Facility profile Costa Rica

Academy at Dundee Ranch

Later called Pillars of Hope

Closed Orotina, Costa Rica

Academy at Dundee Ranch was a specialty boarding school in Orotina, Costa Rica. It operated from 2000 to 2003.

About Academy at Dundee Ranch

It was founded by Narvin Lichfield.source It was run by WWASP.source

The campus later used as Hotel Rancho Dundee.source It cost over $30,000 per year.source

Timeline

From the records: who ran it and the deals that moved it, its names, and the deaths, incidents, inspection findings, lawsuits and news stories on file. Point at an event, or tap "More about this", for the details.

2000200220032004200720002007

  1. 2000

    1. Opened

      Opened in Orotina, Costa Rica

  2. 2002

    1. IncidentAugust 2002

      Sexual abuse

      In August 2002 two employees were reportedly fired after a male staffer allegedly raped and assaulted a female staff member, who was treated for a brain...

      Sexual abuse August 2002

      In August 2002 two employees were reportedly fired after a male staffer allegedly raped and assaulted a female staff member, who was treated for a brain hemorrhage; the director said no charges were filed.

      source

  3. 2003

    1. Incident

      Criminal charge

      Three other Jamaican employees were wanted in connection with the abuse case but fled Costa Rica after the closure.

      Criminal charge

      source

    2. Incident

      Arrest

      Narvin Lichfield was arrested following the 2003 closure of Dundee Ranch by Costa Rican authorities.

      Arrest

      source

    3. IncidentJanuary 2003

      Lawsuit

      In January 2003 a Louisiana judge ruled two boys pulled out by their mother would not be ordered back to Dundee Ranch; the case drew the attention of Costa...

      Lawsuit January 2003

      In January 2003 a Louisiana judge ruled two boys pulled out by their mother would not be ordered back to Dundee Ranch; the case drew the attention of Costa Rica's child welfare minister, who opened an investigation.

      source

    4. IncidentMay 2003

      Abuse

      A 17-year-old boy said a teacher beat him with a stick after he refused to sign a statement saying he was well treated.

      Abuse May 2003

      source

    5. IncidentMay 2003

      Closure order

      In May 2003 Costa Rican authorities raided and shut down the Academy at Dundee Ranch after an investigation into reports of physical and emotional abuse.

      Closure order May 2003

      source

    6. IncidentMay 2003

      Restraint

      A 14-year-old girl who fled after the raid reported staff beat and physically restrained children who tried to leave.

      Restraint May 2003

      source

    7. IncidentMay 2003

      Investigation

      Costa Rican authorities alleged abuse, isolation and restraints, an inadequate plant, untrained personnel, 100 of 193 children with expired tourist visas, and overcrowding.

      Investigation May 2003

      source

    8. IncidentMay 2003

      Runaway

      After the raid, children reported that between 30 and 50 students revolted and some fled on foot.

      Runaway May 2003

      source

    9. In the newsMay 25, 2003

      Provo Canyon School Closure

      2 articles in The Salt Lake Tribune and Los Angeles Times.

      Provo Canyon School Closure May 25, 2003

      Following the arrest of director Narvin Lichfield and an exodus of students prompted by Costa Rican officials, the Academy at Dundee Ranch faced closure. The facility was part of the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools network, which faced various allegations including false imprisonment...

    10. Closed

      Closed

    11. ClosedMay 22, 2003

      World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS): Costa Rica raided Dundee Ranch Academy

      World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS): Costa Rica raided Dundee Ranch Academy May 22, 2003

      Costa Rica's child welfare agency (PANI) told Dundee Ranch Academy on May 19, 2003, to correct 15 violations; riots broke out when authorities visited on May 20 and again two days later. Owner Narvin Lichfield, brother of WWASPS founder Robert Lichfield, was detained for 30 hours on child abuse charges, which a judge dismissed. The agency said the ranch operated without a license and that 100 of 193 American youths there were in the country illegally.

      source 1, source 2

  4. 2004

    1. New name

      Renamed Pillars of Hope

      It had been Academy at Dundee Ranch.

    2. Incident

      Closure order

      Closed by Costa Rica authorities in 2004 amid abuse allegations; WWASP-associated.

      Closure order

      source

  5. 2007

    1. IncidentFebruary 2007

      Criminal charge

      Narvin Lichfield was detained on charges of child abuse and false imprisonment and found innocent of torture, deprivation of liberty and coercion in February...

