Award honors influential children's minister. It was a video secretly recorded at nearby Circle of Hope Ranch that finally moved state authorities to get involved. We want to hear it. Agaps handbook states it has a strict hands-off policy regarding the students, and does not use corporal punishment. Breshears spotted a baseball bat poking out of an equipment bag. And I did get saved.. I was sheltered, Breshears says. And they would never tell you how long your stay in Brown Town will be, Breshears says. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. The picture flashed on the big screen, and Brenda Gordon immediately . I dont want another kid to have to go through what I went through, Schrag said. The site was littered with old barrels, wood piles, abandoned cars, and insulation containing asbestos. 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. In 1991, Todd Bindley, then 13, moved in. "If you're using the Bible or God to justify any of these things, that is sacrilegious.". Agape Ranch and Boarding School near Stockton, Missouri, a facility operated by Agape Baptist Church. Josh Bradney, 19, who attended Agap from 2014 to 2016, said staff members slammed him to the ground when he told his parents on a phone call that Agap employees hit another boy with a football helmet. (The recommendations are not public, so the implicated staff members are unknown.) Since it claims to be a Christian organization, is not regulated by the state because of a religious exemption. "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. By 5+ Local Business Owners! I hired Agape to cut the lawn. 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. The five employees of the Agape Boarding School near Stockton were charged with a total of 13 third-degree felony assault counts, Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither said. 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. 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! 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. McCrary said in an email on Friday that Graves was not present for social workers interviews with students. It is one of the 2 times he saw his family between 2006 and 2010. Other punishments, the former students and staff members said, included forcing boys to stare at a wall for hours, limiting meals to peanut butter sandwiches, and requiring students to haul rocks outside from one pile to another. These courses are core requirements for Florida . Former students said their communication with parents and local authorities was censored. Hed hoped to get kicked out, which didnt happen. I was scared I would get in trouble, and just make everything worse for me, said Francis, whose account was first reported by the Kansas City Star. Several lawsuits filed on behalf of former students also have named Agape and Circle of Hope. There wasnt really any training, said James Clidence, a pastor who worked as a teacher at Agap from 2012 to 2015. Agape Connection. 4/5/2021. Children said pastors and staff members at both facilities choked and punched them, kept them in solitary confinement, handcuffed them to beds and forced them to box each other. "I would argue Pinehaven is doing a very good job with very difficult kids.". . Pour Salt Down Your Drain At Night, Here's Why, Tyler Kingkade and Liz Brown and Keith Morrison and Rachel White and Andrew Williams and Javier Rodriguez. One former student, Colton Schrag, claims he was beat up and slammed into walls during his four years at Agape. The school has been operating in Missouri where until 2021, privately owned schools were not required to report to the state. In November, a man who is reportedly a former Agap employee was charged with 215 counts of possession of child pornography. More than 90% of young adults aging out of the foster system will become homeless, incarcerated, in prostitution, sex trafficked, or dead within three years. But Breshears got a rude welcome. South Carolina is a possibility; it still does not require religious schools to register with the state. He is living in California with his mother, Jennifer, and attending a public high school. February 28, 2023. Agape Boys Ranch Entrance. in solitary confinement, handcuffed them to beds, Alabama Youth Residential Facility Abuse Prevention Act. 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. They allowed it to happen.. They promoted me I was the youngest person to go red. The school closed in 2020 amid investigations. Five months later, authorities raided Circle of Hope, seizing evidence and removing 25 girls from the ranch. Carlson said he never witnessed abuse and credited the school with temporarily keeping him off meth and teaching him how to lay tile. Agape Boarding School was moving away from the "nonbelievers" in Washington and California and heading east. State regulates church boarding schools after abuse allegations. Minnesota has even less control. Clemensen said the decision to close "is voluntary and solely due to the lack of financial resources to continue caring for the boys.". ET): After publication of this article, Cedar County Sheriff James Jimbob McCrary disputed an account by former Agap student Lucas Francis. Agape Treatment Center offers Drug and Alcohol Rehab as well as Primary Mental Health Treatment. The site, designed as a Christian camp, had cabins, a shower facility, a mess hall, and a small chapel. Jim and Kathy appeared at the hospital a few weeks later. Mow Grass and Maintain Landscaping. They held a blood drive, organized a Fourth of July fireworks spectacular, and began holding an annual rodeo. Nonetheless, the outcome of the civil suits is far from certain. A Christian boarding school in Missouri that's been under intense scrutiny over abuse allegations announced Wednesday that it will close later this month due to financial hardship. The video follows numerous allegations of abuse against Agape, a Christian reform school for boys, which until a new law in 2021, had virtually no state oversight due to its faith-based status. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. It will stop providing service effective Jan. 20, according to a statement from the school for boys. He would later set up a transport business to collect teens, hiring off-duty deputies to help him. Boyd and Stephanie Householder are facing more than 100 charges of sexual, physical and emotional abuse that allegedly took place at their faith-based boarding school in Missouri. Within months, Jim was both saved and married, and Bryan had a new stepdad. Seven boys tested positive for tuberculosis. Cedar County, Missouri, where Agap is located, is in the heart of the Bible Belt and Clemensen, his stepfather, Jim, who died in October 2021, and his mother, Kathy, long ago convinced the locals they answer to a higher authority. 