The stories coming out of Mount Bachelor Academy were shocking. Kids being deprived of sleep, cursed at by other students and staff members, being made to take part in humiliating “role-playing” exercises – including, in at least one case, having to perform a “lap dance” for another student.
The stories were bad enough, and apparently credible enough, for the state Department of Human Services to order the high-priced private school shut down in November 2009.
Now, less than a year later, the state agency seems to have decided that things at MBA weren’t really so bad after all. Under terms of a settlement announced last week, DHS is ending its investigation of the academy in return for MBA agreeing that the investigation was justified and dropping its appeal of DHS’s findings to date.
“MBA agrees that DHS had a reasonable basis to investigate the allegations of abuse and neglect, and to seek corrective actions,” a DHS official said in a statement announcing the deal. “Mount Bachelor Academy is closed and, by all accounts, will remain closed.”
Did the people who ran MBA learn anything as a result of the investigation? Are they chastened by the experience and determined to do better?
You wouldn’t think so from the statements emanating from the office of Phil Herschman, president of Aspen Education Group, which operates MBA and a slew of similar schools and wilderness programs across the country offering “help for troubled teens,” as Aspen’s website describes them.
“The DHS’ withdrawal of its order suspending MBA’s license supports our position that they did not have justification for that order in the first place,” Herschman said in a statement.
As for MBA staying closed, think again. “Despite the tragic circumstances of Mount Bachelor’s closure, we hope to open a new, even more successful school on the MBA campus in the future,” Herschman said.
So it’s onward and upward for Mount Bachelor Academy, or whatever it’s called in its new incarnation. But what will happen to the kids who find themselves sent there?
This wasn’t the first time the state had felt compelled to investigate the academy; similar charges led to an investigation in 1998. And the Redmond-based SageWalk Wilderness School, another part of the Aspen empire, came under investigation after a teenager collapsed and died on a hike in September 2009.
Any organization that deals with hundreds of kids – especially emotionally troubled ones – is going to make occasional mistakes and even have occasional tragedies. What’s infuriating about Aspen is that it doesn’t seem able (or willing) to learn from them – and neither does the state. Year after year, similar problems keep turning up. And the state investigates … and nothing really happens. No consequences, no penalties, no significant changes. Back to business as usual.
Business as usual may be good enough for the state, but it shouldn’t be good enough for parents who entrust their kids to Aspen’s programs – and it sure as hell isn’t good enough for us. Here’s THE BOOT to DHS for letting Mount Bachelor Academy skate – again.
This article appears in Oct 7-13, 2010.
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I was very disappointed to once again read a piece by someone who clearly has no idea what they are talking about. I know this is an opinion piece and everyone, even The Source writers, are entitled to theirs, but they are printing it in a paper as news! If The Source is going to continue trying to be a News-paper versis just an Entertainment Calendar, it might be helpful to have writers on staff who have some journalistic skills and ethics. Do a little research! Call someone! Talk to the people involved! Perhaps even both sides of a situation.
Reading something where the writers only went so far as to repeat what they heard on the local news might make someone not trust the credibility of all of the so-called news writing in The Source.
When you follow the money, this school is owned by a private equity firm. Bain, I think, but whatever, a huge Wall Street player.
They don’t give a rat’s dingleberry about the kids, they care about cash flow, return on invested capital, etc.
They can’t help it, and legally, they owe it to their investors to maximize profit.
I have read the comments from the Bend Bulletin and KTVZ stories.
Look, an anecdote doesn’t prove a thing. If 99 of 100 kids comes out better, but one kid dies, it is not an acceptable business. That’s Nazi thinking.
I’m sure a ton of kids have come out of there better than they went in. Some would have just grown up in any setting, and some were beat into submission (not literally).
As a patriot, and a man proud of our country, I believe in values. Kicking the dingleberries out of misbehaving kids is an easy French sort of way out. Think Freedom Fries! We are about something in this country! And we don’t take the easy way out.
A couple kids died. A huge private equity fund owns the place. The fund guys don’t give a rat’s dingleberry about kids. They bust the kids up good, many parents are surprised and pleased that the kids don’t cause as much trouble (interrupting their CSI viewing) and everyone is happy. And a couple kids die.
Totally French wrangling going on. Those parents eat Brie and Baguettes and drink Burgundy. The P.E. characters make big money. And a couple kids die.
