I have been contacted by several parents that stated that Carolina Springs Academy has been telling parents that I lost the lawsuits - please understand, I not only won the lawsuit in a jury trial - I defeated them in the Supreme Court of Appeals after they appealed my victory - I won again!
There are legal documents to prove my victories.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Sue Scheff Defeats WWASPS and Moves Forward
Admitting Mistakes as a Parent – and Moving on from the Past
By Sue Scheff
Several years ago my beautiful teenage daughter and I endured a very stressful and painful time. My daughter, like many teens today, was going through a difficult time and I began searching for outside help. In my desperation I stumbled on several misleading websites that changed our lives in so many ways. Our story has been long posted at "A Parent's True Story."
Since then it has been nothing short of an emotional ride of mental abuse and legal battles. For the past five years I have been involved in litigation, once as a defendant when I was sued by the people who harmed my daughter and defrauded me, and once as a plaintiff in an Internet Defamation and Invasion of Privacy lawsuit.
When I posted my story (above website) I was immediately under attack by the very people that I believed harmed my daughter and defrauded me, the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASP aka WWASPS). They sued me in an attempt to silence me and eliminate my website from the internet. After 2+ years of litigation and approximately $1 million in legal fees (which I was fortunate to have my insurance cover most of it) I defeated WWASPS in a jury trial in their home state of Utah. They appealed and I went on to defeat them again in the Supreme Court of Appeals in June 2006.
The campaign to destroy and discredit me on the Internet exploded. At one point it was so out of control that I had to take legal action to protect the privacy of my family and children. Carey Bock, a woman who I believe was retained by WWASPS, continued posting excerpts from confidential and sealed depositions about my family. Though I had nothing to hide, it was a matter of our privacy which I am sure most people can relate to.
It was discovered WWASPS paid Bock $12,500.00 for her computer hard-drive in an attempt to incriminate me – which it did not do. Because of her insistence and continued crusade to destroy me and my family I filed a lawsuit against her for Internet Defamation and Invasion of Privacy. After two years of litigation, on September 20, 2006, I won again when the jury awarded me $11.3 million - $5 million of this was in the form of punitive damages which is meant to punish the defendant for her actions. Further, the jury wanted to send a strong message to people: Freedom of Speech does not give a person the right to destroy, discredit, defame, and ruin others with false statements.
Though I experienced these two amazing legal victories – where the truth prevailed – there has unfortunately been an up-rise in continued Internet attacks by people who want to silence me and by people who believe programs for children and teens should not exist. Many of these people were institutionalized in the 70’s and 80’s and were harmed in the programs they attended. They have every right to feel hostility towards programs, considering what they went through. However, not all programs are bad and there are good programs for teens in crisis.
Desperate parents need to know there are safe options and that it is critical they do their research so they do not fall into the same trap I did. I have also been criticized by parents who, too, placed their children into abusive programs. Many parents have a difficult time admitting that we, as parents, made mistakes when we placed our children into bad and abusive programs. Some have come away with the belief that all programs must be bad and shame on me for thinking differently! As a parent I did make a mistake. I am not condoning my daughter’s behavior prior to placement. She was out of control and needed help but I made the mistake of not listening to my gut feelings and not doing better research. I believe parents need help in making such a major decision which is why I have spent the past seven years providing resources and assistance to parents.
Yes, as a parent I made a drastic mistake - one that cost my daughter years of emotional distress. Quite honestly she still suffers today with back flashes of what happened to her at the program she was in (Carolina Springs Academy). My daughter will still lash out at me in times of anger due to the abuse she endured, because for some time I did not believe her, and because I admitted openly that I did not do the research I should have done. This is why my organization, Parent’s Universal Resource Experts (P.U.R.E.) is so important to me. It is a way in which I can help educate parents on how to research programs for their teens. The best parent is an informed parent.
My website HelpYourTeens.com brings awareness to parents when they begin their search for schools or programs and feel that anxiousness to make a rash decision. Many parents are learning from my experiences and are able to investigate potential programs with a better understanding of the teen help industry.
With this awareness parents are becoming wise and are not falling for the slick marketing tactics, fancy websites, tearful DVD’s, and glossy brochures provided to them. One of the marketing strategies of WWASPS is to have parents “sell” the program to other parents in exchange for free tuition. Initially I believed in the program and was one of their supporters. That quickly stopped when I learned what they had done to my daughter. All of this has made WWASPS and those who work for them extremely uncomfortable. Lisa Irvin is a Teen Help Sales Representative who sells WWASPS programs and who may be affected by my story being made available to parents on the Internet. I was recently informed by a former WWASPS employee that she is posting old e-mails from me when I was involved in the WWASPS system. This is a blatant act of attempting to discredit me again; however, I am going to address this head on.
While I was under the enchantment of WWASPS I was completely (in my opinion) brainwashed as one of their followers. Those of you who were once involved with WWASPS will understand this. I would venture to say I was one of their top referral parents. I actually sent out Newsletters in an attempt to help other parents. I truly believed in what they told me and what they sold me. I wanted to help other parents who were having trouble with their teens. I remember how relieved I felt when I believed my daughter was getting the help she needed (it wasn’t until much later that I learned the truth) and I wanted to share this information with as many people as possible.
When I first became involved with WWASPS Randall Hinton was my Sales Representative. Over the months he helped me with my parent referrals. Some time after I discovered what happened to my daughter Hinton left WWASPS/Teen Help. He kept in touch with me every so often via e-mail. Eventually he ended up in Puerto Rico where he agreed to interview for Zadig Productions and expose what went on at Teen Help and WWASPS facilities. Shortly after his interview, Hinton went back to work for WWASPS (Robert Lichfield). I never had contact with him again. Today, Hinton is charged with various felony charges in Colorado pertaining to children.
In a continued effort to destroy P.U.R.E. and me, old e-mails between Hinton and me are being posted on the Internet. My association with him was many years ago and has no relevance to what is going on today. Admittedly I did associate with Hinton, Lisa Irvin, and other Teen Help employees. However, that in no way means I condone what they did or what they do.
I was a victim who made bad choices in the interest of my child. I have learned from these experiences and though I wish my daughter and I did not have to go through this, I know PURE has helped thousands of families over the years because of our experiences. My book, which will be published shortly, "Wit's End!" is about learning from my mistakes and gaining from my knowledge.
It is sad that people like Lisa Irvin and others feel a need to find and post old information at my expense. It is sad that anyone would stoop to this level. If a person feels they are honest and make an honest living then why do they feel the need to attempt to destroy others?
People have e-mailed or called me asking about these e-mails that are showing up on Internet forums, and I have answered them what I have stated here. I wrote this statement so people can understand that evil generates more evil. I am not haunted by my mistakes. Instead I look at my mistakes as stepping stones and not stumbling blocks. I am not bitter from my experiences but rather I am better for them!