      Criminal charge February 2007

      Narvin Lichfield was detained on charges of child abuse and false imprisonment and found innocent of torture, deprivation of liberty and coercion in February 2007; the judge said abuse had occurred but there was insufficient evidence he ordered it.

      source

As Academy at Dundee Ranch

2000 to 2004 | WWASPS

Incidents on record

  1. August 2002 Sexual abuse

    In August 2002 two employees were reportedly fired after a male staffer allegedly raped and assaulted a female staff member, who was treated for a brain hemorrhage; the director said no charges were filed.source

  2. 2003 Criminal charge

    Three other Jamaican employees were wanted in connection with the abuse case but fled Costa Rica after the closure.source

  3. 2003 Arrest

    Narvin Lichfield was arrested following the 2003 closure of Dundee Ranch by Costa Rican authorities.source

  4. January 2003 Lawsuit

    In January 2003 a Louisiana judge ruled two boys pulled out by their mother would not be ordered back to Dundee Ranch; the case drew the attention of Costa Rica's child welfare minister, who opened an investigation.source

  5. May 2003 Abuse

    A 17-year-old boy said a teacher beat him with a stick after he refused to sign a statement saying he was well treated.source

  6. May 2003 Closure order

    In May 2003 Costa Rican authorities raided and shut down the Academy at Dundee Ranch after an investigation into reports of physical and emotional abuse.source

  7. May 2003 Restraint

    A 14-year-old girl who fled after the raid reported staff beat and physically restrained children who tried to leave.source

  8. May 2003 Investigation

    Costa Rican authorities alleged abuse, isolation and restraints, an inadequate plant, untrained personnel, 100 of 193 children with expired tourist visas, and overcrowding.source

  9. May 2003 Runaway

    After the raid, children reported that between 30 and 50 students revolted and some fled on foot.source

  10. 2004 Closure order

    Closed by Costa Rica authorities in 2004 amid abuse allegations; WWASP-associated.source

  11. February 2007 Criminal charge

    Narvin Lichfield was detained on charges of child abuse and false imprisonment and found innocent of torture, deprivation of liberty and coercion in February 2007; the judge said abuse had occurred but there was insufficient evidence he ordered it.source

  12. Abuse

    A survivor testimony says an operations staff member, Mr. Bailey, grabbed a girl by the hair and slammed her into a cement wall during the riot.source

  13. Abuse

    Survivors report being deprived of food and sleep, restrained, beaten and placed in solitary confinement, with punishment called Observation Placement.source

  14. Abuse

    Students who habitually broke rules were held in the High Impact walled compound until they walked 100 miles around a gravel track.source

News coverage

  • The Tico Times Apr 1, 2011 Closure

    Unlicensed Teen Mentor Program Closed by Costa Rican Authorities Amid Mistreatment Allegations

    Costa Rican child welfare officials closed the Teen Mentor behavioral modification program, operated by the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS), following reports of physical, psychological, and verbal mistreatment. Regulators and parents noted that the facility operated without proper licensing, prompting emergency repatriations of participating teenagers while former staff defended the program's methods.

  • Reason Jun 27, 2007 Expose

    Mitt Romney's Campaign Connections to Abusive Adolescent Treatment Programs

    The article examines the connections between presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign fundraisers and residential treatment programs facing widespread allegations of abuse. Founders Robert Lichfield of the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS) and Mel Sembler of Straight Inc. faced numerous lawsuits and investigations regarding allegations of physical restraint, food and sleep deprivation, and psychological abuse.

  • Los Angeles Times Jul 13, 2003 Corporate

    Key to His Schools’ Success? It’s God, Founder Says

    This 2003 article examines Robert Browning Lichfield and his involvement in the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS) network. It details allegations of severe disciplinary practices, regulatory investigations, and lawsuits while highlighting Lichfield's financial and political influence.

  • The Salt Lake Tribune May 25, 2003 Corporate

    Overview of World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools Amid Costa Rica Facility Closure archived copy

    Following the arrest of director Narvin Lichfield and an exodus of students prompted by Costa Rican officials, the Academy at Dundee Ranch faced closure. The facility was part of the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools network, which faced various allegations including false imprisonment, misrepresentation, and physical restraint.

Staff

Administration

Notable staff

  • Hughton Bailey

    Former Operations Supervisor (2002, r/troubledteens wiki)source

As Pillars of Hope

2004 to 2012

The record kept under this name

Staff

Administration

Notable staff

Videos

Inside Edition Investigation - "Tough Schools" Watch on YouTube

Rules and practices

Practices

  • Seclusion or isolation
  • Level system
  • Limits on contact with family

Treatment methods

  • Large Group Awareness Training seminars
  • Behavior modification
  • Feedback or hotseat groups (the Game)

Program philosophy

  • Positive Peer Culture

From the program's own papers in our library: Academy at Dundee Ranch Parent Manual 2002.

