discovery ranch lawsuit

My parents sent me there because I was depressed, doing poorly in school instead of getting straight As, got caught shoplifting a pack of gum from 7-11, spent too much time on the computer, and was too angry and defiant. Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch stars confirm return for season 3 I wish I could give negitive stars! His step-father (my Dad) told me not to discuss it around him. Im scared to mention my real name because Discovery Ranchs aftercare program still controls my life. I felt like i somehow deserved to be treated like this and I think a part of me knew I could never stand living in the real world after all this happened. The main issue I have with this place is that it literally fucked up my education so bad that Im 17 and still in freshman English. Although the system failed us, my peers and I have created somewhat of a little support group to cope and its helped us tremendously. 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. (Blood sprayed on me). A court has maintained a number of claims the Granby Ranch Metropolitan District has made in a lawsuit against the owners of Granby Ranch. Terrible place dont send your child here. THATS WHEN YOU KNOW THE PLACE IS TERRIBLE. Davinci (Google Reviews), 2018: (SURVIVOR) Beware the evil behind their smiling eyes! My parents sent me there because I was depressed, doing poorly in school instead of getting straight As, got caught shoplifting a pack of gum from 7-11, spent too much time on the computer, and was too angry and defiant. At Discovery Ranch we understand that when your teen is in trouble, your whole family is in trouble. We found a traditional therapist that proved to be far more effective. I suggest seeking different options for your child. Have been in contact with many former students that have not done well once leaving the ranch. 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. They tear children apart, and they come out broken. Discovery ranch was hell on earth for me. Its funny, almost all of the kids that left as a level 5 or 4 ARE DOING DRUGS AND ARE DOING WORSE AT HOME, goes to show how little the program works. (Check glassdoor reviews) In return, we have lots of untrained, unequipped young adults who arent prepared to deal with seriously mentally ill children. 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. Parents have no clue what they are getting themselves into by sending their children there. Discovery Ranch is the Top Residential Treatment Center for Troubled Teen Boys 1318, Located in Utah. because Utah has a natural landscape that is second to none. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. 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. Even when I started feeling feelings again I realized on Wednesday that I had been experiencing emotions with maybe 50-75% of the intensity that I normally should, which was put into perspective when I finally accepted that these things truly happened to me and felt for the first time in my life the appropriate pain and humiliation that corresponds to being treated in such a way for such an extended period of time. Now, other past guests on the show are coming forward with similar stories, including . The trauma Ive witnessed, and seen other kids witness was unbearable. 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. 9/17/2020: (SURVIVOR) Please do not send your child to this horrific and abusive program. Are they just being a teenager? On top of that I was forced to study 7 hours straight on the weekends if I didnt meet academic requirements. Privileges to some might sound like being able to talk to friends, or having free time. And the horrible part? What Is Discovery in a Lawsuit? - FindLaw They would yell at us and use excessive force. May their souls rest in peace. But I fucking wasnt. Sure, we said all the things our parents wanted to hear once we got out, it was certainly drilled into us every single day, but that faded into a deep anger/depression that raised months, sometimes even years later, & you find yourself in worse condition than you were before entering DR; battling a demon 98% of people will never know. BE CAREFUL OF THEM. , This place is sickening. The discovery process was contentious, especially with respect to the Aaron Ranch Lawsuit, and went on for years in state court. survivors to be an extremely abusive program. Youre not. DO NOT RECOMMEND AT ALL! Jeff (Google Reviews), HEAL Program Information Discovery Ranch, Family Alleges Bestiality at Alternative School, The Troubled Teen Industry: Commodifying Disability and Capitalizing on Fear by Catherine Kushan (mentions Discovery Ranch), Strength in the Struggle A Marketing Video uploaded by the school to YouTube, Discovery Ranch Secret Prisons for Teens. However, the abuse overshadowed it. In addition, your son will experience many opportunities to explore Utah. He began his career working in Admissions at, , which is widely regarded as the birthplace of the. Youre parents will love that, Ha!). 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. There are over 600 people in 2 different groups put together, and we are all in contact with many kids that just left. I felt like i somehow deserved to be treated like this and I think a part of me knew I could never stand living in the real world after all this happened. 