Spring Ridge Academy

Lawsuits

• Sweidy v. Spring Ridge Academy, et al. 2021 | In progress | U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona | 3:21-cv-08013-SPL Names this facility

  Outcome: On August 15, 2023 the court granted summary judgment to Veronica Borges, Jean Courtney, Suzanne Courtney, Brandon Courtney, Erin Smith, Leslie Filsinger and Justin Zych, and dismissed every claim except fraud and consumer fraud against Spring Ridge Academy and Kate Deily. After a jury trial that began May 29, 2024, the jury returned a $2.5 million verdict for Kimberly Sweidy on June 14, 2024. On January 8, 2025 the court granted the defendants' motion for a new trial, finding a reasonable possibility that a juror viewed prejudicial outside information on Reddit during deliberations, and vacated the verdict; pending motions for attorney fees and costs were denied as moot.

  Kimberly Sweidy sued Spring Ridge Academy, a therapeutic boarding school for girls in Mayer, Arizona, and eight of its staff in federal court in Arizona on January 21, 2021, after enrolling her daughter there in December 2019 and removing her in February 2020. She alleges the school misrepresented its program before enrollment, used seminars modeled on Lifespring-style large group awareness training rather than evidence-based therapy, and used shaming, isolation and restricted parent contact. In August 2023 the court dismissed the individual staff defendants except Admissions Director Kate Deily and left only the fraud and consumer fraud claims for trial. A jury trial ran from May 29 to June 14, 2024, with testimony from school leaders and staff, former students, a parent of another student and expert witnesses on both sides. The jury returned a $2.5 million verdict for Sweidy on June 14, 2024. On January 8, 2025 Judge Steven P. Logan granted a new trial, finding a juror had likely visited Reddit during deliberations and later posted in the Troubled Teens subreddit that they had served on the jury, so the verdict no longer stands and the case awaits retrial.

Every case in the lawsuit directory

Incidents on record

1. 2009 Abuse

   HEAL received multiple e-mails from former clients, many alleging abuse and other violations; the most recent was from a client who left in late 2009.source

2. 2009 License action

   HEAL links Arizona licensing citations and a fine against the academy from 2009 and 2010 for failing to comply with licensing standards.source

3. January 2013 Incident

   HEAL links a police calls/reports list for the academy that includes a sex offense in January 2013.source

4. September 2020 Abuse

   Survivors allege physical, emotional and sexual abuse and cult-like tactics; a former resident reports being forced to carry a 5-pound sandbag for 3 months as part of a training.source

5. Abuse

   Survivors allege physical, emotional and sexual abuse and cult-like tactics at Spring Ridge Academy.source

6. January 21, 2021 Lawsuit

   On January 21, 2021 a parent filed a lawsuit claiming negligence and fraud, alleging non-evidence-based treatment, parents without credentials acting as therapists, and peer abuse in workshops; as of December 2021 it appeared ongoing.source

7. License action

   The Arizona Department of Health Services has documented fourteen citations, including Administration, Medication Service, Emergency and Safety Standards, Opioid Prescribing, Quality Management, Admissions, Environmental Standards and Behavioral Health Services violations.source

8. License action

   The Arizona Department of Health Services has given Spring Ridge Academy fourteen documented citations including administration, medication service, emergency and safety, opioid prescribing, quality management, admissions, environmental and behavioral health violations.source

9. Sexual abuse

   HEAL says David John Moore, a staff member, was arrested and convicted for sexual exploitation of a girl enrolled in the program.source

News coverage

• 

  HuffPost Oct 10, 2025 Lawsuit

  Former Spring Ridge Academy Students Say School Inflicted Abuse, Trauma

  Essential reporting

  Court records, police reports and former students' accounts of Spring Ridge Academy in Arizona.

  Former students of Spring Ridge Academy have come forward with allegations of abuse and trauma, including physical restraint, psychological games, and humiliating punishments. The facility's founder, Jeannie Courtney, denies the allegations, but court records and police reports suggest a pattern of mistreatment. Many former students have struggled with long-term effects, including addiction and survivor's guilt.

• 

  Tucson Sentinel Jan 6, 2026 Lawsuit

  Mother seeks retrial for boarding school emotional abuse claims

  A mother is seeking a retrial for claims of emotional abuse at a boarding school. The article reports on the mother's pursuit of justice, focusing on the allegations of emotional abuse. The case is currently in the process of being retried.

• C

  Courthouse News Service Jan 5, 2026 Lawsuit

  Mother seeks retrial for boarding school emotional abuse claims

  A mother, Kimberly Sweidy, is seeking a retrial for her claims of emotional abuse against a boarding school, Spring Ridge Academy, where her daughter was enrolled. The school was previously ordered to pay $2.5 million in damages for fraud. The mother alleges that her daughter was subjected to extreme emotional and psychological abuse, including ritualized shaming and coercive exercises. The case is currently being considered by a Ninth Circuit panel.