Levels and phases

  • From Level 4, students worked three days a week as "Junior Staff"; the program said they must "learn to stand up to and confront their peers" and recommended 6-8 months in this role. source
  • Level 1 students had to be with a staff member at all times; Level 3 required the Discovery and Focus seminars and a vote of a committee of students and staff. source
  • Upper-level students were scored daily on leadership, including informing staff of "any problems or potential problems". source

Rules

  • Students could not make negative statements about the program, staff or country, could not talk about drinking, drugs, sex or "war stories", and had to speak respectfully of parents and staff. source
  • Facial expressions and gestures counted as "Unsatisfactory Attitude", a Category 1 violation alongside whining and "Intentionally passing gas". source

Punishments

  • Category 2 violations included "Unauthorized Communication With Other Student" and "Breaking Confidentiality"; Category 3 included "Runaway Talk"; Category 4 "Runaway Plans" and "Shave head"; penalties ran to loss of levels and a drop to Level 1 with zero merits. source
  • "Self Inflicted Injury" was listed as a Category 5 rule violation, the most serious class, with tobacco, drugs and running away. source
  • Punishment "Worksheets" ran in six two-hour sessions a day in an assigned space without talking; repeated violations brought "Worksheets Removal", one-on-one staff or "Observation Placement". source
  • A student who refused "the most basic parameters of the Program" was confined to their room under staff watch until completing ten worksheet credits. source

Contact with family

  • No phone calls were allowed before Level 3, then one a month, collect; even then the student could call only parents. Parents were told "PLEASE DO NOT ASK US TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION!!!" source
  • The first visit was a Parent Weekend at Level 4, approved only if phone calls had been "productive"; home visits only at Level 6. source
  • Students could receive mail only from parents, opened before staff; every letter they wrote went to their parents, who decided whether to pass it on. source
  • Packages were allowed only on the student's birthday and at Christmas; parents were asked not to send snacks as it "undermines the Level Program". source

Therapy and seminars

  • Students and parents went through WWASP's TASKS seminars: Teen Discovery (3 days, within 1-6 weeks of arrival), Focus, Accountability, Keys; the Accountability seminar was "designed to challenge the teen" and not all graduated. source
  • Parents were told Discovery was "confrontational and emotional", that participants "have felt like leaving", and that they must commit to stay to the end with no phones. source
  • Discovery ground rules: confidentiality ("What goes on in the room stays in the room"), no note taking, no leaving the room without the service team captain's agreement, no new relationships or major life changes for 30 days. source

Daily life

  • The manual presented poor food and basic lodging in a former hotel as part of what made the program "impacting enough to be effective". source
  • Medication was self-administered under non-medical staff, and the manual warned students might go without their medication for periods. source
  • Staff, often non-medical, decided when a child saw a doctor, weighing cost to parents; there was one RN on staff. The section says "Mexico, like most foreign countries, does not have the technology" of U.S. care, in a Costa Rica program's manual. source

What parents were told

  • The Director's letter told parents to expect a "Guilt Trip Phase" in which the child would say "I'm treated like a prisoner" and "the staff do whatever they want to me". source
  • Parents were told every complaint was meant to "work on your emotions" and that if parents and program "remain strong in their resolve" the child would reach the "Acceptance Phase", accepting he was there until he changed. source
  • Parents signed a "Standard Commitment Letter" to Program Completion and were asked to write a personal letter repeating it; the Family Rep went over both letters with the child. source
  • The commitment letter had parents promise to complete the program "regardless of time frame" and to send an expelled child to "a less desirable program". source
  • Parents were told to keep Program completion closed to discussion so the child would stop raising coming home. source
  • Grievances went into a box or to the Director, were reviewed by staff the administration assigned, and could be appealed to a board the Director named and to WWASP. source

Connections on the network map

The companies, people and programs our research map ties to this program. Open it on the network map.

Names

Ownership

  • WWASPS

Documents

Documents on file (11)
Merged from: Pillars of Hope (8)

From the Unsilenced archive

135 documents about Academy at Dundee Ranch that Unsilenced collected and Kids Over Profits does not hold a copy of. They open on Unsilenced's Google Drive. Their whole folder: Academy at Dundee Ranch - Pillars of Hope.

Documents (127)
News (5)
Program Documents (3)

From SCIAD NET

1 document about Academy at Dundee Ranch that Kids Over Profits does not hold a copy of. SCIAD NET keeps it on Google Drive, where it opens.

Wiki entries

Materials and links

External links

Survivor posts and discussion

Staff listing or directory

Reference and research

Other links

Record updated . Generated from the Kids Over Profits facility database. Suggest a correction