Spring Ridge Academy
Spring Ridge Academy | |
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Address | |
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13690 S Burton Rd , Yavapai County , Arizona 86333 United States | |
Information | |
School type | For-profit program, Behavioral Health Residential Facility |
Founded | 1996 |
Founders | Jean (Jeannie) Courtney |
Status | closed |
Closed | February 2023 |
NCES District ID | 42 |
CEEB code | 030422 |
NCES School ID | A0900156[1] |
Principal | Justin Zych |
Teaching staff | 11 (on an FTE basis)[1] |
Gender | Girls |
Age range | 13-17 |
Number of students | 48 |
• Grade 9 | 3 |
• Grade 10 | 11 |
• Grade 11 | 16 |
• Grade 12 | 18 |
Student to teacher ratio | 4.4[1] |
Hours in school day | 5.8 |
Accreditations | Cognia (education)[2] |
Tuition | $126,000 to $162,000[3] |
Website | springridgeacademy |
34°35′46″N 112°28′05″W / 34.5959797°N 112.4681734°W Spring Ridge Academy, was a behavioral health residential facility for female adolescents 13-17 years old. In 2023, Spring Ridge Academy announced on their website they had permanently closed.[4]
Background
[edit]The campus was originally a house with a barn attached and only had one student.[5] By the end, it was capable of housing up to 76 girls with a facility that included classrooms, medical areas, labs, and athletic fields and courts.[5] Spring Ridge Academy was operated by Suzanne Courtney (Executive Director) at its time of closure.[6]
Programming
[edit]This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2021) |
Spring Ridge Academy described itself as a "clinical therapeutic program with a college preparatory academic curriculum".[7]
The program included four phases that each student completed at their own pace.[7] The program's average length of stay was 14 to 18 months.[7]
Parents or guardians who had their child admitted to Spring Ridge paid tuition and fees. Medical insurance may have covered part of the costs.
Controversy
[edit]In 2021, the parent of a former resident filed a lawsuit against Spring Ridge Academy, alleging causes of action for negligence and fraud, amongst other things.[8][3][9] The mother claims that the troubled teen program used non-evidence-based treatment practices on her daughter and misrepresented the tactics the program used before she enrolled her child there.[8][3] In a large group awareness training workshop, for example, girls at Spring Ridge Academy were allegedly instructed to beat their chairs with rolled-up towels containing their anger while other students screamed at them.[3]
In 2024, Spring ridge academy lost the fraud court case in Phoenix federal court, with the Jury awarding $2.5 million in punitive damages.[10]
Other former students have claimed that the workshops at the center of the lawsuit are "abusive" and "shame-based."[9] Former students say they had to participate in attack therapy as well.[9]
Spring Ridge Academy has also been accused of using conversion therapy.[11]
Other alumni have come forward alleging abuse as part of the Breaking Code Silence movement, describing the academy as a cult and as being exploitative of families.[12] One Spring Ridge Academy alumnus was also featured in a Lifetime movie special Beyond the Headlines: Cruel Instruction, talking about the allegations of abuse in the troubled teen industry and the PTSD and anxiety that many survivors continue to live with.[13][failed verification] Spring Ridge Academy issued several in response to the lifeline movie.[14][15][16]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Search for Public Schools - Spring Ridge Academy (A0900156)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- ^ "Cognia – Institution Summary". advanc-ed.org/. Cognia. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Sweidy v. Spring Ridge Academy et al (United States District Court, Arizona January 21, 2021), Text.
- ^ "Spring Ridge Academy - Learn, Heal, Grow, Connect". Spring Ridge Academy. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
- ^ a b "Spring Ridge Academy". usboardingschools.com. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ "Our Team". Spring Ridge Academy.
- ^ a b c "Enrollment Terms and Agreement" (PDF). Spring Ridge Academy. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ a b "Lawsuit Complaint Against Spring Ridge Academy For Negligence, Fraud, and RICO Violations | PDF | Evidence Based Medicine | Schools". Scribd. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
- ^ a b c Gulino, Elizabeth (June 29, 2021). ""I Was Forced To Sculpt My Rape": What Is Happening Inside The Troubled Teen Industry?". REFINERY29. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ MacDonald-Evoy, Jerod (July 15, 2024). "'It was a cult': Traumatizing troubled teens". Arizona Mirror. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ^ Sugiuchi, Deirdre (December 17, 2020). ""Conversion Therapy" is Abuse". Dame Magazine. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ Jennifer. "Jennifer's Story -- Breaking Code Silence". breakingcodesilence.net. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ Cain, Brooke (March 12, 2022). "What to Watch Saturday: Lifetime movie has ripped-from-the-headlines story of abuse". The News&Observer. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ Smith, Erin (March 25, 2022). "Cruel Instruction: The Problem with Comparing Programs". Spring Ridge Academy. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ^ Smith, Erin (April 2, 2022). "7 Ways Spring Ridge Is Nothing Like Cruel Instruction". Spring Ridge Academy. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ^ Smith, Erin (April 6, 2022). "7 More Ways Spring Ridge Is Nothing Like Cruel Instruction". Spring Ridge Academy. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
External links
[edit]- Official website (Spring Ridge Academy)
- Official website (New Day Rising)
- NCES website