• 

  FOX 10 Phoenix Oct 29, 2024 Lawsuit

  Former students describe Spring Ridge Academy as 'treated like we were criminals'

  Includes a 9-minute video report, also available on Features survivor stories from Andi Tuchten, Frankie Clock, and Shannon Saul A recent lawsuit against Spring Ridge Academy resulted in Kimberly Sweidy (the mother of an SRA survivor) being awarded $2.5 million by a jury in June 2024 According to court documents, SRA tuition cost up to $9k per month and students were forced to work for free SRA used humiliating "therapy" practices that included seminars and bizarre exercises SRA students were forced to massage blindfolded adults, including their parents, as part of a seminar SRA students were also forced to receive massages from adults while blindfolded Jean Courtney, SRA's founder testified in court that she has no background in psychology Jean Courtney cancelled a scheduled interview for this article and sent a statement through a spokesperson instead FOX 10 reviewed documents from the local sheriff's office and state department of health and found incidents of suicide attempts

• 

  KJZZ Jul 25, 2024 Expose

  Why some say AZ's 'troubled teen industry' needs more accountability

  The 'troubled teen industry' in Arizona has been criticized for its lack of accountability, with some facilities using methods such as 'attack therapy' that can be harmful to the teenagers in their care. Survivors have reported experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder and other long-term effects after attending these programs. There have been legal issues with some of these companies, including a recent $2.5 million judgment against Spring Ridge Academy.

• 

  azcentral Jul 19, 2024 Lawsuit

  Spring Ridge Academy students claim harsh treatment at boarding school

  Former students of Spring Ridge Academy have alleged harsh treatment at the boarding school. The allegations are based on journal entries from the students, which describe their experiences. A lawsuit has been filed related to the allegations.

• 

  Arizona Republic Jul 19, 2024 Lawsuit

  Spring Ridge Academy students describe harsh treatment after lawsuit

  A federal jury found Spring Ridge Academy liable for multiple counts of fraud, ordering the school to pay over $2.5 million in punitive damages. Former students described a regimen of coercion, isolation, and abuse at the school. The lawsuit alleged that the school deceptively marketed itself as a therapeutic boarding school but instead subjected students to cultish rituals without adequate oversight.

• 

  Arizona Mirror Jul 15, 2024 Lawsuit

  'It was a cult': Traumatizing troubled teens

  Spring Ridge Academy, a facility for troubled teens in Arizona, has been ordered to pay $2.5 million in a lawsuit claiming fraud. The facility, which closed in 2023, used outdated therapies and procedures born out of a cult from the 1950s. Survivors of the facility report experiencing physical and emotional abuse, including being forced to participate in humiliating group therapy sessions.

• 

  Refinery29 Jun 29, 2021 Expose

  An Examination of Allegations and Practices Within the Troubled Teen Industry

  Multiple survivors have come forward with allegations of emotional, physical, and psychological abuse within various residential treatment facilities and behavioral modification programs. Former residents report practices including involuntary transport, isolation, forced labor, and peer-to-peer shaming sessions, prompting increased public scrutiny of the troubled teen industry.

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  Woodbury Reports Jan 1, 2000 General

  Seen 'n Heard, 1/2000 - Short news clips about Special Schools & Programs

  The January 2000 issue of Seen 'n Heard provides brief updates on several specialty education programs, including a risk‑assessment comparison of wilderness therapy, an upcoming Small Boarding Schools Association conference, corrections to earlier listings, and plans for new group‑home and facility expansions. The items are presented as factual notices without editorial commentary.

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  Woodbury Reports Dec 1, 1999 General

  Seen 'n Heard, 12/1999 - Short news clips about Special Schools & Programs

  A compilation of industry news from December 1999 notes program changes, personnel updates, and legal proceedings. Notably, a federal civil action involving former staff members and transport operators resulted in a jury finding for battery and assault claims, with punitive damages awarded.