I am moving on from the past and looking forward to a tremendous future helping to educate parents from my personal experiences. P.U.R.E. is based on reality, not textbook and definitely not from perfection. Learn from my mistakes; make a smart decision for your family.
If you have read any statements on the Internet or forums about me or P.U.R.E. that you have questions about, please feel free to contact me directly via email at sue.s@helpyourteens.com or call me 954-349-7260 EST. Although the rumors and gossip may never end, rest assured the truth always prevails as both my legal trials have proven.
By Sue Scheff
Several years ago my beautiful teenage daughter and I endured a very stressful and painful time. My daughter, like many teens today, was going through a difficult time and I began searching for outside help. In my desperation I stumbled on several misleading websites that changed our lives in so many ways. Our story has been long posted at "A Parent's True Story."
Since then it has been nothing short of an emotional ride of mental abuse and legal battles. For the past five years I have been involved in litigation, once as a defendant when I was sued by the people who harmed my daughter and defrauded me, and once as a plaintiff in an Internet Defamation and Invasion of Privacy lawsuit.
When I posted my story (above website) I was immediately under attack by the very people that I believed harmed my daughter and defrauded me, the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASP aka WWASPS). They sued me in an attempt to silence me and eliminate my website from the internet. After 2+ years of litigation and approximately $1 million in legal fees (which I was fortunate to have my insurance cover most of it) I defeated WWASPS in a jury trial in their home state of Utah. They appealed and I went on to defeat them again in the Supreme Court of Appeals in June 2006.
The campaign to destroy and discredit me on the Internet exploded. At one point it was so out of control that I had to take legal action to protect the privacy of my family and children. Carey Bock, a woman who I believe was retained by WWASPS, continued posting excerpts from confidential and sealed depositions about my family. Though I had nothing to hide, it was a matter of our privacy which I am sure most people can relate to.
It was discovered WWASPS paid Bock $12,500.00 for her computer hard-drive in an attempt to incriminate me – which it did not do. Because of her insistence and continued crusade to destroy me and my family I filed a lawsuit against her for Internet Defamation and Invasion of Privacy. After two years of litigation, on September 20, 2006, I won again when the jury awarded me $11.3 million - $5 million of this was in the form of punitive damages which is meant to punish the defendant for her actions. Further, the jury wanted to send a strong message to people: Freedom of Speech does not give a person the right to destroy, discredit, defame, and ruin others with false statements.
Though I experienced these two amazing legal victories – where the truth prevailed – there has unfortunately been an up-rise in continued Internet attacks by people who want to silence me and by people who believe programs for children and teens should not exist. Many of these people were institutionalized in the 70’s and 80’s and were harmed in the programs they attended. They have every right to feel hostility towards programs, considering what they went through. However, not all programs are bad and there are good programs for teens in crisis.
Desperate parents need to know there are safe options and that it is critical they do their research so they do not fall into the same trap I did. I have also been criticized by parents who, too, placed their children into abusive programs. Many parents have a difficult time admitting that we, as parents, made mistakes when we placed our children into bad and abusive programs. Some have come away with the belief that all programs must be bad and shame on me for thinking differently! As a parent I did make a mistake. I am not condoning my daughter’s behavior prior to placement. She was out of control and needed help but I made the mistake of not listening to my gut feelings and not doing better research. I believe parents need help in making such a major decision which is why I have spent the past seven years providing resources and assistance to parents.
Yes, as a parent I made a drastic mistake - one that cost my daughter years of emotional distress. Quite honestly she still suffers today with back flashes of what happened to her at the program she was in (Carolina Springs Academy). My daughter will still lash out at me in times of anger due to the abuse she endured, because for some time I did not believe her, and because I admitted openly that I did not do the research I should have done. This is why my organization, Parent’s Universal Resource Experts (P.U.R.E.) is so important to me. It is a way in which I can help educate parents on how to research programs for their teens. The best parent is an informed parent.
My website HelpYourTeens.com brings awareness to parents when they begin their search for schools or programs and feel that anxiousness to make a rash decision. Many parents are learning from my experiences and are able to investigate potential programs with a better understanding of the teen help industry.
With this awareness parents are becoming wise and are not falling for the slick marketing tactics, fancy websites, tearful DVD’s, and glossy brochures provided to them. One of the marketing strategies of WWASPS is to have parents “sell” the program to other parents in exchange for free tuition. Initially I believed in the program and was one of their supporters. That quickly stopped when I learned what they had done to my daughter. All of this has made WWASPS and those who work for them extremely uncomfortable. Lisa Irvin is a Teen Help Sales Representative who sells WWASPS programs and who may be affected by my story being made available to parents on the Internet. I was recently informed by a former WWASPS employee that she is posting old e-mails from me when I was involved in the WWASPS system. This is a blatant act of attempting to discredit me again; however, I am going to address this head on.
While I was under the enchantment of WWASPS I was completely (in my opinion) brainwashed as one of their followers. Those of you who were once involved with WWASPS will understand this. I would venture to say I was one of their top referral parents. I actually sent out Newsletters in an attempt to help other parents. I truly believed in what they told me and what they sold me. I wanted to help other parents who were having trouble with their teens. I remember how relieved I felt when I believed my daughter was getting the help she needed (it wasn’t until much later that I learned the truth) and I wanted to share this information with as many people as possible.
When I first became involved with WWASPS Randall Hinton was my Sales Representative. Over the months he helped me with my parent referrals. Some time after I discovered what happened to my daughter Hinton left WWASPS/Teen Help. He kept in touch with me every so often via e-mail. Eventually he ended up in Puerto Rico where he agreed to interview for Zadig Productions and expose what went on at Teen Help and WWASPS facilities. Shortly after his interview, Hinton went back to work for WWASPS (Robert Lichfield). I never had contact with him again. Today, Hinton is charged with various felony charges in Colorado pertaining to children.
In a continued effort to destroy P.U.R.E. and me, old e-mails between Hinton and me are being posted on the Internet. My association with him was many years ago and has no relevance to what is going on today. Admittedly I did associate with Hinton, Lisa Irvin, and other Teen Help employees. However, that in no way means I condone what they did or what they do.
I was a victim who made bad choices in the interest of my child. I have learned from these experiences and though I wish my daughter and I did not have to go through this, I know PURE has helped thousands of families over the years because of our experiences. My book, which will be published shortly, "Wit's End!" is about learning from my mistakes and gaining from my knowledge.
It is sad that people like Lisa Irvin and others feel a need to find and post old information at my expense. It is sad that anyone would stoop to this level. If a person feels they are honest and make an honest living then why do they feel the need to attempt to destroy others?
People have e-mailed or called me asking about these e-mails that are showing up on Internet forums, and I have answered them what I have stated here. I wrote this statement so people can understand that evil generates more evil. I am not haunted by my mistakes. Instead I look at my mistakes as stepping stones and not stumbling blocks. I am not bitter from my experiences but rather I am better for them!
