"The state has substantiated 4 reports of abuse & neglect involving Circle of Hope. 1 was for neglect, 1 for physical abuse & neglect & 2 for sexual abuse allegations."

Where are all those "pro-life" #MOLeg & #MOSen Republicans when we need 'em?

https://www.kansascity.com/article245915345.html https://twitter.com/wrap02/status/1309675567193751552

For those unaware, this isn't the only "school" like this in Missouri and issues at Circle of Hope were noted as far back as 2010. Always fun to see your home state compared to Kandahar. #MOLeg

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/08/new-bethany-ifb-teen-homes-abuse/

From 2002: "MO is 1 of a handful of states that don't require faith-based child residential facilities to get a state license. [...] As a result, MO has become a magnet for schools that could not operate in most other states."

https://culteducation.com/group/1059-mountain-park-baptist-church-and-boarding-academy/14587-reform-schools-find-a-haven-here.html

"A magnet," indeed.

Master's Ranch in Couch, MO, claims to be a 501(c)(3) though the IRS disagrees. Their 2nd location in WA was just recently closed and all boys removed from their care yet their MO location is operating business as usual. #MOLeg

https://www.union-bulletin.com/news/courts_and_crime/prescott-boys-home-faces-closure-amid-abuse-allegations/article_46bc3eba-ffd1-5d48-b7fc-97f275566864.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share

Wings Of Faith, fka Refuge of Grace Academy, operates in Stockton, MO & allegations of abuse against the academy are easily found online yet they are "accredited" by the MO Assoc. of Christian Schools & Childcare Agencies. MACCCA has their very own lobbyist in our Capital. #MOLeg

Agape in Stockton had their facilities in CA & WA shut down. A former teacher at Agape says he "aggressively lobbies against" them & staffer Jareth Clemenson, the grandson of Agape's owner, has been charged w child molestation.

Agape is still here in MO, though. #MOLeg

Lighthouse Christian Academy / ABM Ministries in Piedmont operates despite being sued for abuse in 2011. Their enrollment package states parents must sign over POA to Larry Musgrave, who founded and runs Lighthouse, granting him the ability to "exercise parental rights."

#MOLeg

Teen Challenge operates multiple facilities in MO & the Dev. Dir. of the one in Clark, MO, is Rick Rowden, @calebrowden's father.

"For decades, Teen Challenge has run afoul of states w stricter oversight of youth facilities for some of its practices." https://web.archive.org/web/20190710134221/http://healthland.time.com/2012/11/13/investigative-report-reveals-some-religious-reform-schools-are-havens-for-child-abuse/

As of 2013, DCF investigators in FL has investigated a Teen Challenge facility in countless times & found at least 5 claims of abuse and medical neglect, among others, to be verified.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/religious-exemption-at-some-florida-childrens-homes-shields-prying-eyes/1258390/

In 2001, Teen Challenge of St. Louis was sued for wrongful death and ordered to pay $100,000. (Their insurance company paid out $500,000 in the suit as well.)

In 2015, a Teen Challenge facility in MN was cited for "neglect of supervision" when a teen died.

In 2009, it was reported that a Teen Challenge facility in TX "resident to panhandle at Wal-Mart, forced him off his prescription anti-depression medication and abandoned him in Waco." His parents sued (but admittedly, I can find little on the outcome of that suit).

Here are a bunch of police reports from the Indian River County Sheriff's Office, detailing all sorts of abuse alleged to have occurred at a Teen Challenge facility in FL. "The Director of Teen Challenge walks around with a switch blade."

http://www.heal-online.org/tcveropolicereports.pdf

Sidenote: in 2019, @calebrowden's campaign committee paid a company called Charitable Solutions $2610. That company says that when / if they dissolve, the assets should go to Primrose Hill Teen Challenge, where his dad works. It WAS dissolved in Jan 2018.

Back to it: another operating in MO, unregulated, is Anchor Academy in Vanduser. NONE of it's employees are licensed to do...well, ANYTHING. Stories of abuse exist here, too.

https://jjie.org/2014/06/30/tough-love-or-abuse-inside-the-anchor-home-for-boys/

Anchor Academy & it's sister school, Rebekah Home, are known as Roloff Homes; they were founded by preacher Lester Roloff. Roloff preached against homosexuality, communism, television, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, gluttony, and psychology and generally seems to have been insane.

