August 19, 2005
Boarding school ordered to
refund tuition
N.Y. academy has ties to St.
George association
By Nicole Warburton
A New York boarding school
for troubled teens that has ties to Utah has been ordered to refund
more than $1 million to parents and stop misrepresenting itself,
according to officials who Thursday announced the end of an 18-month
investigation of the school.
The investigation by the New
York Attorney General's Office concludes that the school — the
Academy at Ivy Ridge — was "grossly misrepresenting its academic
credentials."
The school had no authority
to issue high school diplomas, yet since its opening in 2001, it
awarded diplomas to 113 students, according to a statement from
Eliot Spitzer, New York attorney general.
"The Academy at Ivy Ridge
marketed itself to parents who were seeking a solution to their
teens' behavior problems and who were willing to pay top dollar for
the school's programs," Spitzer said in a statement. "What these
parents did not know was that Ivy Ridge's educational programs had
not been authorized or approved by the State Education Department."
The investigation also
concluded that Ivy Ridge was not accredited, even though the school
claimed it was accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited
Schools, based in Boise.
Ivy Ridge, located near the
Canadian border, is affiliated with WWASPS or the World Wide
Association of Speciality Schools, which is based in St. George and
founded by Utah resident Robert Lichfield — a top contributor to the
Republican party at local and national levels.
As a result of the New York
state investigation that probed allegations of fraud and other
abuses, Ivy Ridge will be required to issue a 15 percent refund of
tuition to each of its 113 graduates. Similar refunds will be
offered to about 100 current and former students.
Tuition at the school is
about $50,000 per year.
Ken Kay, president of WWASPS,
says the agreement between New York state and Ivy Ridge has no
connection to the services WWASPS provides to the school.
WWASPS has affiliations with
seven boarding schools for troubled teens — including a facility in
Randolph and schools in La Verkin. Several programs, including
facilities overseas, have come under scrutiny amid allegations of
child abuse.
The investigation into Ivy
Ridge was initiated after state police said a teenager was beaten
while being transported to the school. New York State police said
the transport service had ties to WWASPS, an allegation the
organization has denied.
Said Kay: "It's not my place
to get involved in specific negotiations. They have nothing to do
with the World Wide Association and the services we provide."
"The World Wide Association
doesn't deal directly with the kids," he said. "We're a service
provider. What always surprises me is, of course, these allegations.
. . .. There is nobody in this organization that thinks it's OK to
abuse a child mentally or physically in any way."
A statement by Spitzer had
no mention of investigations into alleged child abuse at Ivy Ridge.
In recent years, several schools associated with WWASPS have been
closed after such allegations.
In the 2005 legislative
session, Utah lawmakers passed a bill instituting tighter controls
over boarding schools.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail:
nwarburton@desnews.com
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600156973,00.html
|