I am moving on from the past and looking forward to a tremendous future helping to educate parents from my personal experiences. P.U.R.E. is based on reality, not textbook and definitely not from perfection. Learn from my mistakes; make a smart decision for your family.
If you have read any statements on the Internet or forums about me or P.U.R.E. that you have questions about, please feel free to contact me directly via email at sue.s@helpyourteens.com or call me 954-349-7260 EST. Although the rumors and gossip may never end, rest assured the truth always prevails as both my legal trials have proven.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Sue Scheff Defeats WWASPS
Take note that is seems WWASPS aka WWASP is now being called Premier Educational Systems. Changing their names doesn't change who they are - in my opinion.
Read my story here.
Read my story here.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Sue Scheff Defeats World Wide Association of Specialty Programs (WWASP aka WWASPS)
Be sure to check out my Blog - Click Here: Sue Scheff Talks about WWASPS in 2007.
WWASPS tries to discredit me however, many people can see through them.
WWASPS tries to discredit me however, many people can see through them.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Sue Scheff (P.U.R.E.) Defeats WWASPS in Jury Trial
WWASP Fails – Florida Mom Prevails (Jury Rules in favor of Mom)
WESTON, Florida (August 8, 2004). Corporate giant, World Wide Association of Specialty Programs (WWASP), came after a single Florida mom, Sue Scheff, and her organization Parents Universal Resource Experts (P.U.R.E.), because she spoke out about the company's alleged abuses against children. When she learned her daughter and other children had been abused in their programs, she fought back.
WWASP came after her through fear, intimidation, and the high cost of litigation, when she tried to speak out by reporting fraud, child abuse, and child neglect against their programs both in the U.S. and other countries. They brought three charges against this mother and her organization - defamation, civil conspiracy, and false advertising.
As a result of her tenacity in seeking the truth, along with her attorney, Richard Henriksen, Salt Lake City, Utah:
WWASP's attempt to silence this mother failed.
Sue Scheff and P.U.R.E. prevailed.
Enlarged photos and video clips from 48 Hours, Primetime, Dateline, and Inside Edition were shown to jurors. Tears welled up in some of their eyes as they watched the following accounts of child abuse and neglect:
Video clips were shown of children who were locked in dog cages in the hot Mexican sun at WWASP's High Impact program in Mexico, sometimes for days at a time. High Impact was shut down by the Mexican government for allegations of child neglect and abuse. Although Robert Lichfield, Ken Kay, and Karr Farnsworth will claim High Impact is not a WWASP program, former employees and parents testified they were. An employee testified she was asked not to divulge the program's association with WWASP – she further testified she traveled to High Impact with Ken Kay, president of WWASP, who specifically warned her against divulging its association with WWASP.
Amberly Knight was the former Director of Dundee Ranch in Costa Rica. She testified that a girl was raped there and her skull was cracked. She further testified children at Dundee Ranch were punished with food deprivation and were kept in a small isolation room where they were made to kneel and lay on concrete for up to 14 hours a day. Dundee Ranch was closed in May 2003 after she reported WWASP's alleged child abuse to Costa Rican protective services. This resulted in the arrest of Narvin Lichfield.
Photos were shown of children who were locked inside The ISO Box (Isolation Box), a wooden structure no larger than a small closet at WWASP's Paradise Cove program in Western Samoa. Children told of their experiences when they were hog-tied, struck by staff members, and duct-taped during their stay. When an investigation into allegations of child abuse and neglect was initiated, WWASP closed this program.
Again at Paradise Cove in Western Samoa, bugs were seen in the children's meager food portions. There were photos of children with skin infections, including scabies.
Former victims demonstrated the abuse and neglect they endured. They also verbalized it on Dateline, Primetime, Inside Edition and 48 Hours.
More disturbing accounts of abuse and neglect surfaced during the trial, both in WWASP facilities in the U.S. and in other countries:
A Texas mother whose two sons were sent to Tranquility Bay, a WWASP facility in Jamaica, stated when she went to pick them up she saw terror on their faces, ringworm scars, and chemical burns on their bodies. Her children were forced to sleep on plywood beds with soiled mattresses; they had no soap, no toilet paper, no fans, and no hot water.
One boy spent 4 ½ years of his adolescence being physically moved between five WWASP programs. He entered their programs when he was 12 and was 19 at the time of this trial. He broke into tears as the defendants showed the jury a video of children who were locked inside dog cages in the hot Mexican Sun, the very place where his nightmare ended when he was removed from those very cages. In an interview this young man described more horrific events. He told of how older children in the program plotted to kill him in an attempt to shut the program down. They lured him into the water, grabbed him, beat his head against a large piece of coral until he passed out, as they tried to drown him. He has been left with lifelong emotional scars.
Chris Goodwin's son started his journey through WWASP at Casa by the Sea in Mexico. He stressed he did not want a discipline-based environment for his son, but rather a loving environment and was reassured repeatedly that Casa by the Sea was just that – a loving and caring program. He was not allowed to speak to his son for seven months, and was told speaking to him would harm his progress in the program. He later learned his son had been beaten by four staff members in the middle of the night, then forced to sit Indian-style for up to 16 hours per day while facing a wall. Mr. Goodwin received a call from the program director telling him his son needed a harsher environment, recommending his son be sent to Tranquility Bay in Jamaica. Mr. Goodwin would not agree and insisted his son be sent to Cross Creek in LaVerkin, Utah. He was asked to enroll his son into a new WWASP program, High Impact, on a short-term basis while they worked out the details of his transfer to Cross Creek. He was told it was basically a wilderness experience. All the while, his son had already been transferred there without his permission or knowledge. While there, his son's thumb was broken, needing surgery to put it back in place with several screws. He told of how his son's head was pounded into the ground by staff during a restraint. He further testified when he picked up his 15 ½ year-old son from Cross Creek he witnessed a girl whose mouth was covered with duct-tape and felt he had been deceived and financially "taken" by WWASP.
A young Florida girl was described as having to bathe outside in cold water with other girls. When they had their menstrual cycle they all showered in their blood and discharge. She experienced eating pork with hair still on it. Every night she heard kids screaming in OP (observation placement) while others cried for their parents.
This young girl witnessed the suicide death of Valerie Heron on Valerie's first day at Tranquility Bay in Jamaica. Witnesses say there was no staff present to keep her from climbing up onto the railing, jumping to her death. Girls who witnessed this event were told they would receive counseling to cope with their grief and trauma but the therapist never arrived. Instead, the girls witnessing this traumatic event were given some pills to cope with their pain. During the night after Valerie's death, she heard staff trying to scrub the blood stains off the concrete. The next morning, they made the girls line up for head count directly over the blood-stained "X" that marked the spot where Valerie landed.