3/11/2021. The school is a nonprofit owned by the Agap Baptist Church, which was also started by the Clemensens. UPDATE (Feb. 12, 2021, 2:33 p.m. One former student reportedly mentioned Agap in a suicide note. 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. In 2021, Paris Hilton, who has also been lobbying in Washington D.C., testified at a Utah Senate committee hearing about her own experience in a troubled-teen facility there, alleging that she was verbally, mentally, and physically abused, involuntarily drugged, and locked in isolation. Im trying to aim for a decent life, you know what Im saying? Jan. 18, 2023. 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. Though Ms. Allred's office has spent months soliciting a cash settlement, we were unaware that a suit would be filed. 180 Ministries, a ministry of Teen Challenge, located in Denver Colorado, is a residential substance abuse . New court filings reveal some of the most brutal allegations of abuse at Agape Boarding School so far, including former students' account that two staffers sexually assaulted him. Former students say Clemensen, a paunchy middle-aged man with a buzz cut, a soft chin, and a stern manner, had a technique that he called Jurassic Elbow which entailed slamming his elbow into the back of a students skull, face, ribs, or down between the shoulder blades. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Clemensen said that the abuse allegations are lies, and suggests they are inspired by the political ambitions of State Attorney General Eric Schmitt who was elected to the U.S. Senate in November and a small group of disgruntled former students hoping for a big payday. What they are claiming would never be OK, he says. They insisted everyone call them Brother Jim and Maam, and their son Brother Bryan.. Boarding schools fleeing abuse claims in other states find 'Promised Land' in Missouri . The next home at The Ranch is for youth aging-out of foster care and the need is urgent. The staff often singled out members of Brown Town for abuse, depositions filed by former Agap students suggest. Alumni from Agap and Circle of Hope feel the momentum is swinging in their direction. but has gone public in the past year with his . 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. Schrag says the verbal abuse was constant. 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 . 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. None of these inspections are required at religious boarding schools. 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. Lack of oversight is not limited to Missouri. 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. The reasoning for the exemptions varies, but states generally take a hands-off approach to oversight of privately funded schools, and officials fear stoking the anger of conservative voters. He would later help stage an uprising as an attempt to get thrown out of the school. Visit Website. Though the area is largely Baptist, Cedar County has a tradition of religious tolerance. According to AG Schmitts office, the Cedar County Sheriffs Department employs at least three people who used to work at Agap. An investigation into the school began after The Star reported on the abuse allegations last year. Students called it the Padded Palace., Punishments allegedly ranged from calisthenics to wall time, where kids stood with their foreheads and noses touching the wall, except when sleeping, doing schoolwork, or eating. Posted at 6:19 PM, Sep 01, 2022. and last updated 4:46 PM, Sep 01, 2022. Church was on Wednesday and three times on Sunday. They say theyre still haunted by nightmares, hypervigilance, and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. In the aftermath of the criminal case, the state enacted the Alabama Youth Residential Facility Abuse Prevention Act in 2017. Youre never gonna make it out.. Allegations of physical and sexual abuse at Agape and Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch prompted a state law in 2021 requiring stricter oversight of such facilities. When speaking with Rolling Stone, Clemensen denied the allegations against him and explained his approach to reform. He liked Metallica and Garbage Pail Kids cards, and had a tendency to cause trouble. A judge ordered the school closed only to put the order on hold after Agap fired the staffer in question. 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. IN THE MONTHS AFTER HIS ARRIVAL, Breshears feelings about Agap changed. That's because Agap is a religious school, which makes it exempt from the state rules governing secular boarding schools and childrens homes. The Republican-sponsored measure requires religious boarding schools to register with the state, pass a health department inspection and ensure that staff meet minimum standards. Missouri's Agap Boarding School will close its doors due to a lack of finances, school officials say but the . Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Clidence said Agap fired him in March 2015 when the school asked employees to sign a nondisparagement agreement, and he refused. Clemensen picked the state specifically because of its lack of regulation, he told a reporter in 2002, and said the school would leave Missouri if required to get a license. The couple met when Jim pulled Kathy over for drag racing a beat-up Ford Pinto around the East Bay. (Image: KY3 / Video screengrab) Nineteen former students of an embattled fundamentalist boarding school in Missouri have made new claims of brutal physical and sexual abuse in court filings this month. 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. The allegations of abuse were filed at the Cedar County Circuit . He says he and others suffered frequent physical abuse, at the hands of at least a dozen staff members, and others didnt stop it. In response to a detailed list of follow-up questions, Clemensen, through Agaps attorney, says he has never abused any boy in the history of Agap, and denied that restraints were ever used for punishment. 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. 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 . After the state removed students from the school in August, Circle of Hope voluntarily shut down. It won't be long here in Missouri, he said. 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. Chapel was daily. 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. Amanda, then 29, says her parents kicked her out when she was 17. 