COALITION AGAINST INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD ABUSE
 HEADLINE NEWS                                                                                                                                                                                                             CAICA EN FRANÇAIS
 

CAICA     HOME   │   NEWS  │  PROGRAM NEWS  │  STORIES │  DEATHS  │   WWASPS   │  PARENTS' CORNER  │  MISSION  │ SITE MAP │  LINKS & RESOURCES
  _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

              AUTISM  │ LITIGATION  │  LEGISLATION  │ JUVENILE JUSTICE  │ MENTAL HEALTH │ LIGHTER SIDE │  EN FRANCAIS  │ COMMENTS  │ LIST SERVE  │  BLOGS  
 

 

Boy's death draws attention to school

Jamie Malernee
Akilah Johnson and Marlene Naanes, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

August 15, 2006

LAUDERHILL -- It is a small private school with an even smaller staff, operating under almost zero state oversight from a shopping-center church.

It has a big mission: to teach Christian values and military-style discipline to its 19 students. And after one died Saturday during a leadership camping trip, Back to Basics Military Academy in Lauderhill finds itself facing some even bigger questions.

Authorities completed an autopsy Monday on Alex Cullinane, 13, who collapsed while camping at Oleta River State Park in north Miami-Dade County. Officials say it could be several days before they get test results showing whether dehydration killed the boy. Investigators are also looking for disease or congenital issues, said Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office spokesman Larry Cameron.

The teen's mother, Dena Cullinane, said the school's principal, Lynda Browne, told her that Alex was eating and drinking when camp started Wednesday, but that another student saw him throw away some food later in the week. A drill sergeant told Cullinane that Alex woke at 3 a.m. Saturday, complaining he did not feel well. On the way to the bathroom, he collapsed in the sergeant's arms.

State records show the school opened in August 2005, and as of March, had 19 students in grades four through 12. In a state survey, Browne said the school has nine teachers with bachelor's degrees and three years of teaching experience. Elsewhere, the survey said the school does not employ four or more people.

The Florida Department of Education acknowledged Monday that private schools face little oversight.

"As far as accreditation and licensing and teachers and other things, we do not license them," said department spokeswoman Cathy Schroeder. "It is a parent-driven system."

Cullinane said she enrolled her son at the school on the recommendation of his former principal at Community Christian Academy, a Plantation private school that is now closed.

She said she chose it because of its focus on Christian values.

"They were really coming from a place of heart and love and concern . . . and understanding of spiritual type of things that I wanted Alex to be exposed to," she said.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel is a Tribune Publishing newspaper.

 

 

DISCLAIMER, WARNINGS, AND NOTICE TO READERS: This website does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the information, content collectively, the "Materials") contained on, distributed through, or linked, downloaded or accessed from any of the services contained on this website (the "Service"). None of the contributors, sponsors, administrators or anyone else connected with this website in any way whatsoever can be responsible for the appearance of any inaccurate or libelous information or for your use of the information contained in these web pages. All information provided using this website is only intended to be general summary information to the public.

FAIR USE NOTICE: These pages may contain copyrighted (© ) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

REFERRALS: CAICA is not a referral agency. CAICA does not refer to or promote facilities or transport companies for children or teens. CAICA warns parents that the parent pay / parent choice programs ie. Residential Treatment Centers, Therapeutic Boarding Schools, Behavior Modification Programs, Christian Programs, Positive Peer Culture Programs, etc., are not regulated by the Federal Government and that it is a "Buyer Beware" industry. CAICA provides the following for parents: Message to Parents, Help for Distraught and Desperate Parents, and Questions to Ask and Warning Signs.

© 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008