Jay Kay, Director of Tranquility Bay, and son of Ken Kay, President of WWASP, sat in the courtroom with seemingly no remorse while the defendants presented Prime Time's video clip of him admitting: "Do I have pepper-spray? You bet I do. And, I haven't had to use it in five and a half or six months." Since the time of this trial, Fox aired an interview with a mother whose son was pepper sprayed by Jay Kay and Randall Hinton, employee at Tranquility Bay, on a daily basis for over eight months. Further, his genitals were scrubbed with a toilet brush. In an interview, his mother revealed that before being sent to Tranquility Bay, her son was a 4.0 student and a good boy. He turned to drugs when she and his father divorced, which resulted in her turning to WWASP for help. She stated, "My son suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a direct result of the abuse he suffered at Tranquility Bay. He had a breakdown and spent two years in a mental hospital. He is now 24 years old and still living at home. He has had repeated nightmares for years on at least a weekly basis if not more. Just last week he screamed out in his sleep ‘Randall, why are you doing this to me?' I can personally attest that my child was far worse when he returned from the emersion of abuse and neglect at Tranquility Bay than before he entered this so-called children's program."
John France, an Educational and Forensic Psychologist, testified about his son's stay at WWASP facility Spring Creek Lodge in MT. He stated his son spent nearly nine months in "The Hobbit", a small structure that was no more than two shelves on top of one another, his body barely able to fit. It was hot in the summer and cold in the winter. So cold, his orange he stored away at night was frozen by morning. He was forced to sleep on a small shelf and to urinate in his drinking cup during the night. He etched the words "Let Freedom Ring" on one of the shelves.
While others were shocked, distraught, and cried as these accounts of child abuse, neglect, and even death, were divulged, Robert Lichfield was seen smiling in the corner of the courtroom while WWASP lawyers were seen laughing in the presence of the Federal jury.
In 2006 WWASP continues to grow and thrive, housing thousands of children from all over the world. To this day, WWASP refuses to admit any wrongdoing, including child abuse, child neglect and fraud.
WWASP has repeatedly filed lawsuits against advocacy groups in an attempt to stop them from exposing child abuse and neglect in their programs.
Today, Sue Scheff continues in her quest to provide families with the resources, options, and safe alternatives they need in finding help for their children. Congressman George Miller continues to fight for Federal legislation to regulate this industry, and we at PURE support his fight. For more current news and information on the tough-love industry, please visit Coalition Against Institutionalized Child Abuse (CAICA) at http://www.caica.org/.
As of May 2006, it is believed that WWASP aka WWASPS or Premier Educational Systems has affiliations with the following:
Academy of Ivy Ridge, NY (Recently withdrew their affiliation with WWASPS)
Canyon View Park, MT
Camas Ranch, MT
Carolina Springs Academy, SC
Cross Creek Programs, UT (Cross Creek Center and Cross Creek Manor
Darrington Academy, GA
Gulf Coast Academy, MS
Help My Teen, UT (Adolescent Services Adolescent Placement) Promotes and markets these programs.
Horizon Academy, NV
Jane Hawley (Lifelines)
Lifelines Family Services, UT (Promotes and markets these programs).
Lisa Irvin (Helpmyteen)
Majestic Ranch, UT
Midwest Academy, IA (Brian Viafanua, formerly the Director of Paradise Cove as shown on Primetime, is the current Director here).
Pillars of Hope, Costa Rica
Pine View Christian Academy (Borders FL, AL, MS)
Reality Trek, UT
Red River Academy, LA (Borders TX)
Royal Peak Academy, CO (It is believed that Randall Hinton - who admitted using pepper spray on teens - is employed at this facility).
Sky View Academy, NV
Spring Creek Lodge, MT
Tranquility Bay, Jamaica
On June 6, 2006 WWASPS LOST again in the Supreme Court of Appeals - Sue Scheff's victory speaks for so many children and parents that were victims of WWASPS.
On September 20, 2006 Sue Scheff defeated Carey Bock in a Jury Trial for Internet Defamation and Invasion of Privacy. Many believe that Carey Bock was a puppet for WWASPS in an attempt to destroy Sue Scheff since her courtroom victories. It was confirmed that Carey Bock received $12,500.00 from WWASPS and their attorneys. Sue Scheff was awarded $11.3M for the damages that were done on the Internet. See More Blogs by Sue Scheff.
http://winsjuryverdict.blogspot.com/
http://freedomofspeechdoesnotsupportdefam.blogspot.com/
http://www.aparentstruestory.com/
http://www.suescheff.com/
WESTON, Florida (August 8, 2004). Corporate giant, World Wide Association of Specialty Programs (WWASP), came after a single Florida mom, Sue Scheff, and her organization Parents Universal Resource Experts (P.U.R.E.), because she spoke out about the company's alleged abuses against children. When she learned her daughter and other children had been abused in their programs, she fought back.
WWASP came after her through fear, intimidation, and the high cost of litigation, when she tried to speak out by reporting fraud, child abuse, and child neglect against their programs both in the U.S. and other countries. They brought three charges against this mother and her organization - defamation, civil conspiracy, and false advertising.
As a result of her tenacity in seeking the truth, along with her attorney, Richard Henriksen, Salt Lake City, Utah:
WWASP's attempt to silence this mother failed.
Sue Scheff and P.U.R.E. prevailed.
Enlarged photos and video clips from 48 Hours, Primetime, Dateline, and Inside Edition were shown to jurors. Tears welled up in some of their eyes as they watched the following accounts of child abuse and neglect:
Video clips were shown of children who were locked in dog cages in the hot Mexican sun at WWASP's High Impact program in Mexico, sometimes for days at a time. High Impact was shut down by the Mexican government for allegations of child neglect and abuse. Although Robert Lichfield, Ken Kay, and Karr Farnsworth will claim High Impact is not a WWASP program, former employees and parents testified they were. An employee testified she was asked not to divulge the program's association with WWASP – she further testified she traveled to High Impact with Ken Kay, president of WWASP, who specifically warned her against divulging its association with WWASP.
Amberly Knight was the former Director of Dundee Ranch in Costa Rica. She testified that a girl was raped there and her skull was cracked. She further testified children at Dundee Ranch were punished with food deprivation and were kept in a small isolation room where they were made to kneel and lay on concrete for up to 14 hours a day. Dundee Ranch was closed in May 2003 after she reported WWASP's alleged child abuse to Costa Rican protective services. This resulted in the arrest of Narvin Lichfield.
Photos were shown of children who were locked inside The ISO Box (Isolation Box), a wooden structure no larger than a small closet at WWASP's Paradise Cove program in Western Samoa. Children told of their experiences when they were hog-tied, struck by staff members, and duct-taped during their stay. When an investigation into allegations of child abuse and neglect was initiated, WWASP closed this program.
Again at Paradise Cove in Western Samoa, bugs were seen in the children's meager food portions. There were photos of children with skin infections, including scabies.
Former victims demonstrated the abuse and neglect they endured. They also verbalized it on Dateline, Primetime, Inside Edition and 48 Hours.
