Thread by @tylerkingkade

NEW from me: An investigation into a school for troubled teens, where girls say they were punished for being gay or bi, pulled off anti-anxiety meds cold turkey, and had their diet limited to peanut-butter sandwiches when they wouldn't cooperate

buzzfeednews.com/article/tylerk…

One student said she was punished for attempting to kill herself, and never got psychiatric treatment for the incident.

I saw her scars.

Employees confirmed students are disciplined for self-harm

8 former students said they disclosed that they had either been sexually assaulted, or were abused by their parents, but the school failed to contact authorities.

Ex-employees said there's no training about "mandatory reporter" requirements

One former student who was enrolled in this program when she was 15 and pregnant said she wasn't given prenatal care, like extra vitamins or food. When she had morning sickness, she said the staff accused her of exploiting her pregnancy for extra attention
buzzfeednews.com/article/tylerk…

Parents who think their teens are on a destructive path send them to this school to fix their behavior. But the school, River View Christian Academy, has no nurses, teachers, licensed counselors or psychiatrists. Many girls say they came out worse off

This school is virtually unregulated.

A law was passed a couple years ago to fix that. But the state has missed its own deadlines to enforce the new rules

There are, of course, people who feel like the facility saved them, and employees told me they work there because they love to see students make breakthroughs

In 2011, a student-turned-staff member was arrested and charged with murder for killing her baby. She was later found guilty and is in prison

Her lawyer says the school's doctrine messed with her head

Despite that murder trial, this is the first story to take a deep dive into what's been going on at this school that is hidden in the California mountains

buzzfeednews.com/article/tylerk…