in the slightest then you should realize how goddamn stupid it would be to send your kid to this shit hole. Derek (Yelp), 8/21/2015: (SURVIVOR) Its been about 8-9 years since I left DR; Im now 25 and although I dont dwell on what happened so much anymore, this place has had such a negative impact on my life. Their motto is apparently Strength in the Struggle. Every part of Discovery Ranch, from the amazing campus to the nationally accredited Academic Program, helps to promote growth and healing. He will have opportunities for growth through our experiential campus, by developing new skills and interests. And the scariest part was that it was fantastic during the day; we would do ropes courses and go skiing and horseback riding and talk to a truly kind therapist every day who genuinely though I was insane or a pathological liar and convinced me I was hallucinating or having nightmares. Staff care about one another and take a genuine interest in the girls. June 7, 2022 . Im in therapy, on medication, have been to three AA meetings in the past three days, and just feel like I am out of options and suicide or getting constantly fucked up is my only option at this point. Discovery Ranch combines the power of traditional and experiential therapies to create a clinically sophisticated, relationship-based residential treatment center for boys ages 13-18. I had been raped when i was 12 and was unable to tell my male therapist or parents about this happening because my family is very Catholic. Yes, we have an amazing ranch!! NAAS is an organization that has accredited many notoriously abusive behavior-modification programs, including many WWASP programs. However, our neighbor whose son went there the following year had all good experiences. able to inform their parents of abuse, their parents are manipulated by DR into believing that their child is lying and being manipulative in an attempt to be pulled from the program. Staff unresponsive, administration unresponsive and kept to company line to detriment of my son. Your Call is Confidential. After essentially being re-traumatized after remembering all this, I recently went on a five day bender started Wednesday where I got high and or drunk every waking moment, which culminated with me waking up on my bathroom floor on Monday morning covered in blood and vomit next to two empty bottles of wine and Xanax spilled across the floor with a five page suicide note on my computer that Id written in a blackout. It sickens me that even after the kid is out of this place they threaten to send them back to this horrible place. Countless amounts of times seeing staff restrain kids in inhumane ways. Aside from the obvious prejudice and discrimination, many of these conditions are not legitimate clinical impairments, and those that are require individualized care, which this facility does not provide., In February of 2015, a former resident at DR and his family filed a lawsuit against the school reporting that the boy was violently and repeatedly sexually assaulted by another resident at the program. $1,000 in 1990 worth today . Your PRECIOUS child is NOT safe here! We also understand that every teen and every family is unique. This investigative process is aptly named "discovery," because it often turns up facts and documents that were previously unknown -- to at . The trauma Ive witnessed, and seen other kids witness was unbearable. Your son will experience the value of hard work through daily chores and responsibilities. He will receive consistent feedback. After I graduated I was transferred to discovery ranch. The. I had never done drugs, drank, or even smoked a cigarette at this point in my life. I dont know why but when i was there I never wanted to leave. My first treatment center was Redcliffe ascent, and I did really well there. However, it is also only 10 minutes from the urban hub of Cedar City, Utah. They made me feel disgusting and quite hideous. Its another long, tough, painful battle after you leave DR and I havent known one other person who didnt suffer after getting out. THATS WHEN YOU KNOW THE PLACE IS TERRIBLE. Davinci (Google Reviews), 2018: (SURVIVOR) Beware the evil behind their smiling eyes! In this, experiential, safe, and supportive environment. It is degrading and disrespectful and I will forever hate this program as they manipulate people into spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to not help there kids. Each part of his daily experience will reinforce his therapeutic goals. At Discovery Ranch we understand that when your teen is in trouble, your whole family is in trouble. He also worked for a time as the Director of NATSAP. Please save your child from this place. Jason (Google Reviews), 6/10/2016: (SURVIVOR) Terrible place dont send your child here. If anything, kids got worse from being here. (During my stay, a kid in a different house was repeatedly raped by another kid for days until he was caught.) The Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch, which airs on Discovery Channel, is currently in its fifth season. If youre a troubled teen thats reading this that just recently got out, or its been years and its still effecting you, please believe me when I say that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. These programs are money makers. Last year, Granby Ranch Metropolitan District, a homeowner-controlled metro district, filed suit against the group of entities associated with the Granby Ranch development. He since has shut down and will not discuss it so no idea if it was accurate or something he said when first home to avoid being sent back. Countless amounts of times seeing staff restrain kids in inhumane ways. We were victims of abuse. Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch is a show on the Discovery Network about a rancher and his son who operate a 160-acre ranch in Utah. Parents have no clue what they are getting themselves into by sending their children there. We were indirectly expected to manipulate visiting parents of troubled kids who have not yet been sent to treatment. They have the same goals in mind. My brother was at the Ranch over a decade ago. , There are plenty of articles that prove why Discovery Ranch is dangerous for the mental development of children. I was there almost ten years ago, and it feels like yesterday because of my PTSD. I wish I could give negitive stars! I have constant dreams where bugs are crawling all over my skin and I wake up screaming from anxiety. They picked favorites and we were treated like garbage. I highly suggest people look it up, one of the most disgusting things Ive ever read in my life: . If you absolutely need mental support for your child, I suggest something that is close to home, and something that does not limit their ability to see and interact with the outside world. Eaton County Circuit Court 1045 Independence Blvd. My Mom says she wishes she had heard of that school at the time. You have been warned and I still have ptsd and Ive been going to therapy for 2 and a half years and more to come. Kids are constantly getting restrained and put on drugs to keep them under control. He reportedly began working in the TTI because his brothers have worked at various other treatment centers. Also there were lawsuits against this place. Duane and his son, Chad Ollinger, are trying to finish a goal set by Duane's own father. However, our neighbor whose son went there the following year had all good experiences. They are there only to try and give the staff (who by the way have no training in psychology at all) an easier time. Although the system failed us, my peers and I have created somewhat of a little support group to cope and its helped us tremendously. Discovery Ranch a Utah corporation doing business as Discovery Ranch, Discovery Connections Attorney/Law Firm Details Plaintiff Attorneys Kathryn J. Steffey Attorney at SMITH HARTVIGSEN PLLC 257 E 200 S Ste 500 Salt Lake City, UT 84111 Clayton H. Preece Attorney at SMITH HARTVIGSEN PLLC 257 E 200 S Ste 500 Salt Lake City, UT 84111 Court Documents discovery ranch lawsuit. I suggest seeking different options for your child. We have all suffered enough, its time to heal and create a system that works. , This place is horrible. When the program opened, it housed both boys and girls on the same campus, but kept them completely seperate in different parts of the campus. You Have Questions, We Have Answers. Grand Ledge Courts. (Blood sprayed on me). Research shows this is the best approach to help your son and family heal mentally, physically, and emotionally. Not only were surveillance cameras found pointing at their worksite, but military helicopters have flown over the Utah land and spy drones have been seen, too. There is not enough research of the negative effects places like DR have on a young person, people dont like to talk or hear about places like DR, the system is extremely flawed, its a corporation that works very hard to keep you there as long as possible for obvious financial reasons while hiring unqualified staff. The night staff was apparently fucked up on heroin, meth, pcp, etc the whole time and had virtually no training or qualifications, which I learned when a male staff member sexually propositioned me over Facebook when I was 18, so three years later, and told me what happened behind closed doors. 8 9 comments Best Add a Comment dsholliday 7 yr. ago While enrolled at Discovery Ranch, your son will experience a safe and structured environment. When you fail thats on you, dont punish your kids for your actions. (only the higher rank kids would be allowed to do this). We were victims of abuse. The ranch horse manager Jerry put a phone in my face showing horses having sex. I had to raise a baby cow for the slaughter to learn to deal with loss, exercise until I threw up blood, pick up cow shit every day, I could go on and on. Education was packets and computer testing only poor. Listen to your child, what do they think they need? We earned academic accreditation through Discovery Academy. Before you would consider sending your son away, you need to know that he is going to a place you can trust. They strip you of everything, even contact with your own parents, and dangle it in front of you as motivation to do/act how they want. It is degrading and disrespectful and I will forever hate this program as they manipulate people into spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to not help there kids. Every part of Discovery Ranch, from the amazing campus to the nationally accredited Academic Program, helps to promote growth and healing. We will not share your information. One small slip up, and you have all privileges taken away from a day to sometimes even a week. These experiences will teach your son values like Responsibility, Grit, Honesty, Respect, Courage, Kindness, and Accountability. The decision you make for your child will stay with them forever. If they mention these sorts of things to parents (over heavily monitored phone calls and letters in the mail), contact between student and parent would be cut off. It is run like a prison. In comparison, most of the other residents had serious drug problems, were in gangs, were extremely violent, etc. His step-father (my Dad) told me not to discuss it around him. I literally couldnt make this shit up. I can still hear the screams of kids being restrained and having their arms pinned behind them and blood flow cut off because they didnt follow simple orders. They only allow astonishing ones to pass. In May 2018, the family that owns Blind Frog Ranch in Moab, Utah, filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM . The level-system consists of five levels, which the boys progress through by earning points for good behavior while avoiding demerits for negative behaviors and rule infractions. The amounts of times I screamed out loud in physical/mental exhaustion from being undermined and unheard is uncountable. There was never any you can do it it was you better do it or youre going to be put on mc and never get out of here. The protocols here suck, and do absolutely nothing in the way of help. Discovery ranchs idea of privileges is being able to sit on something other than hard wood chairs. When you fail thats on you, dont punish your kids for your actions. Abuse at its finest.. we were totally and utterly underfed, one morning we were fed one mini bagel and one cream cheese. 