Staff

Administration

• Jeannie Courtney

  Former CEO/Founder (2013)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Wwasp Lifespring seminar administrator
  • Cross Creek Staff
  • Second Chances Staff
  • Cross Creek Center Staff
  • Cross Creek Programs Former Staff

• Susan Coatney

  Former Admissions Director, Administrator (2011-2013)source

• Mary Hickey

  Former Admission Director and Assistant Head of School, Admissions (2011-2021)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • TreeHouse Learning Community Executive Director, 2011

• Guinevere Hilton

  Community life director

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • King George School

Notable staff

• Brandon Courtney

  Former Admissions (2011)source

• Gary D. Hees

  Former Clinical Director (2011-2013)source

• Nancy Kelly

  Former Clinical Director (2013)source

• Suzie Courtney

  Former Admissions (2011)source

• Suzanne (Suzie) Courtney

  Executive Director/Admissions, Parent Liason (1999-2021, r/troubledteens wiki)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • a Parent Liason at SRA

• Jan Moss Courtney

  Staff (2003)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Natsap Founder, Executive Director/President, 1999-2009
  • National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) Executive Director, 2009

• Susan Dougherty

  Former Residential Directorsource

• Leslie Filsinger

  Former Clinical Directorsource

• Beth Ragland

  Former Directorsource

  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
  • Greenbrier Academy for Girls Director of Marketing, Director of Outreach and Business Development, Director of Outreach & Business Development, Director of Admissions, Outreach and Business Development, Admissions Director, 2008-2022
  • The Pinnacle School Vice President of Marketing and Admissions, 2008
  • Auldern Academy Director of Admissions, Marketing & Outreach, 2020
  • Three Springs Inc. customer relations representative
  • The Pinnacle Schools marketing and admissions director

• Erin Smith

  Former Directorsource

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Pine Creek Ranch Human Resources Manager, before 2009
  • Oxbow Academy Admissions Director, 2009

• Cindy Fogel

  Former Therapist (2013)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Obsidian Trails Outdoor School Therapist, 2001-2002
  • SageWalk Wilderness Therapist, 2002-2006
  • Evoke Cascades Therapist, 2006-2021

• Curtis Pickup

  Former Math Instructor / Faculty (2013)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Sedona Sky Academy Former Teacher

• Kate Deily

  Former Admissions (2013)source

• Susanne Costello

  Former Staff (2013)source

• Belle Shook

  Former Therapistsource

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Mingus Mountain Academy Trauma-Focused Equine Therapist, 2012
  • Sedona Sky Academy Counselor, 2014

• Linda Cathcart

  Former Staff (before 2001, r/troubledteens wiki)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Blue Hills Academy Co-founder
  • Sedona Sky Academy Counselor

• Patti Bowman

  Former Staff (before 1998, r/troubledteens wiki)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Copper Canyon Academy Co-Founder, 1998

• Rachel Margolis

  Former Staff membersource

• Raizel Liebowitz

  Former Staffsource

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Explorations Montana Instructor

• Seqouia Smith

  Former Staffsource

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Copper Canyon Academy Therapist

• Tammy Prince Behrmann

  Former Staff (before 1998, r/troubledteens wiki)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Copper Canyon Academy Founder and Executive Director, 2008
  • Ashcreek Ranch Academy Executive Director, 2012

• David John Moore

  Former Staffsource

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Blue Sky Behavioral Health Clinic LLC Clinical Director
  • SLS Health Staff

• Gayle L. Gregory

  Former Psychiatristsource

• Joseph Gubbins

  Former Academic Directorsource

• Patty Bowman

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Copper Canyon Academy founder

• Sequoia Smith

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Copper Canyon Academy

• Tammy Prince Behrman

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Ashcreek Ranch Academy cofounder
  • Copper Canyon Academy cofounder
  • Cross Creek Programs admissions director

Rules and practices

Practices

• Restraint
• Seclusion or isolation
• Level system
• Strip searches
• Forced medication
• Behavior contracts
• Confrontation groups
• Limits on contact with family

Treatment methods

• Work therapy
• 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: SRA Parent-Manual-09-2019; Spring Ridge Academy Parent Manual; Spring Ridge Academy Student Manual 2010; Spring Ridge Academy Ground Rules - Phase II - 12/03/2010; Spring Ridge Academy Ground Rules - Phase III - 12/03/2010; SRA Parent Manual 2019; Spring Ridge Academy Ground Rules - Phase IV - 12/03/2010.

Levels and phases

• Phase I "Orientation": students had to realize placement was due to "unmanageable patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving" before advancing. source
• The manual described stages the student goes through (Denial, Dichotomy, Acceptance, Internalization); in Internalization she behaved properly from her own compass rather than because she was closely watched and constantly confronted. source

Rules

• Phase I rules: must ask to leave all areas, in uniform at all times, line up before activities, may not talk to other Phase I students without a higher phase student or staff present, within eyesight of staff at all times, dorm door open at all times. source
• On Phase II visits the student could not discuss leaving SRA, going home, being pulled, negotiating a shorter stay, or telling her parents how bad SRA was. source