This is a completely disappointing commentary. The “facts” have been regurgitated from previous, poorly-written or reported articles. I understand that sensationalism gets people to read stories, but come on! We’re talking about people’s lives here – people who live and work and have families and friends in this community. People who read this paper. Don’t ethics dictate that you at least attempt to get the entire story? Maybe research the back-story – on BOTH sides? Perpetuating poor reporting is inexcusable and irresponsible.
By the way – no one died at Mount Bachelor Academy. That was a tragic incident that happened at different facility – yes, one that was owned by the same company, but a different facility (and chances are good that they weren’t villains either). While the death of that young man is sad and awful, bringing it into this story as a means of sensationalizing and painting a picture of the “big-bad corporation” to try to win a few readers over is reprehensible. It dishonors him and makes you seem even less like someone whose opinions should carry weight.
I attended a “school” like MBA in Whitmore, CA. Don’t fool yourselves….the therapy methods at these types of schools are EXTREMELY damaging to the young people that are sent there. I am not surprised to read that MBA was under investigation. I can attest to ( as well as many of my fellow students who I am still in contact with after 20 years)” taking part in humiliating “role-playing” exercises.” while at the school in Whitmore. Making positive life changes requires collaboration and caring, not humiliation and destruction of ones character.
T you are wrong I went to MBA and someone did die at the school a young man hung himself. You might want to look into the facts before you start spouting them. I am almost neutral on this topic. Given the chance to re-do my time at MBA I would do it. If I could just have the strength and knowledge it lends me even into my adult life without having to deal with the day to day life at MBA I would have taken that path. I guess the easy way out. All in all as bad as MBA can be for some people it can also do as much good.
MBA’s licensed had already expired, hence the settlement. MBA has to go through licensing application again – unlikely to pass the standard if it resembles anything what it was before. They tried once already.
DHS did their job and did it diligently and well… MBA is ashes – was rises will not be the horror that was MBA past.
Don’t be fooled everyone, the practices used at Mt. Bachelor Academy were extremely appauling and horrible to any outsider listening in. My daughter attended Mt. Bachelor Academy and she has told me about these activities. The children here are brainwashed to believe they are being helped, when in reality the staff working here are untrained unlicensed therapists with no degree who just do what they think is right. The people working there care about money and power, not about helping these kids. They have a cruel mindset that every child there is a criminal, and so they deserve the abuse and cruelty which they are forced to bear. As a parent of a troubled daughter I am upset with the outcome of this investigation. I believe that the DHS did the right thing in this investigation, but in the end gave in and didn’t hold their ground. The idea that Aspen plans to open another program there is dangerous, and don’t be fooled to not believe that the same people that were working Mt. Bachelor will work at the new program, with the same mentality and abuse. My prayers go out to the future families and children that will bear it.
there not going to reopen they just keep saying that it wont happen with all the law suits do you really think a licencing board is willing to risk them selfs over this i dont think so. the only reason there is even talk of reopening is because they have the land with a 99yr lease and cant figure out what to do with it
They should burn it down in memory of all the former “alumni” who killed themselves either by suicide or overdoses in the last 20 plus years. The numbers we have lost are astounding. We may have gone in there as wounded angels, but left there with our wings ripped from our bodies and spirits poisoned. Someone needs to investigate the affects of the physical and psychological abuse in the self proclaiming “emotional growth” program that sent these adult children to early graves.
I graduated from MBA in the late 90’s. I found out last week that it was shut down. The school no doubt helped me… during my time there and for 6 months after graduation. In the following 3 years I did more drugs than I ever thought possible; coke, mushrooms, special k, crack, crank, speed, meth, ecstasy, dmt, and a number of other drugs. I couldn’t function without drugs, my social anxiety would cause screaming in my head (just like being screamed at in group therapy and life steps). The only thing the school did for me was make every single situation outside of my home awkward and surreal. I walk down the street nervous that I will be attacked, constantly checking behind me as though I’m being followed. I have recurring nightmares about being at the school at least twice a week, some of the nightmares I am my current age still stuck there and other dreams are about my stay there but I can never remember the details of the dream. I will never forget that the school made me dress up like a chippendale and strip down to some skimpy underwear that they gave me. It was embarrassing, humiliating, and actually did not relate to me at all. I can say without a doubt that I was one of the best students at MBA, I graduated High School a year early (I took a number of Independent study classes and tested out of other classes), I held two jobs at the school, and I organized trips/ events with students on campus and off.