In June 1999, TX Child Protective Services issued findings of physical abuse and medical neglect at the Rebekah Home and from there, Dennis McElwraith took over. Financial issues led him to relocate Anchor from MT to MO shortly after.

Okay, wait, WHAT NOW? "Several said that the school’s current head, Dennis McElwrath, or Brother Dennis as they call him, had a select group of boys come to his room each night. Those boys would rub his feet and serve as informants on what was happening outside of his gaze."

So CLEARLY it's not hard to see that #MOLeg NEEDS to to do something about this issue & frankly, I'm ASTONISHED those who proclaim to be so "pro-life" have yet to do so, dispute substantiated abuse claims being made for at least a decade.

[Narrator: she was not astonished.]

To add: Master's Ranch has just opened a NEW girls "school," too. Neat.

Checked to make sure there wasn't a non-profit reg with the IRS for Master's Baptist Church (the DBA) 'cause I don't wanna spread misinfo and ope, nothing for them either.

https://twitter.com/Sammyjkramer/status/1309890141343842304

Who should be stepping up to regulate these "schools" of abuse? Those elected to represent the Districts where they reside, methinks. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Wings Of Faith / Refuge of Grace Academy and Agape Boarding School are both in Rep. Mike Stevens and Sen. @SandyCrawford2's District.

Though they're filing their annual non-profit registration reports with the SOS, I can't seem to find Lighthouse Christian Academy or ABM in an IRS tax-exempt search.

That "academy" is located in Rep. @messenger4mo and Sen @EricBurlison's District.

Addressing issues w Teen Challenge has been a decades long, ongoing thing & given the connection between that org here in MO & to certain folks in our legislature, you KNOW that one ain't getting fixed.

Looking for Anchor Academy's address to find their representatives and...

...realizing the org has been LOANING money to its founder and Director, Dennis McElwrath AND one Sharon McElwrath.

I've worked directly for and consulted with quite a few 501(c)(3)s, y'all, and uh, loaning money like this wasn't really something 'ya did. #ShadyAF

Verification of those "loans," by the way, comes from the 2018 990 of Harvest Foundation, Inc, the name under which Anchor Academy operates in MO by way of a fictitious name registration with the SOS.

990 link below, for those interested...

https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/721603363_201907_990_2020082717264224.pdf

Quick pause, again: I'm going through *some* of this research as I tweet - a lot of this I, sadly, already knew of - so if you catch a mistake or misstatement, PLEASE do me a solid and let me know!

#FuckDisinformation #EvenIfItsAccidental :)

Excellent point and ME FUCKING, TOO! If you're like us, and want to help the survivors of the abuse they suffered while confined at Circle of Hope in Humansville, THROW THEM SOME CASH. :) https://twitter.com/RiemanRiema1/status/1309911619993042945

I think most, if not ALL, of us would agree that unregulated "boarding schools" aren't really working out for Missouri, right?

I've heard COUNTLESS #MOLeg and #MOSen folks say "all lives matter" or "every life matters" and I think it's time they put up or hush up. FIX THIS.

@GovParsonMO says "EVERY human being has value." What about these CHILDREN, Governor? PROVE to me you value these kids and that THEIR lives matter. FIX THIS.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/girls-alleged-abuse-reform-school-years-it-stayed-open-until-n1241011

#MOGov

Rep @NickBSchroer says "pro-life isn’t just a talking point for @MissouriGOP, it’s part of our moral fabric."

THEN PROVE IT, NICK. Here are a whole bunch of lives; prove it's more than a talking point for you, please. Bring your tagged buddies there along with you, too. #MOLeg

Let's actually put this Reagan quote into practice, House Speaker @elijahhaahr. You can surely do a better job of fixing this so that there won't be any other lives who have to resort to TikTok to be heard, right? #MOLeg #MOGov

https://twitter.com/richhorton62/status/1309940684158390272

I KNEW I remembered someone saying shit like this and lo and behold, it was Rep Stevens himself! Also, no. No no no no no no no, guy. Stop, Mike. Seriously. #MOLeg

Since these stories started breaking recently (as if they haven't been told for a decade+, though) SOME legislators have taken notice & vowed to do something.

@RepKeriIngle, you are awesome & THANK YOU for actually meaning what you say & putting feet to the road to fix this!

https://twitter.com/RepKeriIngle/status/1305153082788130816

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes! Actually gettin' shit done! #MOLeg