More disturbing accounts of abuse and neglect surfaced during the trial, both in WWASP facilities in the U.S. and in other countries:
A Texas mother whose two sons were sent to Tranquility Bay, a WWASP facility in Jamaica, stated when she went to pick them up she saw terror on their faces, ringworm scars, and chemical burns on their bodies. Her children were forced to sleep on plywood beds with soiled mattresses; they had no soap, no toilet paper, no fans, and no hot water.
One boy spent 4 ½ years of his adolescence being physically moved between five WWASP programs. He entered their programs when he was 12 and was 19 at the time of this trial. He broke into tears as the defendants showed the jury a video of children who were locked inside dog cages in the hot Mexican Sun, the very place where his nightmare ended when he was removed from those very cages. In an interview this young man described more horrific events. He told of how older children in the program plotted to kill him in an attempt to shut the program down. They lured him into the water, grabbed him, beat his head against a large piece of coral until he passed out, as they tried to drown him. He has been left with lifelong emotional scars.
Chris Goodwin's son started his journey through WWASP at Casa by the Sea in Mexico. He stressed he did not want a discipline-based environment for his son, but rather a loving environment and was reassured repeatedly that Casa by the Sea was just that – a loving and caring program. He was not allowed to speak to his son for seven months, and was told speaking to him would harm his progress in the program. He later learned his son had been beaten by four staff members in the middle of the night, then forced to sit Indian-style for up to 16 hours per day while facing a wall. Mr. Goodwin received a call from the program director telling him his son needed a harsher environment, recommending his son be sent to Tranquility Bay in Jamaica. Mr. Goodwin would not agree and insisted his son be sent to Cross Creek in LaVerkin, Utah. He was asked to enroll his son into a new WWASP program, High Impact, on a short-term basis while they worked out the details of his transfer to Cross Creek. He was told it was basically a wilderness experience. All the while, his son had already been transferred there without his permission or knowledge. While there, his son's thumb was broken, needing surgery to put it back in place with several screws. He told of how his son's head was pounded into the ground by staff during a restraint. He further testified when he picked up his 15 ½ year-old son from Cross Creek he witnessed a girl whose mouth was covered with duct-tape and felt he had been deceived and financially "taken" by WWASP.
A young Florida girl was described as having to bathe outside in cold water with other girls. When they had their menstrual cycle they all showered in their blood and discharge. She experienced eating pork with hair still on it. Every night she heard kids screaming in OP (observation placement) while others cried for their parents.
This young girl witnessed the suicide death of Valerie Heron on Valerie's first day at Tranquility Bay in Jamaica. Witnesses say there was no staff present to keep her from climbing up onto the railing, jumping to her death. Girls who witnessed this event were told they would receive counseling to cope with their grief and trauma but the therapist never arrived. Instead, the girls witnessing this traumatic event were given some pills to cope with their pain. During the night after Valerie's death, she heard staff trying to scrub the blood stains off the concrete. The next morning, they made the girls line up for head count directly over the blood-stained "X" that marked the spot where Valerie landed.
Jay Kay, Director of Tranquility Bay, and son of Ken Kay, President of WWASP, sat in the courtroom with seemingly no remorse while the defendants presented Prime Time's video clip of him admitting: "Do I have pepper-spray? You bet I do. And, I haven't had to use it in five and a half or six months." Since the time of this trial, Fox aired an interview with a mother whose son was pepper sprayed by Jay Kay and Randall Hinton, employee at Tranquility Bay, on a daily basis for over eight months. Further, his genitals were scrubbed with a toilet brush. In an interview, his mother revealed that before being sent to Tranquility Bay, her son was a 4.0 student and a good boy. He turned to drugs when she and his father divorced, which resulted in her turning to WWASP for help. She stated, "My son suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a direct result of the abuse he suffered at Tranquility Bay. He had a breakdown and spent two years in a mental hospital. He is now 24 years old and still living at home. He has had repeated nightmares for years on at least a weekly basis if not more. Just last week he screamed out in his sleep ‘Randall, why are you doing this to me?' I can personally attest that my child was far worse when he returned from the emersion of abuse and neglect at Tranquility Bay than before he entered this so-called children's program."
John France, an Educational and Forensic Psychologist, testified about his son's stay at WWASP facility Spring Creek Lodge in MT. He stated his son spent nearly nine months in "The Hobbit", a small structure that was no more than two shelves on top of one another, his body barely able to fit. It was hot in the summer and cold in the winter. So cold, his orange he stored away at night was frozen by morning. He was forced to sleep on a small shelf and to urinate in his drinking cup during the night. He etched the words "Let Freedom Ring" on one of the shelves.
While others were shocked, distraught, and cried as these accounts of child abuse, neglect, and even death, were divulged, Robert Lichfield was seen smiling in the corner of the courtroom while WWASP lawyers were seen laughing in the presence of the Federal jury.
In 2006 WWASP continues to grow and thrive, housing thousands of children from all over the world. To this day, WWASP refuses to admit any wrongdoing, including child abuse, child neglect and fraud.
WWASP has repeatedly filed lawsuits against advocacy groups in an attempt to stop them from exposing child abuse and neglect in their programs.
Today, Sue Scheff continues in her quest to provide families with the resources, options, and safe alternatives they need in finding help for their children. Congressman George Miller continues to fight for Federal legislation to regulate this industry, and we at PURE support his fight. For more current news and information on the tough-love industry, please visit Coalition Against Institutionalized Child Abuse (CAICA) at http://www.caica.org/.
As of May 2006, it is believed that WWASP aka WWASPS or Premier Educational Systems has affiliations with the following:
Academy of Ivy Ridge, NY (Recently withdrew their affiliation with WWASPS)
Canyon View Park, MT
Camas Ranch, MT
Carolina Springs Academy, SC
Cross Creek Programs, UT (Cross Creek Center and Cross Creek Manor
Darrington Academy, GA
Gulf Coast Academy, MS
Help My Teen, UT (Adolescent Services Adolescent Placement) Promotes and markets these programs.
Horizon Academy, NV
Jane Hawley (Lifelines)
Lifelines Family Services, UT (Promotes and markets these programs).
Lisa Irvin (Helpmyteen)
Majestic Ranch, UT
Midwest Academy, IA (Brian Viafanua, formerly the Director of Paradise Cove as shown on Primetime, is the current Director here).
Pillars of Hope, Costa Rica
Pine View Christian Academy (Borders FL, AL, MS)
Reality Trek, UT
Red River Academy, LA (Borders TX)
Royal Peak Academy, CO (It is believed that Randall Hinton - who admitted using pepper spray on teens - is employed at this facility).
Sky View Academy, NV
Spring Creek Lodge, MT
Tranquility Bay, Jamaica
On June 6, 2006 WWASPS LOST again in the Supreme Court of Appeals - Sue Scheff's victory speaks for so many children and parents that were victims of WWASPS.
