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March 1, 2005
State's oversight of school
lambastedBy Kirsten Stewart
Salt Lake Tribune
Armed with a whistle-blower report, a
watchdog group met Monday at the Capitol to protest the state's
"half-baked" investigation into allegations of abuse and neglect at
northern Utah's Majestic Ranch Boarding School.
Based on
signed affidavits from four former employees, the report portrays the
school catering to 7- to 14-year-olds with behavioral problems as
understaffed, overcrowded and unsanitary. It alleges that animals at the
2,000-acre working ranch are neglected. And it contains complaints of
abusive restraint practices, with students thrown to the ground and
hog-tied, their faces shoved in snow or manure.
An
investigation into similar complaints conducted earlier this month by
Utah's Division of Child and Protective Services (CPS) and local law
enforcement turned up some health and safety violations, but failed to
yield enough evidence to support removing children or notifying parents.
Crusaders
against get-tough treatment programs say more than a "slap on the wrist"
is needed to protect the 60-plus students enrolled at Majestic Ranch,
located north of Randolph.
"It's a
shame when child protection agencies fail to protect children. It's almost
as bad as those who are alleged to have caused harm to the children in the
first place," said Thomas F. Coleman, an attorney and director of
Emancipation Project, a human rights organization in Glendale, Calif.
Insinuating that Majestic Ranch's well-financed lobbying efforts may have
caused the state to go easy on the school, Coleman said he is sending a
copy of the report to the U.S. Attorney General's office and asking the
federal government to intervene.
Majestic
Ranch director Tammy Johnson says the complaints were fabricated by
"disgruntled" ex-employees. And she says the report's author, Isabelle
Zehnder, has phoned the school "harassing
employees" and posing as a CPS
caseworker.
The report
also contains a condemning e-mail from CPS caseworker Wanda Lundahl
warning Zehnder against tipping media off to the investigation.
"Trust me
Isabelle . . . nobody wants to shut this place down more than the Utah
'team,' " wrote Lundahl. "We are all well aware that "clean up" efforts
could be going on even as we speak but still, the investigation must be
well planned or it will fail to have meaningful results."
The e-mail
continued: "I hope and pray that this investigation will be successful in
exposing the horrid manner that these kids are being treated."
Division
spokeswoman Carol Sisco confirmed Lundahl wrote the e-mail, but said, "the
opinion of one caseworker doesn't reflect the whole department."
As proof
that Majestic Ranch has nothing to hide, Johnson said she is endorsing
legislation that would bring the school under state licensure, making it
subject to routine inspections and the threat of being shut down for
violations.
She said,
"We want parents to feel good about having their kids here knowing they
are safer and watched over and protected."
Reaction by Isabelle
Zehnder:
Isabelle Zehnder, author of the whistle-blower report mentioned in the
Tribune story, has denied calling the school repeatedly, harassing
employees, or posing as a CPS worker. Her report is available online
at www.kidsincaptivity.com.
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