54A District Court 124 W. Michigan Ave., #54A Lansing, MI 48933 (517) 483-4433 Court Website. . discovery ranch lawsuit. Your child will be put in with kids that are older than their age group, that were in gangs, that are addicted to drugs, etc. They strip you of everything, even contact with your own parents, and dangle it in front of you as motivation to do/act how they want. I suggest seeking different options for your child. Im happy to say that she is leading a normal life and leaving DR was the best thing that happened. , I try to think positively about it but honestly this shithole gave me PTSD. Also they lie to the kids about the effects of marijuana, such as the claim that you can withdrawal from it, but I know that isnt true. I still hear screams from my friends being restrained in the back of my mind. You are a survivor of an abusive environment that is very similar to a prison. The location grew in popularity after rumors swirled that the land . They do a terrific job at keeping kids quiet. 9/17/2020: (SURVIVOR) Please do not send your child to this horrific and abusive program. Staff parents "were expected to replicate a. Teenagers at Discovery Ranch have extremely limited contact with the outside world. He can participate in various sports teams, such as basketball, flag football, wrestling, and cross-country running. Its not just the kids too, sometimes there are good staff, but whenever there is that person never lasts long at all, they all literally quit because this place is so horrible. There is overmedicating (including putting kids to sleep for doing nothing wrong. Also if you notice, a large majority of the 5 star ratings are from former staff as opposed to parents/students. , Through my stay I personally witnessed: Two suicide attempts. I thought I was actually crazy, but it was all real. First, let me begin by stating that sending your kid anywhere is a traumatic experience they will have for the rest of their life. They often cause way more harm than good. Non-Verbal Learning Disability including High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD). STOP DISCOVER RANCH they will play you out of so much money its unbelievable. I have constant dreams where bugs are crawling all over my skin and I wake up screaming from anxiety. We focus on healing the entire family. Our parents (his Mom and step-father) regret sending him there even all these years later. In this experiential, safe, and supportive environment, your son will confront his personal challenges with the goal of healing and increasing his capacity which builds his self-confidence and self-esteem. They will dream about it years after, waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares about being back there. A friend of mine stabbing his arm 15+ times with a pencil. Therapeutic experiences challenge your son to learn and grow. Im in therapy, on medication, have been to three AA meetings in the past three days, and just feel like I am out of options and suicide or getting constantly fucked up is my only option at this point. Discovery Ranch is an Ascent Company behavior-modification program founded on August 21st, 2005. This isnt how we should treat precious children The staff have no idea how much damage theyre doing as theyre just following orders This is a mess it needs to be shut down.. Your attorney should explain each step, but here you can learn basics on Complaints, Answers, and other motions involved at the beginning of a lawsuit. Even though I have left the program, if I dont follow their horribly rigorous and reclusive aftercare rules I go back. Please reach out to me for questions, I will do my best to educate you on what is happening and get you current information. Sanoy (Google Reviews). Renewed Hope Ranch seeks "to provide unsurpassed residential care to troubled teenage girls who significantly struggle to overcome their mental, emotional, behavioral and educational challenges," according to its website. It began with a lawsuit filed by Hannah Archuleta, who appeared on Dr. Phil in 2019 and then went to the Turn-About Ranch. This is my real name, as Im no longer afraid to write my review under an alias. This creates a streamlined experience for your son. And the horrible part? Blind Frog Ranch 2022 lawsuit update In season 2, we see someone come onto the ranch and serve the gang some sort of paper. Your job as parents is to help your child, you guys are the problem not your kids. Kids are constantly getting restrained and put on drugs to keep them under control. The parents believe discovery ranch and most kids have no hope of anyone listening to them because they think no one believes them and they wont talk and they lie about it. And before you tell me that was a long time ago, I am a part of multiple survivor groups online for former students from DR and other abusive programs in Utah. Anyone is free to fact check this, and contact me with further questions [redacted]. We provide a safe, home-like environment for your son. The ranch has the best of both worlds: a small-town atmosphere with access to