Greenbrier Academy for Girls

Incidents on record

1. May 6, 2008 Lawsuit

   On May 6, 2008, former Academic Director Lisa M. Sheffield sued the program and its owners alleging fraudulent inducement, sexual harassment, retaliatory discharge, defamation and other claims, after she reported inappropriate physical contact by a staff member with a female resident and was fired.source

2. August 18, 2008 Lawsuit

   A former Greenbrier Academy for Girls employee sued the school; Greenbrier issued a statement denying all charges (Charleston Gazette).source

3. 2010 Sexual abuse

   Survivors report that around 2010 a teacher sexually abused a 16-year-old resident over several months; the teacher was reportedly fired, and the reports are unconfirmed.source

4. March 6, 2023 Closure order

   Greenbrier announced on March 6, 2023 it would close after its insurance broker said no insurers would provide liability insurance to for-profit adolescent residential programs in West Virginia.source

5. Abuse

   Survivors allege verbal/emotional abuse, gaslighting, unsanitary conditions, medical neglect and punitive punishments.source

Staff

Administration

• April L. Hart

  Former Equine Program Director (2008-2009)source

• Matthew Hart

  Former Headmaster and CEO (2009)source

• Brent D. Slife

  Former Co-owner, executive board member, therapist/counselor trainer, family program facilitator, consulting clinical psychologist (2008)source

• L. Jay Mitchell

  Former President and Founder, Headmaster (2008-2009)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Alldredge Wilderness Journey Founder, 1994-2022
  • founded 2008-06-17
  • promoted 2009-05-26]
  • SUWS Idaho Staff, before 2022

• Benjamin Hill, III

  Former CEO and Headmaster (2007)source

• Mark A. Dennison

  Former Headmaster (2014, r/troubledteens wiki)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Greenbrier Academy Academic Director, Headmaster, 2011-2012

• Susie Blankenship

  Former Administrator, College Counselor (2011-2022, r/troubledteens wiki)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Camelot Therapeutic Day Schools Administrator

Notable staff

• Sharon Findlay

  Former Director of Communications, Admissions/Outreach (2008-2009)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Magnolia Mill School Admissions Director, 2013

• Ashley Auchterlonie

  Former Director of Marketing (2007)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Alldredge Wilderness Journey Director of Marketing, 2007
  • Solacium Group Marketing Director, 2007
  • Alldredge Academy and Greenbrier Academy Director of Marketing, before 2007
  • Solacium Sunrise, LLC – Sunrise RTC Director of Marketing, 2008
  • Fulshear Treatment to Transition – The Ranch Director of Marketing, 2009
  • Insight Intensive at Gold Lake Director of Business Development, 2011
  • New Haven Director of Marketing, 2009
  • Fulshear Treatment to Transition director of marketing

• Beth Ragland

  Former Director of Marketing, Director of Outreach and Business Development, Director of Outreach & Business Development (2008-2009)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Sequel TSI Kissimmee Customer Relations, 2002
  • Pathway, Inc. Director of Marketing, 2005
  • Elk River Treatment Program Admissions Director, Vice President of Marketing, 2006-2007
  • The Pinnacle School Vice President of Marketing and Admissions, 2008
  • Spring Ridge Academy Director of Admissions, 2021
  • Auldern Academy Director of Admissions, Marketing & Outreach, 2020
  • Three Springs Inc. customer relations representative
  • The Pinnacle Schools marketing and admissions director

• Rachel Call

  Former Director of Food Services and Management (2009)source

• Chantal Desloges

  Former Therapist (2009)source

• Sara Hunter

  Former Therapist (2009)source

• Karen Hurt

  Former Academic Director (2009)source

• Ron Schwenkler

  Former Clinical Director (2007-2011)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Greenbrier Academy Clinical Director, Clinical Director over Aftercare, 2012
  • Alldredge Wilderness Journey Co-developer, After Care program, before 2007

• John Grago

  Former Admissions/Outreach (2009)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Alldredge Wilderness Journey Admissions Director, 2007

• Ron McAllister

  Former Science teacher (2008)source

• Mike Beswick

  Former Therapist (2009)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Greenbrier Academy Clinical Director over Family Programs, 2012
  • Alldredge Wilderness Journey Former Head of School

• James Orth

  Former Psychologist (assessments) (2009)source

• Wesley Thompson

  Former Humanities teacher (2008)source

• Les Call

  Former Human Resources Director (2009)source

• Carole Giunta

  Former Psychologist (assessments) (2009)source

• Vivian Conly

  Former Director of Admissions, Admissions and marketing (2007-2008)source

• Lionel (“L-Jay”) Mitchell

  Former Director/Owner, Founder, Director/Owner (2007-2023, r/troubledteens wiki)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • SUWS Idaho Co-Founder and Director, 1981
  • an Administrator at Camelot Therapeutic Day Schools
  • Alldredge Wilderness Journey Founder and Director, Director, 1999