On September 20, 2006 Sue Scheff defeated Carey Bock in a Jury Trial for Internet Defamation and Invasion of Privacy. Many believe that Carey Bock was a puppet for WWASPS in an attempt to destroy Sue Scheff since her courtroom victories. It was confirmed that Carey Bock received $12,500.00 from WWASPS and their attorneys. Sue Scheff was awarded $11.3M for the damages that were done on the Internet. See More Blogs by Sue Scheff.
http://winsjuryverdict.blogspot.com/
http://freedomofspeechdoesnotsupportdefam.blogspot.com/
http://www.aparentstruestory.com/
http://www.suescheff.com/
Sue Scheff (P.U.R.E.) Defeats WWASPS in Jury Trial
WWASP Fails – Florida Mom Prevails (Jury Rules in favor of Mom)
WESTON, Florida (August 8, 2004). Corporate giant, World Wide Association of Specialty Programs (WWASP), came after a single Florida mom, Sue Scheff, and her organization Parents Universal Resource Experts (P.U.R.E.), because she spoke out about the company's alleged abuses against children. When she learned her daughter and other children had been abused in their programs, she fought back.
WWASP came after her through fear, intimidation, and the high cost of litigation, when she tried to speak out by reporting fraud, child abuse, and child neglect against their programs both in the U.S. and other countries. They brought three charges against this mother and her organization - defamation, civil conspiracy, and false advertising.
As a result of her tenacity in seeking the truth, along with her attorney, Richard Henriksen, Salt Lake City, Utah:
WWASP's attempt to silence this mother failed.
Sue Scheff and P.U.R.E. prevailed.
Enlarged photos and video clips from 48 Hours, Primetime, Dateline, and Inside Edition were shown to jurors. Tears welled up in some of their eyes as they watched the following accounts of child abuse and neglect:
Video clips were shown of children who were locked in dog cages in the hot Mexican sun at WWASP's High Impact program in Mexico, sometimes for days at a time. High Impact was shut down by the Mexican government for allegations of child neglect and abuse. Although Robert Lichfield, Ken Kay, and Karr Farnsworth will claim High Impact is not a WWASP program, former employees and parents testified they were. An employee testified she was asked not to divulge the program's association with WWASP – she further testified she traveled to High Impact with Ken Kay, president of WWASP, who specifically warned her against divulging its association with WWASP.
Amberly Knight was the former Director of Dundee Ranch in Costa Rica. She testified that a girl was raped there and her skull was cracked. She further testified children at Dundee Ranch were punished with food deprivation and were kept in a small isolation room where they were made to kneel and lay on concrete for up to 14 hours a day. Dundee Ranch was closed in May 2003 after she reported WWASP's alleged child abuse to Costa Rican protective services. This resulted in the arrest of Narvin Lichfield.
Photos were shown of children who were locked inside The ISO Box (Isolation Box), a wooden structure no larger than a small closet at WWASP's Paradise Cove program in Western Samoa. Children told of their experiences when they were hog-tied, struck by staff members, and duct-taped during their stay. When an investigation into allegations of child abuse and neglect was initiated, WWASP closed this program.
Again at Paradise Cove in Western Samoa, bugs were seen in the children's meager food portions. There were photos of children with skin infections, including scabies.
Former victims demonstrated the abuse and neglect they endured. They also verbalized it on Dateline, Primetime, Inside Edition and 48 Hours.
More disturbing accounts of abuse and neglect surfaced during the trial, both in WWASP facilities in the U.S. and in other countries:
A Texas mother whose two sons were sent to Tranquility Bay, a WWASP facility in Jamaica, stated when she went to pick them up she saw terror on their faces, ringworm scars, and chemical burns on their bodies. Her children were forced to sleep on plywood beds with soiled mattresses; they had no soap, no toilet paper, no fans, and no hot water.
One boy spent 4 ½ years of his adolescence being physically moved between five WWASP programs. He entered their programs when he was 12 and was 19 at the time of this trial. He broke into tears as the defendants showed the jury a video of children who were locked inside dog cages in the hot Mexican Sun, the very place where his nightmare ended when he was removed from those very cages. In an interview this young man described more horrific events. He told of how older children in the program plotted to kill him in an attempt to shut the program down. They lured him into the water, grabbed him, beat his head against a large piece of coral until he passed out, as they tried to drown him. He has been left with lifelong emotional scars.
Chris Goodwin's son started his journey through WWASP at Casa by the Sea in Mexico. He stressed he did not want a discipline-based environment for his son, but rather a loving environment and was reassured repeatedly that Casa by the Sea was just that – a loving and caring program. He was not allowed to speak to his son for seven months, and was told speaking to him would harm his progress in the program. He later learned his son had been beaten by four staff members in the middle of the night, then forced to sit Indian-style for up to 16 hours per day while facing a wall. Mr. Goodwin received a call from the program director telling him his son needed a harsher environment, recommending his son be sent to Tranquility Bay in Jamaica. Mr. Goodwin would not agree and insisted his son be sent to Cross Creek in LaVerkin, Utah. He was asked to enroll his son into a new WWASP program, High Impact, on a short-term basis while they worked out the details of his transfer to Cross Creek. He was told it was basically a wilderness experience. All the while, his son had already been transferred there without his permission or knowledge. While there, his son's thumb was broken, needing surgery to put it back in place with several screws. He told of how his son's head was pounded into the ground by staff during a restraint. He further testified when he picked up his 15 ½ year-old son from Cross Creek he witnessed a girl whose mouth was covered with duct-tape and felt he had been deceived and financially "taken" by WWASP.
A young Florida girl was described as having to bathe outside in cold water with other girls. When they had their menstrual cycle they all showered in their blood and discharge. She experienced eating pork with hair still on it. Every night she heard kids screaming in OP (observation placement) while others cried for their parents.
This young girl witnessed the suicide death of Valerie Heron on Valerie's first day at Tranquility Bay in Jamaica. Witnesses say there was no staff present to keep her from climbing up onto the railing, jumping to her death. Girls who witnessed this event were told they would receive counseling to cope with their grief and trauma but the therapist never arrived. Instead, the girls witnessing this traumatic event were given some pills to cope with their pain. During the night after Valerie's death, she heard staff trying to scrub the blood stains off the concrete. The next morning, they made the girls line up for head count directly over the blood-stained "X" that marked the spot where Valerie landed.