world-class skiing, outdoor activities, surrounded by beautiful mountains, and close to two major universities and hospitals. Id go on to say I have PTSD. Paris Hilton just came out with a documentary on her experience at another abusive program just down the street from DR. Proof is attached as an image. One small slip up, and you have all privileges taken away from a day to sometimes even a week. At Discovery Ranch for Boys, we hold ourselves to the highest professional standards. The average stay is OVER a year not under like they love to say. Education was packets and computer testing only poor. While at Discovery Ranch, your son will participate in a variety of outdoor activities. A kid was put in isolation for about 4 weeks before being moved to a different treatment center. I am a victim of emotional and physical abuse by Discovery Ranch. Each part of his daily experience will reinforce his therapeutic goals. It is marketed as a Residential Treatment Center for teenage boys aged 13-18 with "emotional and behavioral issues." DR does not accept transgender males. Discovery Ranch for Girls is a well run industry leader in residential treatment for adolescent girls. Are they just being a teenager? This type of environment makes reporting abuse and neglect impossible for teenagers. Im scared to mention my real name because Discovery Ranchs aftercare program still controls my life. The program is located at 1308 South 1600 West, Mapleton, Utah 84664. Listen to your child, and dont fall into the traps that programs make which lead parents to think their child is untrustworthy, a liar, manipulator, etc. However, in 2013 DR moved their girls program to Cedar City, UT and began makerting theis program as, member since 2005. They dont let parents talk freely to their own child. I cannot even put into words the pain I feel even today when my experience gets brought up or when I read about other kids that are STILL suffering from having to go through this program. You get used to the screaming and pleading for help, it becomes background noise. While at Discovery Ranch, your son will participate in a variety of outdoor activities. In addition, survivors have reported that on the off-chance that they. departments all work together. Until now I had remembered my experience there as a happy one- I literally only remembered what went on during the day. 1308 South 1600 West, Mapleton, Utah 84664, . I am at a loss for what to do at this point. Discovery ranchs idea of privileges is being able to sit on something other than hard wood chairs. Youre not. They want the parents to say only what they tell them to say. This website uses cookies and third party services. There is a culture of caring and respect, but also of excellence and high expectation both for staff and students. The chidren cant even have open discussions with other inmates there for fear of being punished and losing privileges. And before you tell me that was a long time ago, I am a part of multiple survivor groups online for former students from DR and other abusive programs in Utah. They are very abusive and they will lie to you. As I walked away in shock he was tackled by staff.This was after I had already seen two separate suicide attempts. In February of 2015, a former resident at DR and his family filed a lawsuit against the school reporting that the boy was violently and repeatedly sexually assaulted by another resident at the program. Also the staff there (although there were some that I liked) were extremely rude. "Defendant White took the minor child on a hunting trip where he gave him alcohol . I literally couldnt make this shit up. They want the parents to say only what they tell them to say. Lawsuit filed March 3rd against the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry (ODAFF). I had to raise a baby cow for the slaughter to learn to deal with loss, exercise until I threw up blood, pick up cow shit every day, I could go on and on. There thieves taking advantage of parents dispositions and they should be shut down Derek (Google Reviews), 1/12/2014: (SURVIVOR) Link to Anonymous Survivor Testimony, 12/1/2013: (PARENT) After my daughter was here for here for 2 months her condition worsened and she started having suicidal thoughts which had never happened before.When I met with her Dr. (and have it be removed weeks later). Privileges to some might sound like being able to talk to friends, or having free time. Parents wont know or understand the gravity of impact this experience has had until after you get out and have openly talked about it, and although its very hard not to blame or take your anger out on them, you have to realize they made their decision out of love and ignorance. In fact, the administration at discovery ranch intentionally delayed my high school graduation by refuting me the right to do my classes in order to keep me there longer. I highly suggest people look it up, one of the most disgusting things Ive ever read in my life: Link. The tuition is reported to be anywhere between $6,500 to $12,000 per month. Discovery Ranch combines the power of traditional and experiential therapies to create a clinically sophisticated, relationship-based residential treatment center for boys ages 13-18. It is reported that they are only allowed to communicate with their parents through heavily censored and monitored letters, as well as a once-monthly phone call, which is also monitored by staff. I had repressed memories of the physical, sexual, and psychological torture i endured for five years until I watched a documentary on the stanford prison experiment in my psychology class. Allegations of abuse that have been reported by survivors include: forcing a resident to lick cow feces off another residents boots, forcing teenagers to unclog a toilet with their bare hands, adult male staff masturbating