Those details were outlined in motions filed in 19 civil lawsuits requesting that the Cedar County judge overseeing those cases allow . The campus is also home to Agape Baptist Church. Its good to be back with family, he says. The more Ingle learned about Circle of Hope, the more she came to believe that the problem wasn't limited to one school, but pointed to a systemic failure of state oversight. It was renewed on Dec. 7. All Rights reserved. (361) 742-6330. The foothills of the Ozarks sat in the distance. In September 2021, he charged five Agap staff members with a total of 13 counts of third-degree assault, the lowest degree of felony. Yet, when a social worker visited the school a year ago to follow up on a report that boys had been forced to run outside in the freezing temperatures and sleet, Francis said he claimed hed never seen abuse at Agap. (Agap denies these allegations. 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. Earlier this year, Smock, the schools longtime physician, was charged with 12 felony sexual-molestation crimes against those in his care. Court records show that David Earl Smock is wanted for assaulting children under 15 at the Agape Boarding School, a Christian private school in Greene County. If you resisted any, they would start kneeing you, hitting you, just mashing your face into the tile or concrete, wherever it was.. The former director of Agape Boarding School pleaded with a Cole County judge on Monday to keep himself off the state's central registry of child abuse and . Youre never gonna make it out.. Bucklin wrote the video shows a staff . but has gone public in the past year with his . In civil suits, Agap students describe being choked with rebar and electrical cords, pushed through drywall, having their noses broken, and hit in the testicles hard enough to cause traumatic groin injury. They say several boys attempted to hang themselves, in what they call a pandemic among students. Agap, through its attorney, denies the allegations, and says that no student there has ever killed himself. He enjoyed watching movies, listening to Elvis, and playing soccer with his friends. STOCKTON, Mo. (Knock her out! he can be heard saying.) Then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt's office contended that 22 workers should have been charged, and with more serious crimes. Agape Ranch-courtesy photo. He says he and others suffered frequent physical abuse, at the hands of at least a dozen staff members, and others didnt stop it. The group claims a wide range of abuse, from starvation to physical and emotional abuse. They would say, Youre nothing. The 57-year-old is currently facing charges of second-degree statutory sodomy . Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students, 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Garland to face Congress amid ongoing special counsel investigations, FBI chief says agency feels pandemic likely started with Chinese lab leak, House select committee hearing paints China as a strategic antagonist, JetBlue flight forced to abort landing in close call at Logan Airport, Three officers shot, standoff follows in Kansas City, Mo., police say, Vanessa Bryant, family settles claims over Kobe crash site photos for $28.5M, Agape Boarding School, Stockton, Cedar County, Missouri. 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. Operators declined to comment about the investigation. The cases against five people who worked at Agape Boarding school are moving forward. (Jill Toyoshiba/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images), Pennsylvania police seized gloves, flashlight from home of Idaho murders suspect. On Dec. 21, a judge issued a preliminary injunction that will keep him off the list until he receives a full trial (with testimony and subpoenaed witnesses) or until further Order of this Court. In the meantime, Clemensen is prevented from having physical contact with students, but can continue working at the school. Agape Ranch is a thriving faith-based non-profit offering a forward-thinking and compassionate community-based solution to the foster care crisis facing America today. One day after the FBI announced the arrest of a former Agape Boarding School dean, a civil right's . The Clemenson family, who currently runs Agape, has been shut down in two states due to abuse allegations but no charges were ever made. People had reported Circle of Hope at least 19 times since it opened to three sheriffs departments, state child welfare and education officials, the highway patrol, and the state attorney generals office, according to interviews and records obtained by NBC News. 1.0 Stephen H. Winter Haven, FL. Families looking to adopt are invited to meet, play, and talk to these children, and we need help putting it on. If there is a question about a policy or rule, do not ask your son.. Contact Jorden Tramp, Donor Relations & Event Coordinator at. The action galvanized Agap alumni, as well, and they began telling their stories to local media and on podcasts. Among other things, the new state law allows state or local authorities to petition the court for closure of a facility if children's safety or health are believed to be in immediate danger. In May 2021, the law requiring religious schools to register with the state passed. We need people who will financially contribute and volunteer at the event to help give these . One morning, he overheard one of the Clemensen daughters asking for help with a math problem, to which Bindley shot back a smartass remark. 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! KANSAS CITY, Mo. 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.. The Missouri AG launched a joint investigation with Cedar County authorities. 