Facility profile Missouri

New Beginnings Girls Academy

Formerly Rebekah Home for Girls

Closed La Russell, Missouri

New Beginnings Girls Academy was a program in La Russell, Missouri, operated by Roloff Homes. It operated from 2001 to 2015.

About New Beginnings Girls Academy

Also drawn on: New Beginnings Girls Academy - La Russell, MO, 2026.

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.

19731978197919831985199920012015202219732022

  1. 1973

    1. Incident

      Criminal charge

      As Rebekah Home for Girls. In 1973 a misdemeanor charge was filed against a house parent after parents saw a girl whipped; Roloff refused welfare workers entry.

      Criminal charge

      source

    2. Incident

      Investigation

      As Rebekah Home for Girls. In 1973 visiting parents reported seeing a girl whipped; 16 girls told investigators they had been whipped, paddled, handcuffed and confined to cells.

      Investigation

      source

    3. Incident

      Lawsuit

      As Rebekah Home for Girls. Court battles followed the 1973 reports and Roloff was jailed for refusing to follow court-ordered reforms.

      Lawsuit

      source

  2. 1978

    1. Incident

      Lawsuit

      As Rebekah Home for Girls. After losing his last Supreme Court appeal in 1978, religious leaders formed a human chain around the home in the Christian Alamo; ownership was later moved to...

      Lawsuit

      After losing his last Supreme Court appeal in 1978, religious leaders formed a human chain around the home in the Christian Alamo; ownership was later moved to a church so a state court ruled it could operate without a license.

      source

  3. 1979

    1. IncidentJune 1979

      Closure order

      As Rebekah Home for Girls. On June 22, 1979 Roloff surrendered to a court order to close the home; the girls returned to Texas on September 13, 1979, with 50 of the original 180 girls.

      Closure order June 1979

      source

  4. 1983

    1. Incident

      Investigation

      As Rebekah Home for Girls. The Rebekah Home was the subject of state investigations through the 1970s after parents saw a girl whipped; Roloff temporarily closed his homes after state...

      Investigation

      The Rebekah Home was the subject of state investigations through the 1970s after parents saw a girl whipped; Roloff temporarily closed his homes after state prosecution on behalf of 16 former residents.

      source

  5. 1985

    1. Incident

      Closure order

      As Rebekah Home for Girls. In 1985 the state won a case forcing the home to shut; the girls were moved to temporary facilities near Belton, MO.

      Closure order

      source

  6. 1999

    1. Incident

      Criminal charge

      As Rebekah Home for Girls. In 1999 Texas found evidence of abuse and neglect at the Roloff Homes' Rebekah Home for girls; supervisor Faye Cameron was convicted and banned from working...

      Criminal charge

      In 1999 Texas found evidence of abuse and neglect at the Roloff Homes' Rebekah Home for girls; supervisor Faye Cameron was convicted and banned from working with children in Texas, yet TACCCA reaccredited the home.

      source

    2. IncidentJune 1999

      License action

      As Rebekah Home for Girls. In June 1999 Texas Child Protective Services issued findings of physical abuse and medical neglect at the Rebekah Home, a sister school of the Anchor Home, and...

      License action June 1999

      In June 1999 Texas Child Protective Services issued findings of physical abuse and medical neglect at the Rebekah Home, a sister school of the Anchor Home, and banned its head from working with juveniles in Texas.

      source

  7. 2001

    1. New name

      Renamed New Beginnings Girls' Academy

      It had been Rebekah Home for Girls.

    2. Opened

      Opened in La Russell, Missouri

    3. Incident

      Closure order

      As Rebekah Home for Girls. Rebekah Home for Girls, which MGGA is widely recognized as a rebrand of, was forced to shut down by the state of Texas in 2001.

      Closure order

      source

    4. Incident

      Investigation

      As Rebekah Home for Girls. After allegations of abuse continued upon return to Texas, a state investigation found numerous instances of abuse later substantiated in court, and the state shut the home in 2001.

      Investigation

      source

    5. Essential reportingDecember 1, 2001

      The History of Lester Roloff's Faith-Based Youth Homes and State Oversight Battles

      Texas Monthly: Pamela Colloff's history of Lester Roloff's Rebekah Home for Girls: the punishments survivors describe, and the decades of fights over whether Texas could license it.

      The History of Lester Roloff's Faith-Based Youth Homes and State Oversight Battles December 1, 2001

      The article documents the history of the Rebekah Home for Girls, a faith‑based residential facility founded by evangelist Lester Roloff, and describes disciplinary practices such as corporal punishment, isolation, and restraints.

      Read the article

  8. 2015

    1. Closed

      Closed

  9. 2022

    1. In the newsNovember 3, 2022

      Provo Canyon School Closure

      1 article in Baptist News Global.

      Provo Canyon School Closure November 3, 2022

      The article reports on a range of residential youth treatment facilities that have been accused of using abusive practices, including physical punishment, forced sexual examinations, and restrictive confinement.