while watching underaged residents showering, changing, and using the toilet, teens being fed undercooked food and deprived of food, verbal abuse, include staff shouting and swearing at teenagers, widespread allegations of brainwashing techniques in order to force conformity, use of solitary confinement as punishment, published in 2015 by Catherine Kushan, Discovery Ranch, a treatment center located in Mapleton, Utah, provides an empirical example of how this industry rhetorically manipulates legitimate psychiatric conditions to solicit clients. We can help your family. My Mom says she wishes she had heard of that school at the time. Throughout your sons experience at Discovery Ranch he will have the support of caring, educated, experienced professionals. If you are like most parents of Discovery Ranch students, you have been looking for help for a long time. It sickens me that even after the kid is out of this place they threaten to send them back to this horrible place. I had never done drugs, drank, or even smoked a cigarette at this point in my life. My cousin went to a place 2 years ago called Shortridge Academy and had a much better experience there. I still have insomnia and night terrors of being at that place. The ranch has the best of both worlds: a small-town atmosphere with access to world-class skiing, outdoor activities, surrounded by beautiful mountains, and close to two major universities and hospitals. They are left up to their own with limited to no help from the teachers. The program has a maxmimum enrollment of 60 boys, and the average length of stay is reported to be around 10 months, but this can be substantially longer if the boy is deemed resistant. They will dream about it years after, waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares about being back there. There are over 600 people in 2 different groups put together, and we are all in contact with many kids that just left. Happened several times to my friends. He also worked for a time as the Director of, Teenagers at Discovery Ranch have extremely limited contact with the outside world. It makes me fucking sick that this place, along with HUNDREDS of others, still exists, quietly protected under the umbrella of the state government of Utah, and that parents are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for their children to be tortured and driven insane or into obedient, soulless sociopaths. Anonymous (Tales from the Black School), 7/8/2013: (SURVIVOR) DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO DISCOVERY RANCH IF YOU CARE ABOUT THEM! Its another long, tough, painful battle after you leave DR and I havent known one other person who didnt suffer after getting out. I felt meaningless, worthless, like a pawn used to control my dads emotions, fishing out hundreds of thousands of dollars from him. She currently works as the Residential Director at Redcliff Ascent, another Ascent Company program. Your teen is struggling. The decision you make for your child will stay with them forever. When she was given her home visit, her mom took her to the doctor and was diagnosed, although we have tried to find the outcome of the lawsuit, none of us have been able to track her family down to share our sympathy). This is my real name, as Im no longer afraid to write my review under an alias. ! Jack (Yelp), 5/28/2020: (SIBLING) A family member of mine attended this school so everything I have heard is 2nd hand. Also MAY I NOTE THAT THEY ARE SO DESPERATE THAT THEY NEED THEIR OWN STAFF MEMEBERS TO WRITE REVIEWS. My brother noted some of the staff was wonderful and he used their tips to get through challenges after his father died (my Moms 1st husband). Happened several times to my friends. Staff refusing to let kid use the bathroom, and making him pee/poop himself. Basically non-existent education. However, the abuse overshadowed it. They dont want to discuss whats actually wrong. (Check glassdoor reviews) In return, we have lots of untrained, unequipped young adults who arent prepared to deal with seriously mentally ill children. I had an IEP at my old school because I cant learn that easily but the program directors convinced my parents I was too lazy to do work that I had trouble doing. I cannot even put into words the pain I feel even today when my experience gets brought up or when I read about other kids that are STILL suffering from having to go through this program. The reason for posting this is that this is cathartic for me and nice to have a group of people who have at least a basic They tear children apart, and they come out broken. After discovery ranch I couldnt even talk to my parents for months because of the trauma it caused me. To them, there is one way that every kid learns, and if you have learning disabilities thats too fucking bad and ask the doctor to raise your meds the next time he comes. Both boys have turned out well however, my brother has trauma from the experience. Have been in contact with many former students that have not done well once leaving the ranch. In January 2104, the boy was placed in a dorm at Discovery Ranch with three other boys, one who began grooming him and another resident for "sexual victimization" until he was "violently sodomized," the family says in the lawsuit. The kids come out shell shocked, traumatized and fearful. Michele (Yelp), 2012: (PARENT) As a father I was treated poorly. This creates a streamlined experience for your son. When she was given her home visit, her mom took her to the doctor and was diagnosed, although we have tried to find the outcome of the lawsuit, none of us have been able to track her family down to share our sympathy). There are over 600 people in 2 different groups put together, and we are all in contact with many kids that just left.

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