agape ranch abuse

Im trying to aim for a decent life, you know what Im saying? According to AG Schmitts office, the Cedar County Sheriffs Department employs at least three people who used to work at Agap. Agap did not respond to repeated requests for comment and interviews via phone, email and a letter left at the schools reception desk. When 19-year-old Rebekah Cooper started her mission, she had to give up her first name . One morning, he overheard one of the Clemensen daughters asking for help with a math problem, to which Bindley shot back a smartass remark. Cant make those decisions until weve had an opportunity to review the investigative reports, and those are being put together, said Gaither. Colton Schrag remembers the night at the Agap Boarding School when, he says, a staff member punched him in the face. Agape Ranch will establish a safe environment of. Churches of Christ don't have enough preachers to fill all the open pulpits in our fellowship. 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. Amanda, then 29, says her parents kicked her out when she was 17. Agape Ranch breaks that cycle by providing compassionate care, connections within the community, and now by creating a neighborhood to give them a place to call home with families that provide unconditional love. (Both have pleaded not guilty.) And I did get saved.. For example, Arkansas allows boarding schools and child welfare agencies operated solely by a religious organization to be exempt from licensing. Boarding schools fleeing abuse claims in other states find 'Promised Land' in Missouri . 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. The state of Missouri has opened a criminal investigation into allegations of abuse and neglect at Agap Boarding School, a Christian institution in the rural southwestern part of the state, a spokesman for the state's Highway Patrol confirmed Friday. 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. They also look at records from any incidents in which a child is injured or restrained. Meanwhile, tales of abuse continue to emerge. State regulates church boarding schools after abuse allegations. We are faced with the horrifying truth that a network of immoral individuals have engaged in what amounts to organized crime against children, Rob Vescovo, the Republican speaker of the Missouri House, wrote in a letter to U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore, urging her to employ the FBI to investigate. They were marched downstairs, where things escalated, until, Breshears alleges, he was lying facedown with a staffer sitting on his legs and two others digging their kneecaps into his pressure points. Students called it the Padded Palace. A Tri-City Herald story from 1996 said that Franklin County officials ordered the facility to close for code violations over removing and . 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. The school states on its website that its staff are trained in proper restraining tactics, which are only used if a child is a threat to others and last for just a few minutes. They claim Clemensen was on a power trip and seemed to enjoy brutalizing the kids in his charge. 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. It will stop providing service effective Jan. 20, according to a statement from the school for boys. (Householder has denied that any abuse occurred at the ranch.). Agape's doctor is charged with child sex crimes and five employees are accused of assault, though Missouri's attorney general thinks many more workers should have been charged.. In September 2021, he charged five Agap staff members with a total of 13 counts of third-degree assault, the lowest degree of felony. 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. The law many former students of schools like Agap see as a model comes from an unlikely state to scrap religious exemptions: Alabama. Agape Connection. Cedar County Sheriff James Jimbob McCrary denied that Graves was present for interviews with students. The legislation would require the schools to register with the state, and create paths for the state to conduct safety inspections of the facilities and shut them down after abuse allegations. I got picked up by the Cedar County Sheriffs Department, and I tried to tell the guy, like, Theyre beating us, dont take me back there, he says. The Kansas City Star reported that the Householders deny all allegations . One former student, Colton Schrag, claims he was beat up and slammed into walls during his four years at Agape. The Agape Boarding School was in Othello from 1992-96. 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. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Agape Treatment Center offers Drug and Alcohol Rehab as well as Primary Mental Health Treatment. Munton allowed the school to remain open, with state supervision.Allegations of physical and sexual abuse at Agape and nearby Christian boarding school Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch prompted a . 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. Once in the car, Bindley says, they took him to their home. 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 . Minnesota has even less control. Our rehabilitation center in Fort Lauderdale for substance abuse embraces a universal, unconditional love that transcends, that serves regardless of circumstances. The plaintiffs in the newest cases, filed June 15 in Vernon County . but has gone public in the past year with his . If there is a question about a policy or rule, do not ask your son.. 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. He says staff would restrain boys on the ground and use pressure points to the point of bruising. The next home at The Ranch is for youth aging-out of foster care and the need is urgent. 1:00. Clidence said Agap fired him in March 2015 when the school asked employees to sign a nondisparagement agreement, and he refused. As a 501(c)3 charitable organization dedicated to providing high quality foster care in South Texas by supporting foster and adoptive families, we have been working diligently in the areas of prevention, foster care, adoption, and aging-out to provide support and mentorship for vulnerable children in our community. 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 site, designed as a Christian camp, had cabins, a shower facility, a mess hall, and a small chapel. 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. Families looking to adopt are invited to meet, play, and talk to these children, and we need help putting it on. Youre dirtbags, youre hoodlums. 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. Youre never gonna make it out.. ", "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. 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. 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 . Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. I was just like, Screw it, he says. So they were all, in my book, guilty of association, said Schrag. W Many Stockton residents consider Agap a mark of honor. The industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that claims to help or fix troubled teenagers . . 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. 24, 2021 at 10:23 AM PDT | Updated: Mar. 79 were here. Jim and Kathy Clemensen a married couple whom people call Brother Clemensen and Maam started Agap in the early 1990s. In Missouri, at least, this could be changing. That is blasphemous.. 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 highway patrol says it began its investigation into allegations of abuse and neglect at the facility in late February. By 14, Breshears says, he was fully in staffers crosshairs. Related: 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. His grandparents sent him to a mental hospital, then to Agap. The result, experts said, is that in much of the country, no one from the government checks to ensure that these facilities, often in remote regions, meet basic standards before children are enrolled. McCrary said his office has received complaints about Agap, and that theyve all been investigated as far as it could go. He called Graves a very good deputy. McCrary said that he ensures there is no conflict of interest when investigating Agap complaints by involving other agencies, like the social services department. Agape Ranch plans out programs, fund raisers, and community outreach monthly. 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. Nonetheless, the outcome of the civil suits is far from certain. We felt they needed God in their lives. The state, he says, had no clue how to get to a kids heart.. And he said, No, theyre not., In 1996, the Clemensens purchased 40 acres just outside of town. Visit Website. They held a blood drive, organized a Fourth of July fireworks spectacular, and began holding an annual rodeo. 24 homes where foster children can receive the support they need in order to mature in all aspects of their lives. 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. 2022 maintained by Gibler Shaw Enterprises. You can start to heal., For his part, Breshears is grateful to be free. 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. In Missouri, parents are allowed to discipline their children, he said. In March 2020, a former Agap student named Joseph Askins stopped in to visit, and witnessed abuse that shocked him. However, the Cedar County prosecutor says no students have been removed from the school. Their lawyer denies the allegations and says that their innocence will prevail in court. Soon theyd be in a place where they were untouchable. Bryan Clemensen was not among those charged. Former students said their communication with parents and local authorities was censored. In the aftermath of the criminal case, the state enacted the Alabama Youth Residential Facility Abuse Prevention Act in 2017. 4/5/2021. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. The next home at The Ranch is for youth aging-out of foster care and the need is urgent. Seven former students said staff members had assaulted them. That's no secret, as news stories in The Christian. Tripadvisor names the world's top 25 beaches, three in the U.S. CDC warns drug-resistant stomach bug a "serious public health threat". 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! Its good to be back with family, he says. More than a decade later, legislators are finally making headway. One of them is Robert Graves, a student turned staffer who joined as a sheriffs deputy and married Kathy and Jims daughter, and is listed as a member of the board of an Agap-affiliated church. 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. The group claims a wide range of abuse, from starvation to physical and emotional abuse. For the first time, religious schools would be required to register with the state and undergo inspections; the attorney general would now have authority to close down facilities that posed a threat to students. 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. The program markets itself as a Christian school that turns around rebellious boys. Schrags parents said they were unaware of any abuse occurring at the facility; the school had promised close supervision and to redirect his anger in positive ways. There is no cost to you, not even if you enroll in any school we might mention to you. . The school is a nonprofit owned by the Agap Baptist Church, which was also started by the Clemensens. Gaither declined to comment, but told the Cedar County Republican that Agap has the right to administer corporal punishment. There wasnt really any training, said James Clidence, a pastor who worked as a teacher at Agap from 2012 to 2015. Still, administrators at many of these schools insist they are a force for good. Recently, individuals associated with Agap have been accused of a growing list of crimes. Located just outside Stockton, Agape is the second unlicensed Christian boarding school in the state to be investigated for allegations of abuse. For many survivors of Agap, that would be tough to accept. One former student said he was raped at Agape and called "seizure boy" because of his epilepsy. 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. A scandal-plagued fundamentalist boarding school in Missouri is facing renewed criticism after video surfaced allegedly showing "clear abuse" by a leader at the school. 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. Hunt was one of a number of SBC leaders named in a 2022 report from the investigative firm Guidepost Solutions hired by the denomination in 2021 to resolve long-running conflicts over sexual abuse. His religious mother wasnt having it. The newly appointed attorney general, Andrew Bailey, had said he planned to continue pursuing closure. At the time of reporting, he is not yet in police custody, and an arrest warrant has been issued in his name. The cases against five people who worked at Agape Boarding school are moving forward. But many lawmakers are also oblivious to the consequences of lax oversight until there's a scandal. The Missouri AG launched a joint investigation with Cedar County authorities. For example, when many foster children age out of the system, they have lived in an average of 12 foster homes. It won't be long here in Missouri, he said. And that's what it's all about.. Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch, a nearby Christian boarding school for girls, was shut down in 2020. , had said he was fully in staffers crosshairs school in the.. Who used to work at Agap the ground and use pressure points to the of... A force for good in March 2020, a shower facility, a shower facility, a shower,. And interviews via phone, email and a small chapel no secret, as news stories in the 1990s. 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