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. 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. The industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that claims to help or fix troubled teenagers . In 23 states, including Missouri, religious boarding schools do not even have to tell their state education department that they exist. I shadowed a staff member for about three days, we didnt go over procedures, no restraint training, no discipline training really no clear set of rules that the students werent allowed to break., It was not unusual for physical restraints to last four hours or longer, and leave bruises on the children, according to Clidence and three former students. The argument grew heated, he says, and the staffer told the kids they were going to Brown Town. Gaither declined to comment, but told the Cedar County Republican that Agap has the right to administer corporal punishment. An investigation by NBC News and Dateline found that multiple states have similar gaps in the oversight of religious boarding schools, leaving children vulnerable to abuse. The Thrive program will provide housing and mentorship for young adults during their college or trade school career. Operators declined to comment about the investigation. 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. Stockton is located 130 miles south of Kansas City, a lazy drive down sunbaked roads lined with oak forests and rolling fields. The team at Agape Ranch said they wanted the youth there Friday night to know that they are valued. The charges come after the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated allegations of abuse at the boarding school. Askins reached out to Child Protective Services and then shared the video with the Householders estranged daughter, Amanda. TOUGH-LOVE SCHOOLS CAN BE traced back to the 1950s, when a secular group called Synanon pioneered an approach to curing heroin addiction with isolation, humiliation, and sleep deprivation. Some who attended and worked at the school said otherwise. I was just like, Screw it, he says. Francis lied, he said, because Robert Graves a Cedar County sheriffs deputy who is on the board of Agaps church and has worked at the school was present for the interview. "Pinehaven has had challenges over the years, but so has everyone," Montana Family Foundation President Jeff Laszloffy said at a 2019 hearing. I just kind of felt like I was on my own, said Schrag, 28, who now works in the oil industry in Texas. The criminal division of the EPA investigated and charged Jim Clemensen for improperly disposing of hazardous material. By then, Circle of Hope had shut down after the state removed dozens of its students. (Agap denies any knowledge of these allegations. Bucklin wrote the video shows a staff . Staff members would jump on you, said Schrag. Inside the Christian Reform School From Hell, Wyoming ranches alleged in an NBC investigation, Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints. Mr. Lewis, CAP, has been credentialed as a certified alcohol and drug counselor for 20 years. Lawmakers proposed legislation to provide oversight for faith-based boarding schools in Missouri. At the time of reporting, he is not yet in police custody, and an arrest warrant has been issued in his name. They called the school Agap, meaning Gods love for man. The state social services department determined in a preliminary finding in 2018 that Householder physically abused a minor, according to court documents but that was not publicized and the school continued to enroll students for more than two years before it voluntarily closed. Mow Grass and Maintain Landscaping. Every year, Agape Ranch hosts our Adoption Connection event to help children in foster care find their forever home. The Kansas City Star ran a series of exposs detailing shocking allegations first about Circle of Hope, then Agap. The highway patrol says it began its investigation into allegations of abuse and neglect at the facility in late February. We are gathered here, former students,. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Netflixs Outer Banks Buries Itself in Ridiculous Season 3 Please enter valid email address to continue. . The organization did not respond to requests for comment, but in presentations to the Legislature, the group repeatedly highlighted reports that children had been assaulted at secular youth facilities regulated by the state. The foothills of the Ozarks sat in the distance. At first glance, the facility for at-risk and unmotivated boys a Baptist institution in Stockton, Missouri wasnt so terrible. James Clemensen founded the Agap Boarding School in the early 1990s. Trump Melts Down Over Murdoch Admitting Fox Lied About Election Fraud. The school still faces a wave of lawsuits accusing administrators of abuse. The Agap case is just the latest scandal to emerge from the billion-dollar troubled-teen industry, a loosely regulated network of therapeutic boarding schools, residential treatment centers, religious academies, and wilderness camps set up to help teenagers with drug addiction and behavioral problems. After a months-long investigation, the AGs office recommended 65 charges against 22 staff members, accusing them of abusing 36 children. The 57-year-old is currently facing charges of second-degree statutory sodomy . Several former staffers opened up similar schools nearby: There was the Legacy Academy Adventures, on a property owned by David Smock, Agaps longtime doctor who would later be accused of molesting students; there was the Masters Ranch Christian Academy, which later opened two more campuses. By 14, Breshears says, he was fully in staffers crosshairs. This results in many children being separated from their siblings and the only community that they know. He ran the school on fear, says Colton Schrag, a former gang associate who attended the school twice between 2004 and 2010, and is not suing because the statute of limitations has expired. Others said they suffered permanent injuries from being disciplined or forced to work long hours of manual labor. Many of the kids my parents took in would be back six months later in worse shape, Bryan says. Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader/Imagn. Their lawyer denies the allegations and says that their innocence will prevail in court. (Agap denies this.) At a hearing in the Missouri Legislature on Wednesday, a department official said it has been difficult to substantiate abuse allegations at religious boarding schools due to "a culture of restricted access.". And that's what it's all about.. 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