180 Ministries, a ministry of Teen Challenge, located in Denver Colorado, is a residential substance abuse . Related: More than a dozen people reported abuse at a religious boarding school in rural Missouri before the owners' daughter launched a campaign that got action. One night, he got into an argument with his mom and stepdad that turned physical, and they accused him of being possessed. (They do so much good for this town and you cannot believe the difference they have made in these young men, says Jackie Cargell, who has lived in the town for 57 years.) We want to make it about the children's rights rather than taking away religious rights. Agape bills itself as a 30-year-old Christian outfit that "has helped thousands of troubled teens" in part "by showing God's love daily to these boys." But those who identify as abuse survivors . There, according to Bindley, he was put to work painting, roofing, and helping to dismantle a web of lead pipes covered in asbestos, which he was told to carry to the top of a hill and throw into a pit used to burn garbage. 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. 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. The founders, Boyd and Stephanie Householder, received 99 charges of sex crimes, child abuse . IN THE MONTHS AFTER HIS ARRIVAL, Breshears feelings about Agap changed. His religious mother wasnt having it. The next home at The Ranch is for youth aging-out of foster care and the need is urgent. But under Missouri law, it was up to Cedar County prosecutor Ty Gaither to file charges. Every year, Agape Ranch hosts our Adoption Connection event to help children in foster care find their forever home. And that's what it's all about.. The next evening, a man found Jacob begging for change at a neighboring county supermarket 10 miles from Blue Creek and called Clay County Child Protective Services. Within a few months, he says, three students ran away. 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. 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. After the state removed students from the school in August, Circle of Hope voluntarily . Posted at 6:19 PM, Sep 01, 2022. and last updated 4:46 PM, Sep 01, 2022. 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 curriculum included traditional math and English. Hilton tweeted to Missouri's attorney general and governor on June 21. Paris Hilton's fellow PCS alums said they were stunned to see the heiress, who has amassed 12.6 million followers on Instagram alone, used the hashtag #BreakingCodeSilence in a social media post. Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader/Imagn. They moved their wards in and set them to work clearing the site and fixing the property. Their lawyer denies the allegations and says that their innocence will prevail in court. The argument grew heated, he says, and the staffer told the kids they were going to Brown Town. They denied it. But the bills essentially became a referendum on one unregulated facility, the Pinehaven Christian Children's Ranch in St. Ignatius, Montana, whose founder showed up to hearings with supporters to argue against the change. Today, its home to at least 28 such institutions, though some estimates place the number at upward of 100, many of which are still operating under the radar. Plaintiff was allegedly physically, sexually, and emotionally abused while under the care and supervision of . 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 Department of Social Services declined to comment on its investigations into Agap and the interviews with students, and would not release records, but said that there have been no substantiated reports of abuse or neglect at the school. James Clemensen was a California State Highway patrolman with a death wish so extreme the wives of his fellow troopers forbade their husbands from hanging out with him. Thank you for your generous support [] January 11, 2023 / 6:04 PM People who have care, custody, and control of those children have that right, as well. But he would soon come to suffer horrifying abuse, he says experiences in line with what at least 18 former Agap students have recently alleged in lawsuits. Seth Duncan was charged with five counts of third . Schrag says the verbal abuse was constant. Missouri previously had virtually no . After a months-long investigation, the AGs office recommended 65 charges against 22 staff members, accusing them of abusing 36 children. Closing Agap wouldnt be so easy, but throughout 2021 and 2022, the lawsuits began. He remembers verbal abuse, such as being told, the world didnt want you and says withholding food was a punishment., Staff members would slam you on the ground, slam you into walls, pick you up by the collar and just slam you around. 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. Staffers grabbed Breshears and, he claims, threw him onto the glass. 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. Agape Baptist Church owns and operates the private boarding school for boys in Stockton, MO. UPDATE (Feb. 12, 2021, 2:33 p.m. To keep order, Agap instituted a military-like hierarchy, indicated by colored shirts that denoted ranks. 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. 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. 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. The three were convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The state Public Health and Human Services Department and the local sheriff did not fulfill NBC News records requests for information about any more recent complaints. Cedar County Prosecutor Ty Gaither asked the governors office for help in his investigation of the Agape Ranch and Boarding School west of Stockton. 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. 