• Adam Lewis

  Former Math Teachersource

• Amber Martin

  Former Res. Directorsource

• Anne Hunter

  Former Art Teachersource

• Armando Cooper

  Former Spanish Teachersource

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Carlbrook School Instructor

• Audra Schwenkler

  Former Drumming Director/Gymsource

• Audrey Peavey

  Former Director of Admissions and Outreach (2015, r/troubledteens wiki)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Right Direction Adolescent Services Staff, before 2012
  • Q and A Associates Admissions and Marketing Director, 2012
  • Wisdom Ranch Admissions and Marketing Director, 2012
  • New Horizons for Young Women Admissions Director
  • Potomac Programs Outreach Director
  • Behavioral Health Director of Admissions and Outreach
  • Natsap Staff
  • Greenbrier Academy Staff
  • Alldredge Wilderness Journey Staff, before 2022

• Bart J. Mitchell

  Former Staffsource

• Dennis Thompson

  Former African Drumming Program, Dir. of Program Dev. (2015-2022, r/troubledteens wiki)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Spokane Mtn Staff
  • SUWS Idaho Staff
  • Passages to Recovery Valley Site Program Director

• Dinah Palmer

  Former Medical Coordinator, Nursesource

• Elizabeth Gordon

  Former Therapistsource

• Eva Beeker

  Former Therapist (2018, r/troubledteens wiki)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Unnamed wilderness program Field Instructor

• Ginger Conley

  Former Clinical Directorsource

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Greenbrier Academy Clinical Director over Programming

• Ginger Cooney

  Former Therapistsource

• Hassan A. Jafary

  Former Consulting Psychiatristsource

• James Gordon

  Former Academic Directorsource

• Kelley Sandell Sills

  Former Clinical Internsource

• Kelly Beasley

  Former Counselorsource

• Kris Michaels

  Former Electives Teachersource

• Laura Bondurant

  Former Drumming Coor.source

• Laura Thompson

  Former African Drumming Programsource

• Lauren E. Allen

  Former Counselorsource

• Lisa M. Sheffield

  Former Academic Director (2008, r/troubledteens wiki)source

• Lowell Galford

  Former Academic Directorsource

• Mary Dennison

  Former Study hall teacher and homeroom teachersource

• Maureen Marko

  Former Counselorsource

• Paul Fowler

  Former Ran the Village retreatsource

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Alldredge Wilderness Journey Staff

• Phillip Soyring

  Former Science Teachersource

• RuthAnn Ott

  Former Therapistsource

• S. Gregory Hipskind

  Former Neurology/Behavioristsource

• Sara Frost

  Former Therapistsource

• Shawn Schuler

  Former History Teachersource

• Shellie Beeker

  Former Counselorsource

• Stacey Lambert

  Former Therapist/Staffsource

• Starr Woodall

  Former English Teachersource

• Stephanie Sizemore

  Former Learning Specialistsource

• Tanya McClung

  Former Counselorsource

• Tiffany Radford

  Former Art Teachersource

• Timothy Armentrout

  Former History Teachersource

Rules and practices

Practices

• Level system
• Forced medication
• Behavior contracts
• Confrontation groups
• Limits on contact with family

Connections on the network map

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

Wiki entries

• Greenbrier Academy for Girls Pence Springs, WV | 2007-2023
• Greenbrier Academy for Girls Pence Springs, WV | 2007-present

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.

• greenbrieracademy.com (archived copy) live site
• niche.com (archived copy) live site

Survivor posts and discussion

• Link to Survivor Testimony (Reddit)
• Link to Survivor Testimony (Reddit)
• Link to Corey's Survivor Testimony "I WAS KIDNAPPED + BURIED ALIVE! (25 to Life: Ep 2 Breaking Code Silence), Troubled Teen Industry"

Advertising and marketing listings

• Greenbrier Denies All Charges

Reference and research

• Greenbrier Academy for Girls -Wikipedia
• Petition: 'Awareness for “therapeutic” boarding schools like Greenbrier Academy for Girls'
• Hil (Yelp)
• Quinton (Yelp)

Other links

• Secret Prisons for Teens - Greenbrier Academy for Girls (archived copy) live site
• Teens 1985 Statements Will Be Haunting Voice For Founder Of WV Girls Academy (archived copy) live site
• Greenbrier Academy for Girls Website Homepage (archived copy) live site
• announced
• West Virginia Board of Registered Nurses (archived copy) live site
• Augusta (Breaking Code Silence) (archived copy) live site