Jay Kay, Director of Tranquility Bay, and son of Ken Kay, President of WWASP, sat in the courtroom with seemingly no remorse while the defendants presented Prime Time's video clip of him admitting: "Do I have pepper-spray? You bet I do. And, I haven't had to use it in five and a half or six months." Since the time of this trial, Fox aired an interview with a mother whose son was pepper sprayed by Jay Kay and Randall Hinton, employee at Tranquility Bay, on a daily basis for over eight months. Further, his genitals were scrubbed with a toilet brush. In an interview, his mother revealed that before being sent to Tranquility Bay, her son was a 4.0 student and a good boy. He turned to drugs when she and his father divorced, which resulted in her turning to WWASP for help. She stated, "My son suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a direct result of the abuse he suffered at Tranquility Bay. He had a breakdown and spent two years in a mental hospital. He is now 24 years old and still living at home. He has had repeated nightmares for years on at least a weekly basis if not more. Just last week he screamed out in his sleep ‘Randall, why are you doing this to me?' I can personally attest that my child was far worse when he returned from the emersion of abuse and neglect at Tranquility Bay than before he entered this so-called children's program."
John France, an Educational and Forensic Psychologist, testified about his son's stay at WWASP facility Spring Creek Lodge in MT. He stated his son spent nearly nine months in "The Hobbit", a small structure that was no more than two shelves on top of one another, his body barely able to fit. It was hot in the summer and cold in the winter. So cold, his orange he stored away at night was frozen by morning. He was forced to sleep on a small shelf and to urinate in his drinking cup during the night. He etched the words "Let Freedom Ring" on one of the shelves.
While others were shocked, distraught, and cried as these accounts of child abuse, neglect, and even death, were divulged, Robert Lichfield was seen smiling in the corner of the courtroom while WWASP lawyers were seen laughing in the presence of the Federal jury.
In 2006 WWASP continues to grow and thrive, housing thousands of children from all over the world. To this day, WWASP refuses to admit any wrongdoing, including child abuse, child neglect and fraud.
WWASP has repeatedly filed lawsuits against advocacy groups in an attempt to stop them from exposing child abuse and neglect in their programs.
Today, Sue Scheff continues in her quest to provide families with the resources, options, and safe alternatives they need in finding help for their children. Congressman George Miller continues to fight for Federal legislation to regulate this industry, and we at PURE support his fight. For more current news and information on the tough-love industry, please visit Coalition Against Institutionalized Child Abuse (CAICA) at www.caica.org.
As of May 2006, it is believed that WWASP aka WWASPS or Premier Educational Systems has affiliations with the following:
Academy of Ivy Ridge, NY (Recently withdrew their affiliation with WWASPS)
Canyon View Park, MT
Camas Ranch, MT
Carolina Springs Academy, SC
Cross Creek Programs, UT (Cross Creek Center and Cross Creek Manor
Darrington Academy, GA
Help My Teen, UT (Adolescent Services Adolescent Placement) Promotes and markets these programs.
Horizon Academy, NV
Lifelines Family Services, UT (Promotes and markets these programs).
Majestic Ranch, UT
Midwest Academy, IA (Brian Viafanua, formerly the Director of Paradise Cove as shown on Primetime, is the current Director here).
Pillars of Hope, Costa Rica
Pine View Christian Academy (Borders FL, AL, MS)
Reality Trek, UT
Red River Academy, LA (Borders TX)
Royal Peak Academy, CO (It is believed that Randall Hinton - who admitted using pepper spray on teens - is employed at this facility).
Sky View Academy, NV
Spring Creek Lodge, MT
Tranquility Bay, Jamaica
On June 6, 2006 WWASPS LOST again in the Supreme Court of Appeals - Sue Scheff's victory speaks for so many children and parents that were victims of WWASPS.
On September 20, 2006 Sue Scheff defeated Carey Bock in a Jury Trial for Internet Defamation and Invasion of Privacy. Many believe that Carey Bock was a puppet for WWASPS in an attempt to destroy Sue Scheff since her courtroom victories. It was confirmed that Carey Bock received $12,500.00 from WWASPS and their attorneys. Sue Scheff was awarded $11.3M for the damages that were done on the Internet. See More Blogs by Sue Scheff.
http://winsjuryverdict.blogspot.com/
http://freedomofspeechdoesnotsupportdefam.blogspot.com/
www.aparentstruestory.com
www.suescheff.com
www.caica.org
WESTON, Florida (August 8, 2004). Corporate giant, World Wide Association of Specialty Programs (WWASP), came after a single Florida mom, Sue Scheff, and her organization Parents Universal Resource Experts (P.U.R.E.), because she spoke out about the company's alleged abuses against children. When she learned her daughter and other children had been abused in their programs, she fought back.
WWASP came after her through fear, intimidation, and the high cost of litigation, when she tried to speak out by reporting fraud, child abuse, and child neglect against their programs both in the U.S. and other countries. They brought three charges against this mother and her organization - defamation, civil conspiracy, and false advertising.
As a result of her tenacity in seeking the truth, along with her attorney, Richard Henriksen, Salt Lake City, Utah:
WWASP's attempt to silence this mother failed.
Sue Scheff and P.U.R.E. prevailed.
Enlarged photos and video clips from 48 Hours, Primetime, Dateline, and Inside Edition were shown to jurors. Tears welled up in some of their eyes as they watched the following accounts of child abuse and neglect:
Video clips were shown of children who were locked in dog cages in the hot Mexican sun at WWASP's High Impact program in Mexico, sometimes for days at a time. High Impact was shut down by the Mexican government for allegations of child neglect and abuse. Although Robert Lichfield, Ken Kay, and Karr Farnsworth will claim High Impact is not a WWASP program, former employees and parents testified they were. An employee testified she was asked not to divulge the program's association with WWASP – she further testified she traveled to High Impact with Ken Kay, president of WWASP, who specifically warned her against divulging its association with WWASP.
Amberly Knight was the former Director of Dundee Ranch in Costa Rica. She testified that a girl was raped there and her skull was cracked. She further testified children at Dundee Ranch were punished with food deprivation and were kept in a small isolation room where they were made to kneel and lay on concrete for up to 14 hours a day. Dundee Ranch was closed in May 2003 after she reported WWASP's alleged child abuse to Costa Rican protective services. This resulted in the arrest of Narvin Lichfield.
Photos were shown of children who were locked inside The ISO Box (Isolation Box), a wooden structure no larger than a small closet at WWASP's Paradise Cove program in Western Samoa. Children told of their experiences when they were hog-tied, struck by staff members, and duct-taped during their stay. When an investigation into allegations of child abuse and neglect was initiated, WWASP closed this program.
Again at Paradise Cove in Western Samoa, bugs were seen in the children's meager food portions. There were photos of children with skin infections, including scabies.
Former victims demonstrated the abuse and neglect they endured. They also verbalized it on Dateline, Primetime, Inside Edition and 48 Hours.
More disturbing accounts of abuse and neglect surfaced during the trial, both in WWASP facilities in the U.S. and in other countries:
A Texas mother whose two sons were sent to Tranquility Bay, a WWASP facility in Jamaica, stated when she went to pick them up she saw terror on their faces, ringworm scars, and chemical burns on their bodies. Her children were forced to sleep on plywood beds with soiled mattresses; they had no soap, no toilet paper, no fans, and no hot water.