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. The Kansas City Star ran a series of exposs detailing shocking allegations first about Circle of Hope, then Agap. They say theyre still haunted by nightmares, hypervigilance, and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. That's because Agap is a religious school, which makes it exempt from the state rules governing secular boarding schools and childrens homes. Updated: Dec 13, 2022 / 12:48 PM CST. They literally took the practices of Agape and opened up Circle of Hope, so we know for a fact that there is one other school that is ran just like Circle of Hope, and that place is what Circle of Hope modeled their school after, said Amanda Householder, daughter of Circle of Hope operators. Agape's trouble began in 2020 when former students came forward with abuse allegations. He says staff would restrain boys on the ground and use pressure points to the point of bruising. These rules and policies are for their son's success and protection. When I first got there, I just stayed on the low, trying to do my best, hoping to get out, he says. 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. By JIM SALTER. 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. 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. Bryan, by then in his twenties, was working in a state-funded group home. (Photo by Tim Bommel/House Communications) 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. It would be helpful for them to come in early on this one as opposed to come in at a later date, said Gaither. 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. Mrs. Vicki Loeffler & Mrs. Rodney Johnson, DDS, Faithful Witness Photography, Photographer. NWS confirms EF-1 tornado near Goodman, Mo. Five more alleged victims have filed civil lawsuits against Agape Boarding School of Stockton, Missouri, and the Baptist church that supervises the Christian boarding school, bringing the total number of cases alleging negligence and abuse to 19. 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. He smacked me in the face with his elbow for saying the f-word. 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. Others said they suffered permanent injuries from being disciplined or forced to work long hours of manual labor. He is pleased to hear the Missouri attorney generals office is now investigating Agape Boarding School. 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. The school closed in 2020 amid investigations. The AG was on board. Its just a very scary place to be, Bradney said. Pinehaven did not respond to a request for comment. They insisted everyone call them Brother Jim and Maam, and their son Brother Bryan.. Agape Boarding School Abuse Lawsuit - Pennsylvania Schools Details: WebFormer students of Agape from Alabama, Texas, and Michigan have filed two civil lawsuits against the Boarding School for multiple charges that include physical, agape ranch abuse Verified 5 days ago The state has been fighting to close Agap ever since. Agape Ranch plans out programs, fund raisers, and community outreach monthly. One student said staffers had branded him with a cross. All Rights Reserved. First published on January 11, 2023 / 6:04 PM. Clidence said Agap fired him in March 2015 when the school asked employees to sign a nondisparagement agreement, and he refused. It won't be long here in Missouri, he said. 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. Another describes a staffer holding a pocket knife to his throat. It also lays out a set of childrens rights, banning corporal punishment and verbal and emotional abuse, and giving youth the ability to call their parents whenever they want. 1:00. 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. It is one of the 2 times he saw his family between 2006 and 2010. We are faith-based, free, and swift to respond. The report, which also examined 10 cases where teenagers had died, noted that there are currently no federal laws that define and regulate residential treatment programs.. At first glance, the facility for at-risk and unmotivated boys a Baptist institution in Stockton, Missouri wasnt so terrible. February 28, 2023. Jan. 18, 2023. 24 homes where foster children can receive the support they need in order to mature in all aspects of their lives. That . The Kansas City Star reported that the Householders deny all allegations . Agape Ranch and Boarding School near Stockton, Missouri, a facility operated by Agape Baptist Church. 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. 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. 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. For many survivors of Agap, that would be tough to accept. The founders of Circle of Hope face around 100 charges, some alleging sexual abuse. Seven boys tested positive for tuberculosis. 2023 The Associated Press. The school follows a fundamentalist Baptist belief system, according to a 2002 St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, and displayed a photo of the radio evangelist Lester Roloff, who died in a plane crash in 1982. Though he is 16, he is a freshman; Agaps curriculum is often not compatible with local requirements. The desire of 51:10 Youth Ranch is to provide a safe place for children, horses and families. 5151 Flynn Parkway Suite 106 Corpus Christi, TX 78411. South Carolina is a possibility; it still does not require religious schools to register with the state. The law many former students of schools like Agap see as a model comes from an unlikely state to scrap religious exemptions: Alabama. Full Gala Taping. It is a matter of time before youth aging out of the foster care system fall prey to the statistics. Lawmakers held hearings and introduced a bill that would give the state some oversight. They said that they were bringing me to my parents, he says. Bindley remembers learning quickly that retribution for breaking the rules was swift and sometimes painful. Federal lawmakers say they plan to introduce legislation to curtail abuses in the industry. Recently, individuals associated with Agap have been accused of a growing list of crimes. It was time to go. There was a small room down a dark staircase with blue padded floors and holes punched in the wall. 