Punishments

• Students with work hours worked on Saturday before, during and after activities, and on Sunday if not finished; students could be taken out of school for work hours if disruptive; unfinished hours were doubled if she left on a visit; students could request a 5:00 AM wake-up to do work hours. source
• "Silence and Separation": staff or a therapist restricted a student from interaction with particular students, certain phases or the entire community; she used functional talk only, including in academic settings. source
• The student "Honor Code Board": elected students heard cases of lying, stealing, disrespect and rule breaking, any student could request another appear, and the Board gave "creative assignments"; the accused had 24 hours to write a rebuttal. source
• Room inspections: night staff checked each room; a violation brought a consequence to the student, a room leader who missed it got the consequence, and if nobody owned an infraction the whole room received a consequence. source

Contact with family

• Phase I students disclosed their social media passwords to the CLD for parental review. source
• On Phase III visits the student could not contact friends or peers in person, by phone or internet, and let the answering machine take calls, calling back only family. source
• Parent phone calls began after the student had been in the program 4 weeks, scheduled with the therapist; Phase I students then had a weekly 10 minute call with parents and a CLD; Phase II students had one 20 minute call scheduled by a CLD. source
• Phase I students wrote and received letters only through their parents; letters to anyone else were left unsealed and enclosed in an envelope addressed to the parents. source
• A student with a violation of school policy or Phase Commitment, less than a C+ average, academic incompletes, any loss of activity, work hours or fines was not allowed a visit. source

Restraint, isolation and transport

• "One-On-One / Orange shirt": a student judged at risk of self-harm wore an orange shirt and stayed within arm's length and direct observation of an assigned staff, escorted everywhere and directly observed in the shower and restroom. source

Searches

• On returning from a visit students had to turn in luggage and be searched before entering their dorm living areas or greeting students. source

Therapy and seminars

• Student Med Pass Rules: students self-administered under staff watch, stated the medication and dose aloud, signed, and opened their mouth wide so staff could do a mouth check. source
• All journals arriving with new students went directly to the assigned therapist. source
• Caseloads aimed to create "positive peer culture"; students gave feedback or confronted other community members, and staff used caseload meetings to confront issues with the group or individuals; caseload feedback was needed to move up. source
• Community feedback groups had students give and receive feedback from other students and staff in set phrasing ("My experience of you is..."); receivers were told not to justify, explain or deny. source
• SRA described its seminars (given at academic breaks or long afternoon groups) as a "contrived developmental crisis" in which the girl is thrust into a situation where her earlier coping patterns no longer work. source
• Student seminars: "Teen Challenge" (three days), "Action" (three and one-half days), "Results" (three days) and "Commitment", which students entered in Phase IV and stayed in for all of Phase IV. source

What parents were told

• Parents were told not to acknowledge concern about the circumstances and events their daughter described, and to call SRA instead of sharing her concern. source
• Parents were told complaints from their daughter, including "Get me out of here", were a normal part of the process, and to stay firm, not negotiate, placate or promise. source
• The manual predicted students' complaints about food, staff and delinquency as a "dichotomy" stage and told parents these statements mixed guilt, manipulation and self-pity. source
• A student who had not made sufficient progress might not attend her parents' Parent Challenge graduation, decided by her therapist; no overnights for any phase on the Sunday night after the training. source
• Parents signed that they would enforce the rules and make sure Spring Ridge was told of any deviation by their daughter. source

Connections on the network map

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

Member

• NATSAP founding sponsor

Ownership

• St Paul's Preparatory Academy brother / sister schools

Wiki entries

• Spring Ridge Academy Mayer, AZ | 1997-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.

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

Government records

• business license
• articles of organization

Survivor posts and discussion

• Spring Ridge Academy
• Angelique at Str8 Outta BS Podcast
• Candice at Medium
• Spring Ridge Academy Girls Facebook Group
• Spring Ridge Academy Trans & Gender Non-Conforming Support Facebook Group
• #breakingcodesilence SRA Instagram Page
• Spring Ridge Academy Survivors Facebook Group
• Jennifer's Story, BreakingCodeSilece
• source
• survivor
• @raezrburn on TikTok - Survivor of SRA
• Link to 'Spring Ridge Academy - Basics of Trainings: What They Don't Want You to Know'

Advertising and marketing listings

• Spring Ridge Academy Visit Report

Reference and research

• Spring Ridge Academy Wikipedia Page

Other links

• sex offender registry profile. (archived copy) live site
• Raelynn K. at WWASP Survivors (archived copy) live site
• The Cult Vault (single episode) (archived copy) live site
• Maggie & Abbey at WWASP Survivors (archived copy) live site
• Parent Coach Professionals (archived copy) live site
• Spring Ridge Academy Website Homepage (archived copy) live site
• website (archived copy) live site
• Joint Commission Accreditation Quality Report
• Lutheran Jamestown (archived copy) live site