Facility profile California

CEDU High School

Closed Running Springs, California

CEDU High School was a therapeutic boarding school in Running Springs, California, operated by CEDU. It operated from 1967 to 2005.

About CEDU High School

It was run by CEDU Educational Services.source

Its address was 3500 Seymour Rd, Running Springs, CA 92382.source 1, source 2 Stays lasted 24 to 36 months.source Raps group sessions three times a week, modeled on Synanon's The Game; also Propheets workshops of 20-24+ hours, smooshing and Full Time labor.source

Survivor testimony

What people who lived or worked here say happened. Survivors' own words are published with their permission; forum accounts are what was posted publicly and are reported as claims, not findings.

Reported on survivor forums

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.

1967196819821985199319942001200320042005200919672009

  1. 1967

    1. Opened

      Opened in Running Springs, California

  2. 1968

    1. Incident

      License action

      About a year after opening, CEDU Ranch was cited by Riverside County's Land Use Department for operating a boarding home in an improper zone; its public use...

      License action

      About a year after opening, CEDU Ranch was cited by Riverside County's Land Use Department for operating a boarding home in an improper zone; its public use permit was denied in October 1968.

      source

  3. 1982

    1. Incident

      Runaway

      In 1982 a 17-year-old girl who wandered away was rescued from a remote canyon by authorities 5.5 hours later.

      Runaway

      source

  4. 1985

    1. IncidentDecember 1985

      Runaway

      In December 1985 five girls went missing on a wilderness survival course near Pinto Basin after a snow storm and were found unharmed three days later.

      Runaway December 1985

      source

  5. 1993

    1. Incident

      Investigation

      California Department of Justice investigators examined whether Crummel was responsible for the disappearances of at least two boys from CEDU High School in 1993 and 1994.

      Investigation

      source

    2. IncidentJanuary 16, 1993

      Runaway

      A 17-year-old student disappeared from CEDU High School on January 16, 1993 and has never been found; police consider it highly suspicious.

      Runaway January 16, 1993

      source

  6. 1994

    1. IncidentJune 26, 1994

      Runaway

      A 14-year-old student disappeared from CEDU High School on June 26, 1994 after going to a barn, and has never been found.

      Runaway June 26, 1994

      source

  7. 2001

    1. In the newsNovember 1, 2001

      Provo Canyon School Closure

      1 article in Woodbury Reports.

      Provo Canyon School Closure November 1, 2001

      This industry newsletter from November 2001 compiles announcements regarding staff appointments, facility upgrades, and educational resources across various private residential and therapeutic programs for youth.

  8. 2003

    1. Incident

      Abuse

      A survivor who attended in 2003 reports a staff member named Russ smashed his face into the tile multiple times until he bled.

      Abuse

      source

  9. 2004

    1. IncidentFebruary 8, 2004

      Runaway

      A 16-year-old ran away from CEDU High School on February 8, 2004, less than two weeks after arriving; his whereabouts remain unknown.

      Runaway February 8, 2004

      source

  10. 2005

    1. Closed

      Closed

  11. 2009

    1. Incident

      Criminal charge

      In 2009 it was discovered that convicted serial child murderer James Lee Crummel, then a San Quentin inmate, had worked at CEDU High as personal assistant to...

      Criminal charge

      In 2009 it was discovered that convicted serial child murderer James Lee Crummel, then a San Quentin inmate, had worked at CEDU High as personal assistant to the school psychiatrist with years of unsupervised access to students.

      source

Incidents on record

  1. 1968 License action

    About a year after opening, CEDU Ranch was cited by Riverside County's Land Use Department for operating a boarding home in an improper zone; its public use permit was denied in October 1968.source

  2. 1982 Runaway

    In 1982 a 17-year-old girl who wandered away was rescued from a remote canyon by authorities 5.5 hours later.source

  3. December 1985 Runaway

    In December 1985 five girls went missing on a wilderness survival course near Pinto Basin after a snow storm and were found unharmed three days later.source

  4. 1993 Investigation

    California Department of Justice investigators examined whether Crummel was responsible for the disappearances of at least two boys from CEDU High School in 1993 and 1994.source

  5. Investigation

    California Department of Justice investigators looked into whether a former CEDU staff assistant convicted of murder was responsible for two students' disappearances.source

  6. January 16, 1993 Runaway

    A 17-year-old student disappeared from CEDU High School on January 16, 1993 and has never been found; police consider it highly suspicious.source 1, source 2

  7. June 26, 1994 Runaway

    A 14-year-old student disappeared from CEDU High School on June 26, 1994 after going to a barn, and has never been found.source 1, source 2

  8. 2003 Abuse

    A survivor who attended in 2003 reports a staff member named Russ smashed his face into the tile multiple times until he bled.source