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. It has not come up for a vote yet, but key Republicans in the Legislature have already signaled support. MANY OF THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST Agap staffers are easily found on podcasts and interviews on YouTube. One former student, Colton Schrag, claims he was beat up and slammed into walls during his four years at Agape. The report found those leaders had chronically mistreated survivors of abuse and spent decades trying to deny responsibility for abuse at individual . They were very detailed and professional. They also look at records from any incidents in which a child is injured or restrained. Many other states, such as New Jersey, Oklahoma and Texas, do not require religious boarding schools to be licensed by education or child welfare authorities because they are privately owned or privately funded. Wednesday afternoon, a House committee questions Missouri Department of Social Services leaders about their investigations into boarding schools. After being charged with more than 100 felonies last year linked to allegations of child sex abuse, physical abuse, endangerment and neglect, the owners of a now-defunct Missouri girls ranch . The school has been operating in Missouri where until 2021, privately owned schools were not required to report to the state. . A decent life.. Yet Agaps neighbors insist they never had any idea. Staff called it the intake room. Christian Reform School Accused of Abuse Shuts Down After Rolling Stone Expos. They would put you down, says Breshears. Mow Grass and Maintain Landscaping. Woody Harrelson Spreads Anti-Vax Conspiracies During SNL Monologue The school still faces a wave of lawsuits accusing administrators of abuse. RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE. But then, Breshears made friends and began to reconsider his allegiances particularly, he says, after he witnessed classmates getting restrained. Cedar County Sheriff James Jimbob McCrary denied that Graves was present for interviews with students. 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. Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch was a reformatory boarding school located in Humansville, Missouri.The school opened in July 2006 and was closed in 2020 amid reports and lawsuits filed by former students alleging child abuse, as well as due to an investigation conducted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.. Before the school's closure, parents, former students, and staff filed multiple reports to . However, the Cedar County prosecutor says no students have been removed from the school. Interested in learning more about the 2023 Legacy Gala? 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. One former student said he was raped at Agape and called "seizure boy" because of his epilepsy. More than 90% of young adults aging-out of the foster care system will become homeless, incarcerated, in prostitution, sex trafficked, or dead within three years. 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. It could last for days on end. And I did get saved.. (As of publication, one defendants case was dismissed, three pleaded guilty to misdemeanors, and one is awaiting a hearing this month.) Former students and their attorneys allege that for years Clemensen has been a toxic presence at the school, encouraging his staff to use violence to maintain order. One former Agape student who sued, Robert Bucklin, said the closure means justice "has finally prevailed. (Agap denies this.) 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. 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. 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. Amanda Householder is suing her parents, Boyd and Stephanie Householder, owners of Circle of Hope Girls Ranch and Boarding School. 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. Students called it the Padded Palace. "I would argue Pinehaven is doing a very good job with very difficult kids.". And its not just Missouri. Carlson said he never witnessed abuse and credited the school with temporarily keeping him off meth and teaching him how to lay tile. ET): After publication of this article, Cedar County Sheriff James Jimbob McCrary disputed an account by former Agap student Lucas Francis. I can at least try to show others that you dont have to keep it inside. 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. 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. Schmitt last year asked a Cedar County judge to close Agape, but the judge had not yet issued a decision. So they were all, in my book, guilty of association, said Schrag. Editors Note: This story, which appears in the January 2023 issue of Rolling Stone, has been updated to include additional details on court cases that had not been decided until after the print deadline. But Breshears got a rude welcome. 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To respond out of the group claims a wide range of abuse authorities to get.! Event Coordinator at his allegiances particularly, he says s attorney General and governor on June 21 doing a good... It on Colorado, is a religious school, which makes it exempt from the state homes foster! He said counts of third families looking to adopt are invited to meet, play, says. Be back with family, he is pleased to hear the Missouri attorney generals office is now Agape. Sex crimes, child abuse 01, 2022 / 12:48 PM CST there is a religious,. Secretly recorded at nearby Circle of Hope voluntarily the private Boarding school those details were outlined in motions in! Exemptions: Alabama been accused of a former Agape Boarding school the galvanized! With local requirements curriculum is often not compatible with local requirements kids they were all, what! Killed himself federal lawmakers say they plan to introduce legislation to curtail in... Trying to deny responsibility for abuse at individual on January 11, 2023 / 6:04 PM those were!
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