One boy spent 4 ½ years of his adolescence being physically moved between five WWASP programs. He entered their programs when he was 12 and was 19 at the time of this trial. He broke into tears as the defendants showed the jury a video of children who were locked inside dog cages in the hot Mexican Sun, the very place where his nightmare ended when he was removed from those very cages. In an interview this young man described more horrific events. He told of how older children in the program plotted to kill him in an attempt to shut the program down. They lured him into the water, grabbed him, beat his head against a large piece of coral until he passed out, as they tried to drown him. He has been left with lifelong emotional scars.
Chris Goodwin's son started his journey through WWASP at Casa by the Sea in Mexico. He stressed he did not want a discipline-based environment for his son, but rather a loving environment and was reassured repeatedly that Casa by the Sea was just that – a loving and caring program. He was not allowed to speak to his son for seven months, and was told speaking to him would harm his progress in the program. He later learned his son had been beaten by four staff members in the middle of the night, then forced to sit Indian-style for up to 16 hours per day while facing a wall. Mr. Goodwin received a call from the program director telling him his son needed a harsher environment, recommending his son be sent to Tranquility Bay in Jamaica. Mr. Goodwin would not agree and insisted his son be sent to Cross Creek in LaVerkin, Utah. He was asked to enroll his son into a new WWASP program, High Impact, on a short-term basis while they worked out the details of his transfer to Cross Creek. He was told it was basically a wilderness experience. All the while, his son had already been transferred there without his permission or knowledge. While there, his son's thumb was broken, needing surgery to put it back in place with several screws. He told of how his son's head was pounded into the ground by staff during a restraint. He further testified when he picked up his 15 ½ year-old son from Cross Creek he witnessed a girl whose mouth was covered with duct-tape and felt he had been deceived and financially "taken" by WWASP.
A young Florida girl was described as having to bathe outside in cold water with other girls. When they had their menstrual cycle they all showered in their blood and discharge. She experienced eating pork with hair still on it. Every night she heard kids screaming in OP (observation placement) while others cried for their parents.
This young girl witnessed the suicide death of Valerie Heron on Valerie's first day at Tranquility Bay in Jamaica. Witnesses say there was no staff present to keep her from climbing up onto the railing, jumping to her death. Girls who witnessed this event were told they would receive counseling to cope with their grief and trauma but the therapist never arrived. Instead, the girls witnessing this traumatic event were given some pills to cope with their pain. During the night after Valerie's death, she heard staff trying to scrub the blood stains off the concrete. The next morning, they made the girls line up for head count directly over the blood-stained "X" that marked the spot where Valerie landed.
Jay Kay, Director of Tranquility Bay, and son of Ken Kay, President of WWASP, sat in the courtroom with seemingly no remorse while the defendants presented Prime Time's video clip of him admitting: "Do I have pepper-spray? You bet I do. And, I haven't had to use it in five and a half or six months." Since the time of this trial, Fox aired an interview with a mother whose son was pepper sprayed by Jay Kay and Randall Hinton, employee at Tranquility Bay, on a daily basis for over eight months. Further, his genitals were scrubbed with a toilet brush. In an interview, his mother revealed that before being sent to Tranquility Bay, her son was a 4.0 student and a good boy. He turned to drugs when she and his father divorced, which resulted in her turning to WWASP for help. She stated, "My son suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a direct result of the abuse he suffered at Tranquility Bay. He had a breakdown and spent two years in a mental hospital. He is now 24 years old and still living at home. He has had repeated nightmares for years on at least a weekly basis if not more. Just last week he screamed out in his sleep ‘Randall, why are you doing this to me?' I can personally attest that my child was far worse when he returned from the emersion of abuse and neglect at Tranquility Bay than before he entered this so-called children's program."
John France, an Educational and Forensic Psychologist, testified about his son's stay at WWASP facility Spring Creek Lodge in MT. He stated his son spent nearly nine months in "The Hobbit", a small structure that was no more than two shelves on top of one another, his body barely able to fit. It was hot in the summer and cold in the winter. So cold, his orange he stored away at night was frozen by morning. He was forced to sleep on a small shelf and to urinate in his drinking cup during the night. He etched the words "Let Freedom Ring" on one of the shelves.
While others were shocked, distraught, and cried as these accounts of child abuse, neglect, and even death, were divulged, Robert Lichfield was seen smiling in the corner of the courtroom while WWASP lawyers were seen laughing in the presence of the Federal jury.
In 2006 WWASP continues to grow and thrive, housing thousands of children from all over the world. To this day, WWASP refuses to admit any wrongdoing, including child abuse, child neglect and fraud.
WWASP has repeatedly filed lawsuits against advocacy groups in an attempt to stop them from exposing child abuse and neglect in their programs.
Today, Sue Scheff continues in her quest to provide families with the resources, options, and safe alternatives they need in finding help for their children. Congressman George Miller continues to fight for Federal legislation to regulate this industry, and we at PURE support his fight. For more current news and information on the tough-love industry, please visit Coalition Against Institutionalized Child Abuse (CAICA) at www.caica.org.
As of May 2006, it is believed that WWASP aka WWASPS or Premier Educational Systems has affiliations with the following:
Academy of Ivy Ridge, NY (Recently withdrew their affiliation with WWASPS)
Canyon View Park, MT
Camas Ranch, MT
Carolina Springs Academy, SC
Cross Creek Programs, UT (Cross Creek Center and Cross Creek Manor
Darrington Academy, GA
Help My Teen, UT (Adolescent Services Adolescent Placement) Promotes and markets these programs.
Horizon Academy, NV
Lifelines Family Services, UT (Promotes and markets these programs).
Majestic Ranch, UT
Midwest Academy, IA (Brian Viafanua, formerly the Director of Paradise Cove as shown on Primetime, is the current Director here).
Pillars of Hope, Costa Rica
Pine View Christian Academy (Borders FL, AL, MS)
Reality Trek, UT
Red River Academy, LA (Borders TX)
Royal Peak Academy, CO (It is believed that Randall Hinton - who admitted using pepper spray on teens - is employed at this facility).
Sky View Academy, NV
Spring Creek Lodge, MT
Tranquility Bay, Jamaica
On June 6, 2006 WWASPS LOST again in the Supreme Court of Appeals - Sue Scheff's victory speaks for so many children and parents that were victims of WWASPS.
On September 20, 2006 Sue Scheff defeated Carey Bock in a Jury Trial for Internet Defamation and Invasion of Privacy. Many believe that Carey Bock was a puppet for WWASPS in an attempt to destroy Sue Scheff since her courtroom victories. It was confirmed that Carey Bock received $12,500.00 from WWASPS and their attorneys. Sue Scheff was awarded $11.3M for the damages that were done on the Internet. See More Blogs by Sue Scheff.
http://winsjuryverdict.blogspot.com/
http://freedomofspeechdoesnotsupportdefam.blogspot.com/
www.aparentstruestory.com
www.suescheff.com
www.caica.org
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