  9. February 8, 2004 Runaway

    A 16-year-old ran away from CEDU High School on February 8, 2004, less than two weeks after arriving; his whereabouts remain unknown.source 1, source 2

  10. 2009 Criminal charge

    In 2009 it was discovered that convicted serial child murderer James Lee Crummel, then a San Quentin inmate, had worked at CEDU High as personal assistant to the school psychiatrist with years of unsupervised access to students.source

  11. Abuse

    Survivors report rule-breakers were put on Full Time, intense manual labor with no speaking or human contact, typically for 3 weeks.source

  12. Runaway

    It is reported that hundreds of teens attempted to escape CEDU, some never seen again.source

  13. Sexual abuse

    Survivors allege that Assistant Program Director Martin Weins sexually abused several boys at CEDU during his employment.source

News coverage

  • Woodbury Reports Nov 1, 2001 General

    Seen 'n Heard, 11/2001 - Short news clips about Special Schools & Programs

    This industry newsletter from November 2001 compiles announcements regarding staff appointments, facility upgrades, and educational resources across various private residential and therapeutic programs for youth. Noticeable updates include personnel changes at CEDU schools, facility enhancements at Sunhawk Academy, and the release of a documentary featuring the wilderness program SUWS.

  • News & Views Jun 1, 1999 Event

    TRIBUTE TO SUSAN WOLFSON

    Susan Wolfson, the Non-Public School Coordinator for CEDU Middle School and CEDU High School, suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage on April 15, 1999 and died on April 16. CEDU canceled classes and provided counseling for students and faculty to process the death, and plans for a memorial garden and scholarship fund were discussed.

2 articles about celebrities and viral stories

  • Distractify Aug 18, 2020 Expose

    Paris Hilton Details Boarding School Experiences in Documentary 'This Is Paris'

    In the documentary 'This Is Paris,' media personality Paris Hilton and other former students shared accounts of institutional abuse, battery, and neglect experienced at behavior modification facilities such as Provo Canyon School and CEDU programs. Alumni have utilized the #BreakingCodeSilence movement to raise awareness about counter-therapeutic practices within these residential facilities.

  • Observer Jul 10, 2020 Expose

    The Multi-Billion Dollar ‘Troubled Teen’ Industry Is Getting a True-Crime Reckoning

    Recent media projects, including podcasts and documentaries, are examining institutional practices within the residential youth program industry. Survivors and public figures are sharing accounts of restrictive practices and psychological methods originating from Synanon-affiliated programs, bringing increased public attention to long-standing allegations of mistreatment.

Videos

The Cult Vault (17) - #17 CEDU - The Birth of The "Troubled Teens" Industry - Part 1 Watch on YouTube
Link to Adam Eget's interview about CEDU on Joe ROgan's podcast Watch on YouTube
Video of Survivor Revisiting CEDU HS's Campus Watch on YouTube
Link to Jonathan's Survivor Testimony Watch on YouTube
Link to Crystal's Survivor Testimony Watch on YouTube
1 of 5

Staff

Administration

  • Tony Becker

  • David LePere

    Former Director (before 2007)source

    Elsewhere in the industry

  • Bill Lane

    Former Presidentsource

    Elsewhere in the industry

    • Bill Lane & Associates Founder, Founder/President, President, Runner of transport company, 1992-2026
    • Bill Lane and Associates Transports President and Founder, 2013
    • Cedu President, before 2013
    • Bill Lane & Associates Transport Founder and Owner, 2019-2026
    • Synanon Member, before 2026

  • Delia Albertoni

    Former Program Director (1996, r/troubledteens wiki)source

  • Greg Hitchcock

    Former Headmaster, Director of California Operations (2002, r/troubledteens wiki)source

    Elsewhere in the industry

  • Martin Weins

    Former Team Leader, later Assistant Program Director, Assistant Program Director (2001, r/troubledteens wiki)source

    Elsewhere in the industry

    • Christopher Dock Mennonite High School Principal, 2001

  • Rudy Bentz

    Former Team Leader and Headmaster, Headmaster (1994-2025, r/troubledteens wiki)source

    Elsewhere in the industry

  • Tim Brace

    Former Headmaster (1980, r/troubledteens wiki)source

    Elsewhere in the industry

  • Doug Kim Brown

    Headmaster

    Elsewhere in the industry

Notable staff

Connections on the network map

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

Ownership

  • CEDU Family of Services

Documents

Documents on file (6)
Woodbury Reports Mentions (1)

Wiki entries

Materials and links

External links

A program's own website is linked as an archived snapshot, so the page reads as it did when it was captured.

Survivor posts and discussion

Staff listing or directory

Reference and research

Archived pages

Other links

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