The Refuge Girls Academy

More than three dozen former residents have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging isolation, humiliation, forced labor, and unsanitary conditions at the Refuge Girls Academy, a Teen Challenge program in Lebanon, Indiana. The organization announced the facility’s closure because it could not sustain operations while defending the suit.

A faith‑based residential program for teen girls in Lebanon, Indiana, known as Refuge Girls Academy, ceased operations after the parent organization cited the inability to defend a federal lawsuit and secure insurance. The lawsuit, filed by 35 former residents, alleges systemic abuse including forced isolation, physical restraint, forced labor, and spiritual coercion.

Survivors of the Refuge Girls Academy, formerly known as Central Indiana Teen Challenge, are speaking out against the abuse and exploitation they experienced while at the facility. The survivors, now numbering 35, are part of an ongoing legal case against the academy. The academy is alleged to have committed various forms of abuse, including physical abuse, labor trafficking, and forced malnutrition, against children in its care.

A federal lawsuit has been filed against Central Indiana Teen Challenge, now operating as Refuge Girls Academy, alleging severe abuse, medical neglect, and forced child labor. Survivors detail experiences of isolation, solitary confinement, and exploitation. The facility generated millions of dollars in revenue despite allegations of neglect and abuse.

A federal civil lawsuit has been expanded to represent 35 young women who claim they were exploited, neglected, and abused as minors at Refuge Girls Academy, formerly known as Central Indiana Teen Challenge. The facility is accused of using forced unpaid labor, severe psychological coercion, and conversion therapy tactics. Survivors and supporters are demanding the immediate closure of the facility and an end to conversion therapy practices.

A protest was held outside Refuge Girls Academy in Lebanon, Indiana, where survivors allege decades of institutionalized cruelty, physical abuse, and labor trafficking. The facility, formerly known as Central Indiana Teen Challenge, is facing a federal civil lawsuit from 35 young women who claim they were exploited, neglected, and abused as minors. The lawsuit details broader patterns of trafficking and medical neglect, including forced unpaid labor and conversion therapy practices.

A federal civil lawsuit has been filed against Central Indiana Teen Challenge, now operating as the Refuge Girls Academy, alleging forced labor, human trafficking, and institutional abuse. The lawsuit represents 35 young women who claim they were exploited and mistreated as minors at the faith-based facility. The allegations include physical and emotional abuse, medical neglect, and forced labor.

A lawsuit has been filed against Central Indiana Teen Challenge, alleging negligence and abuse of 35 girls who lived at the facility. The allegations include humiliating discipline, forced labor, and inadequate therapy. The lawsuit also claims that the facility's staff made false accusations against the girls, including allegations of sexual promiscuity.

A federal lawsuit alleges abuse and exploitation at a faith-based residential program for teenage girls in Indiana. The plaintiffs claim they were subjected to a coercive environment, including prolonged isolation, public humiliation, and deprivation of basic necessities. The lawsuit also alleges that the program forced residents to perform extensive unpaid labor and subjected them to religious deliverance rituals.

Jennifer Dorfmeyer has been appointed as the new Director of the Indiana Department of Child Services, effective immediately, following the transition of former director Adam Krupp into a role as Special Advisor to the Governor on Child Welfare. Krupp’s departure follows a medical leave of absence that began in January 2026, and while state officials clarified his transition was not related to disciplinary action, it occurs amid a federal lawsuit involving allegations of misconduct at a faith-based residential program he had previously promoted.

Nine women are suing The Refuge Girls Academy and its operator, Central Indiana Teen Challenge, alleging they experienced humiliating discipline and forced labor while at the facility. The women claim that questioning their conditions could lengthen their stay. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for Southern Indiana.

A woman has filed a lawsuit against a faith-based program for teens in Lebanon, Indiana, alleging systemic abuse, neglect, and exploitation during her time at the facility from 2011 to 2014. The lawsuit claims that staff forced residents to eat moldy food, limited their communication with family, and subjected them to humiliating punishments. The woman is one of nine plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court.

A lawsuit has been filed against a faith-based residential program in Indiana, alleging that nine women were subjected to abuse, forced labor, and exploitation during their time at the facility. The women claim they were forced to perform labor without pay and were subjected to extreme conditions, including being placed in isolation for extended periods. The facility has responded, stating that the allegations are unproven and unverified.

A 'troubled teen' program in Indiana has been accused of abusing and isolating its residents during treatment. The program's actions and policies are under scrutiny. The allegations highlight concerns about the treatment of residents in such programs.