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. It is NOT your fault and youre NOT a lesser being despite what DR drilled into you. 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. They do a terrific job at keeping kids quiet. I thought I was actually crazy, but it was all real. 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. Isnt that tax evasion? 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. Staff parents "were expected to replicate a. Staff unresponsive, administration unresponsive and kept to company line to detriment of my son. When you fail thats on you, dont punish your kids for your actions. Paris Hilton just came out with a documentary on her experience at another abusive program just down the street from DR. You have tried community resources or other programs. The amounts of times I screamed out loud in physical/mental exhaustion from being undermined and unheard is uncountable. The protocols here suck, and do absolutely nothing in the way of help. We were indirectly expected to manipulate visiting parents of troubled kids who have not yet been sent to treatment. Anyone is free to fact check this, and contact me with further questions [redacted]. In addition to taking part in the equine therapy and horsemanship programs, he will have access to the fully-equipped music studio. I still have insomnia and night terrors of being at that place. The school uses research to help create an individualized treatment plan for each teen. 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. 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. In other words, do not trust them. 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. You get used to the screaming and pleading for help, it becomes background noise. I am not the only victim. If you want to send your kid to either wilderness or discovery ranch why dont you do us all a favor parents and send your child to Disney Land so theyll be happy rather then send them to whats pretty much a mental institution for parents that have no idea what the fuck there doing. Plaintiff Diamond Ranch Academy, Inc. (DRA) operates a residential youth treatment facility in Hurricane, Utah. 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. If Im in the car with someone and they make a wrong turn or something I will flip out and start having a panic attack because all I can think about it oh my god where are they taking me theyre locking me up again. if I saw him today i would punch him in the face. The ranch horse manager Jerry put a phone in my face showing horses having sex. 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. Parents have no clue what they are getting themselves into by sending their children there. Yeomans v Discovery Ranch | 2:17-CV-00768 | Court Records - UniCourt 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. He can participate in various sports teams, such as basketball, flag football, wrestling, and cross-country running. "Defendant White took the minor child on a hunting trip where he gave him alcohol . 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.. 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. (During my stay, a kid in a different house was repeatedly raped by another kid for days until he was caught.) The staff often used abusive behaviors and were very rude to us. They dont want to discuss whats actually wrong. 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 pain doesnt just stop, they dont forget what you did to them, regardless of your intentions. 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. Even though I have left the program, if I dont follow their horribly rigorous and reclusive aftercare rules I go back. Staff members are chosen at random, as the turnover rate is insanely high. He will receive consistent feedback. A kid was put in isolation for about 4 weeks before being moved to a different treatment center. If anything, kids got worse from being here. Also MAY I NOTE THAT THEY ARE SO DESPERATE THAT THEY NEED THEIR OWN STAFF MEMEBERS TO WRITE REVIEWS. The moment I stepped foot on campus, I was treated like some sort of criminal. My parents (his Mom and step-father) note sending him away added to his sense of rejection started by peer abuse even though they were desperate due to his issues at home and school. He will have opportunities for growth through our experiential campus, by developing new skills and interests. They have the same goals in mind. I still hear screams from my friends being restrained in the back of my mind. They gave all the kids the same level of trust, none. Basically non-existent education. In comparison, most of the other residents had serious drug problems, were in gangs, were extremely violent, etc. BE CAREFUL OF THEM. James (Yelp), 2019: (SURVIVOR) This place is sickening. He also worked for a time as the Director of, Teenagers at Discovery Ranch have extremely limited contact with the outside world. The program is affiliated with several other Ascent Company programs, such as RedCliff Ascent, Discovery Academy, Discovery Connections, and Oxbow Academy. They are very abusive and they will lie to you. If you are like most parents of Discovery Ranch students, you have been looking for help for a long time. Discovery Ranch only wants to know and talk about their truth which is nothing close to reality. The main issue I have with this place is that it literally fucked up my education so bad that Im 17 and still in freshman English. Brent Hall is reported by survivors to have run the facility. It brought everything back because I lived that experience, except for ten months and it was real. 