As Rebekah Home for Girls

1967 to 2001

The record kept under this name

Incidents on record

  1. 1973 Criminal charge

    In 1973 a misdemeanor charge was filed against a house parent after parents saw a girl whipped; Roloff refused welfare workers entry.source

  2. 1973 Investigation

    In 1973 visiting parents reported seeing a girl whipped; 16 girls told investigators they had been whipped, paddled, handcuffed and confined to cells.source

  3. 1973 Lawsuit

    Court battles followed the 1973 reports and Roloff was jailed for refusing to follow court-ordered reforms.source

  4. 1978 Lawsuit

    After losing his last Supreme Court appeal in 1978, religious leaders formed a human chain around the home in the Christian Alamo; ownership was later moved to a church so a state court ruled it could operate without a license.source

  5. June 1979 Closure order

    On June 22, 1979 Roloff surrendered to a court order to close the home; the girls returned to Texas on September 13, 1979, with 50 of the original 180 girls.source

  6. 1983 Investigation

    The Rebekah Home was the subject of state investigations through the 1970s after parents saw a girl whipped; Roloff temporarily closed his homes after state prosecution on behalf of 16 former residents.source

  7. 1985 Closure order

    In 1985 the state won a case forcing the home to shut; the girls were moved to temporary facilities near Belton, MO.source

  8. 1999 Criminal charge

    In 1999 Texas found evidence of abuse and neglect at the Roloff Homes' Rebekah Home for girls; supervisor Faye Cameron was convicted and banned from working with children in Texas, yet TACCCA reaccredited the home.source

  9. June 1999 License action

    In June 1999 Texas Child Protective Services issued findings of physical abuse and medical neglect at the Rebekah Home, a sister school of the Anchor Home, and banned its head from working with juveniles in Texas.source

  10. 2001 Closure order

    Rebekah Home for Girls, which MGGA is widely recognized as a rebrand of, was forced to shut down by the state of Texas in 2001.source

  11. 2001 Investigation

    After allegations of abuse continued upon return to Texas, a state investigation found numerous instances of abuse later substantiated in court, and the state shut the home in 2001.source

  12. Abuse

    Punishment included kneeling for hours on hardwood floors, paddle or strap licks, spankings with a belt, and lockup in an isolation room where sermons were played for days.source

  13. Abuse

    Survivors report extreme physical abuse, lengthy solitary confinement, sexual abuse, sleep deprivation, and restraints including handcuffs.source

News coverage

  • Texas Monthly Dec 1, 2001 Expose

    The History of Lester Roloff's Faith-Based Youth Homes and State Oversight Battles

    Essential reporting

    Pamela Colloff's history of Lester Roloff's Rebekah Home for Girls: the punishments survivors describe, and the decades of fights over whether Texas could license it.

    The article documents the history of the Rebekah Home for Girls, a faith‑based residential facility founded by evangelist Lester Roloff, and describes disciplinary practices such as corporal punishment, isolation, and restraints. It includes survivor accounts of physical and spiritual abuse and outlines the facility’s legal battles over state licensing and oversight.

  • Baptist News Global Nov 3, 2022 Expose

    The Troubled Teen Industry, often linked to religion, is dangerous and deadly

    The article reports on a range of residential youth treatment facilities that have been accused of using abusive practices, including physical punishment, forced sexual examinations, and restrictive confinement. It cites testimonies from survivors such as Paris Hilton, Lynn Beisner, and Charlotte Rayburn, and highlights the lack of regulatory oversight and the financial incentives that may contribute to continued abuse. The piece also notes that many families were misled about the safety and therapeutic nature of these programs.

  • Killing the Buddha Mar 21, 2022 Expose

    ALL IN THE NAME OF GOD: THE MULTIBILLION DOLLAR TROUBLED TEEN INDUSTRY AND THE CHRISTIANS WHO PROFIT FROM IT (2022-03-21)

    The article reports on allegations of physical, spiritual, and sexual abuse in several faith‑based residential programs for troubled teens. It cites survivor testimonies describing forced silence, beatings, and conversion therapy practices. The piece highlights legal challenges that have allowed some facilities to operate with limited oversight.

Staff

Notable staff

As New Beginnings Girls' Academy

2001 to 2015

News coverage

  • CRIN Nov 2, 2012 Expose

    Florida Religious Exemption Laws Shield Unlicensed Children's Homes From State Oversight

    An investigative report reveals that Florida children's homes operating under a religious exemption are largely shielded from state oversight and regulation. Records show state authorities have responded to numerous allegations of abuse, physical injury, and medical neglect at these facilities over the past decade while operations continued.

Staff

Administration

Notable staff

  • Steven Blankenship

    Trained

    Elsewhere in the industry

Connections on the network map

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

Names

Documents

From the Unsilenced archive

1 document about New Beginnings Girls Academy that Unsilenced collected and Kids Over Profits does not hold a copy of. They open on Unsilenced's Google Drive. Their whole folder: New Beginnings Girls Academy.

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

Reference and research

From SCIAD NET.

Archived pages

From SCIAD NET.

Other links

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