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 is overmedicating (including putting kids to sleep for doing nothing wrong. Diamond Ranch Acad., Inc. v. Filer - Casetext 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. This is my real name, as Im no longer afraid to write my review under an alias. 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. My brother was at the Ranch over a decade ago. John (Yelp), 10/28/2019: (SURVIVOR) There are plenty of articles that prove why Discovery Ranch is dangerous for the mental development of children. Have been in contact with many former students that have not done well once leaving the ranch. Kids are constantly getting restrained and put on drugs to keep them under control. Dave Blackwell worked as a Therapist at Discovery Ranch. They dont want to discuss whats actually wrong. I didnt ask to see that.. 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. 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. We had a close friend that took her life during our time there, we lost a friend to drug addiction that spiraled after leaving DR, and we had another friend who lost her life to cancer, which could have been detected in the earlier stages if DR didnt fail to seek proper medical attention (she was actually punished quite often for complaining about the pain and was either made to do hard manual labor or the staff would put her in isolation for days on end. 10 Discovery Ranch for Girls reviews. Please do not send your child to this horrific and abusive program. Top Teen Residential Treatment Center | Discovery Ranch for Boys 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. 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. They lied and were mainpulative, and power tripped all the time. The tuition is reported to be anywhere between $6,500 to $12,000 per month. They left me more broken than they found me. Jackson (Yelp), September 2020: (SURVIVOR) Please do not send your child to this horrific and abusive program. Its funny, almost all of the kids that left as a level 5 or 4 ARE DOING DRUGS AND ARE DOING WORSE AT HOME, goes to show how little the program works. Your Participation Is Key To Success Also, I would sit there and talk to my therapist while he takes notes and this is a direct quote is that it? Then the session was over. DISCOVERY RANCH - 20 Photos & 27 Reviews - 1308 S 1600th W, Mapleton, UT - Yelp Restaurants Home Services Auto Services Discovery Ranch 27 reviews Unclaimed Counseling & Mental Health Edit Write a review Add photo Save Photos & videos See all 20 photos Add photo Location & Hours 1308 S 1600th W Mapleton, UT 84664 Get directions Edit business info discovery ranch lawsuit - darmoweszablonycanva.pl Our parents (his Mom and step-father) regret sending him there even all these years later. 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. Michigan man found buried treasure. Lawsuits, harassment then found him 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. Id go on to say I have PTSD. I still maintain close relationships with both girls and boys who are around my age (23-27) that have gone through exactly what you are going through now; so whether its easier to talk to a guy or girl or someone with a similar case to yours, I can put you in contact with them if youd like (Free of charge too! 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. Chad Ollinger and his brother, Duane, are gold prospectors in the Uintah Mountains of Utah. 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. For a year I was put down and felt stupid and inadequate and my opinion didnt matter and if I decided to express it I would be put on some protocol that restricted me from doing anything but sitting at a fucking desk and staring at the god damn wall. One small slip up, and you have all privileges taken away from a day to sometimes even a week. We have created this bond because unless you went through a detention center such as DR, you will not understand. Residential Treatment Program for Teen Girls Ages 13-17 (During my stay, a kid in a different house was repeatedly raped by another kid for days until he was caught.) 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. I dont know why but when i was there I never wanted to leave. The entire facility is designed to create a rich therapeutic and healing environment. I will never forgive Discovery Ranch for the damage they did to me, and the damage they continue to do to future generations. Last year, Granby Ranch Metropolitan District, a homeowner-controlled metro district, filed suit against the group of entities associated with the Granby Ranch development. This merit system was easy for some kids to abuse, in one circumstance during my stay, a child was repeatedly raped, and was threatened with the merit system to get him to keep quiet. Reading these reviews it is obviously a place that needs to make some changes if the accusations are correct. There thieves taking advantage of parents dispositions and they should be shut down , 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. ), There is a significant lack of professional supervision/lack of training, There is a high turnover rate for employees, There is parent manipulation/lies on the programs part for $$, There is lack of necessary medical care to avoid the girls telling a doctor they are being abused, and they are never alone when with a doctor, Run like a bootcamp, zero free time for the kids, every day feels like a punishment, Mormons are running it and very religiously biased, Please. Discovery Ranch - BREAKING CODE SILENCE With the help of a REAL rehab and AA, I had achieved 14 months sober. My cousin went to a place 2 years ago called Shortridge Academy and had a much better experience there. We will not share your information. The moment I stepped foot on campus, I was treated like some sort of criminal. They often cause way more harm than good. And it wasn't just because he was suddenly a millionaire . 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. 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). I was forced to do the most humiliating and degrading things possibly conceivable; I was forced to eat a girls used tampon, lick cow shit off a girls boots, unclog a toilet with my bare hands adult male staff would masturbate to me showering, changing, and using the toilet while masturbating (keep in mind I was 15. We were victims of abuse. There are over 600 people in 2 different groups put together, and we are all in contact with many kids that just left. Fact-Finding and Discovery Find out about "discovery" -- the process by which opponents in a lawsuit get information from each other to establish facts in the case. You Have Questions, We Have Answers. 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. Even when I started feeling feelings again I realized on Wednesday that I had been experiencing emotions with maybe 50-75% of the intensity that I normally should, which was put into perspective when I finally accepted that these things truly happened to me and felt for the first time in my life the appropriate pain and humiliation that corresponds to being treated in such a way for such an extended period of time. The teenagers at Discovery Ranch as forced to adhere to a strict set of rules at all time. THATS WHEN YOU KNOW THE PLACE IS TERRIBLE. , Beware the evil behind their smiling eyes! I ended up running away from this program and deciding on a much better program that actually wanted to help people. I posted this exact review several times spacing itself out several months. 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. I would estimate their rate of rehabilitation around 20%. At one point during my stay, I saw my friend stab his arm repeatedly with a pencil, spraying blood all over me and the windowsill we were sitting on. We can help your family. 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. As per Discovery, intruders have appeared on the land at Blind Frog Ranch in many forms. I ended up running away from this program and deciding on a much better program that actually wanted to help people. If you have a child with attention deficit disorder do not send your son here BECAUSE it is like water boarding to have a kid sit in a room for 7 hours straight and have them study all day even though they are trying. Also a staff there named Matt polson threatened to restrain me several times. Privilege to them is being able to sit on a couch, to be able to speak out loud, to be able to eat a single apple. I suggest seeking different options for your child. It brought everything back because I lived that experience, except for ten months and it was real. Proof is attached as an image. 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! Kids are constantly getting restrained and put on drugs to keep them under control. 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). NAAS is an organization that has accredited many notoriously abusive behavior-modification programs, including, The program is affiliated with several other, is the Executive Director of Discovery Ranch. 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. My Mom says she wishes she had heard of that school at the time. The men have also come up against many dangerous physical hitches in getting to the treasure. I was forced to do the most humiliating and degrading things possibly conceivable; I was forced to eat a girls used tampon, lick cow shit off a girls boots, unclog a toilet with my bare hands adult male staff would masturbate to me showering, changing, and using the toilet while masturbating (keep in mind I was 15. They are very abusive and they will lie to you. Both boys have turned out well however, my brother has trauma from the experience. If you are at all struggling and/or would like to talk to someone who can relate, please do not hesitate to contact me through this post and Id be happy to exchange information so we can talk. The last few years of my life have felt unreal, Ive had migraines with frustration wondering how places like this exist, and how theyve gotten away with so much deceit. If Im in the car with someone and they make a wrong turn or something I will flip out and start having a panic attack because all I can think about it oh my god where are they taking me theyre locking me up again. There are over 600 people in 2 different groups put together, and we are all in contact with many kids that just left.