'This is where I was like, no, were done, were exposing this. Boyd and Stephanie Householder, the owners and operators of Circle of Hope Girls Ranch, were taken into custody Tuesday after the Missouri Attorney Generals office filed a litany of charges. Householder explained how she and her children's father, whom she refers to as her husband although they are not legally married, argued over the spanking, which opened her eyes. The complaint, filed by a Louisiana-based woman using the initials M.J., alleging physical abuse at the hands of Boyd and Stephanie. End of twitter post by Attorney General Eric Schmitt, The surprising benefits of breaking up. Residents were required to stay at the ranch for at least 2 years. But he would soon come to suffer horrifying abuse, he says experiences in line with what at least 18 former Agap students have recently alleged in lawsuits. Locals says the Clemensens ingratiated themselves by offering tours, and hosting Boy Scout breakfasts and luncheons for the local Methodist group. Serving up some style! 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. When speaking with Rolling Stone, Clemensen denied the allegations against him and explained his approach to reform. The state attorney generals office claims that Agap staff threw students into walls, pushed them to the ground, ordered them to perform 1,000 pushups, intentionally starved them, and forced them to sleep in handcuffs and wear them for as long as eight days. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. By 14, Breshears says, he was fully in staffers crosshairs. Judy L. Thomas April 05, 2021 5:00 AM Amanda Householder (pictured) is one of those speaking out about the Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch in southwest Missouri run by her parents, Boyd and. The Missouri AG launched a joint investigation with Cedar County authorities. They moved their wards in and set them to work clearing the site and fixing the property. [36] These requests were denied. We provide individuals and families with well-matched treatment options for significant emotional, behavioral or relational issues. For the first time, religious schools would be required to register with the state and undergo inspections; the attorney general would now have authority to close down facilities that posed a threat to students. Among the speakers were former residents of the ranch. The argument grew heated, he says, and the staffer told the kids they were going to Brown Town. It's about setting a precedent and showing that you can't do this. In civil suits, Agap students describe being choked with rebar and electrical cords, pushed through drywall, having their noses broken, and hit in the testicles hard enough to cause traumatic groin injury. They say several boys attempted to hang themselves, in what they call a pandemic among students. Agap, through its attorney, denies the allegations, and says that no student there has ever killed himself. The complaints also nameformer Circle of Hope board member Jeff Ables, who currently serves as the pastor at Berean Baptist Church in Springfield. When he was told he couldnt live with his mother after her stint in rehab, he threatened to kill himself, and another person from the household. For a time, Breshears stayed out of trouble. [5][28] The Householders maintain their innocence, and their defense attorney Adam Woody petitioned for them to be released on bond, stating that they are "very good people [with] outstanding reputations and spotless records". Legal loopholes allow abuse to go undetected at religious boarding Updated: 9:50 AM CDT April 8, 2022 JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. People who have care, custody, and control of those children have that right, as well. One girl said Boyd pushed her down the stairs, and another said he advised her on how to kill herself, according to Schmitt. I have concerns about every inch of that place, County Commissioner Sue Miller said. How I Got My Own Parents Charged With Abusing Teen Girls - The Daily Beast The couple's estranged daughter has helped expose their alleged abuse of girls at their ranch. In 1992, the Clemensens announced to their troubled wards that they were moving to a promised land of sorts: an old Air Force base six miles outside of tiny Othello, Washington. Five months later, authorities raided Circle of Hope, seizing evidence and removing 25 girls from the ranch. 'This practice often caused pain and numbness for days afterward and was designed and intended to maximize pain and suffering rather than to gain control over residents who were a danger to themselves or others.'. CIRCLE OF HOPE GIRLS RANCH AND BOARDING SCHOOLS Board of directors as of 05/17/2018 SOURCE: Self-reported by organization Board chair. It also taught creationism and that women should be subservient to their husbands, while weaving biblical references into the materials. 'Restraints [involved] four or more people holding the limbs of the restrained individual and pressing on pressure points on the body,' the suit stated. Maggie Drew's dad sent her to Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch in Missouri in 2007, hoping strict Christian teachings would stop his. 'We were always taught that if you ran away, those people know that youre a horrible kid. [4] In September 2020, Boyd Householder stated to the Kansas City Star that the ranch was "closed for good" and also stated that he and his wife Stephanie were going to try and "vindicate themselves". U.S. news Girls alleged abuse at Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch for years. Sex trafficking, racketeering alleged at Missouri boarding school in Former students wonder if its because of this that authorities failed to act sooner. They insisted everyone call them Brother Jim and Maam, and their son Brother Bryan.. Since the boarding school opened, concerned parents, staff members and others had reported Circle of Hope at least 19 times to three sheriffs departments, state child welfare and education officials, the highway patrol, and the state attorney generals office, according to interviews and records obtained by NBC News. So they constructed wooden bunks on the second floor of their modest home, set up cubicles in the garage, and obtained work booklets produced by Accelerated Christian Education. KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Circle of Hope Girls Ranch and Boarding School's property was a 35-acre estate just outside of Humansville, a small town of about 1,000 residents in western Missouri. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. In her-oped, Householder, a mother-of-two, shared an intimate moment in parenthood where she realized her parents' alleged abuse has changed her core being. An attorney who has represented the Householders in civil lawsuits said he will not be representing them in the criminal cases. Circle of Hope Girls Ranch: Former owners of girls boarding school in Two dozen former residents previously told NBC News and Dateline that Boyd and Stephanie used cruel punishments against girls at the ranch, including withholding food, forcing them to perform manual labor and restraining girls face down for as long as an hour. She's pictured at the all-girls boarding school during her youth. These residents alleged, among other things, that they had been raped, molested, denied food and water, handcuffed, chained, and forced to stand in front of a wall for hours on end. It is 79 (and one misdemeanor count), not 80. Mounting allegations about Circle of Hope and another institution for boys have prompted calls to close legal loopholes that allow no oversight to some faith-based and private schools in Missouri. Earlier this year, Smock, the schools longtime physician, was charged with 12 felony sexual-molestation crimes against those in his care. [33], The Householders' trial is scheduled for November 27 to December 15, 2023.[33]. Admission to one of 100 best boarding school in the USA is affordable with SMAPSE! [4], Multiple lawsuits were filed against the ranch in September 2020 by former residents. Circle of Hope Girls Ranch settled", "Former students alleging abuse, rape settle 4 suits against Missouri reform school", "Circle of Hope Girls Ranch and Boarding School faces two new civil lawsuits over severe abuse allegations", "Sex trafficking, racketeering alleged at Missouri boarding school in federal lawsuit", "Missouri Christian reform school, under investigation for abuse, is put up for sale", "Missouri AG details 'horrific' abuse in charges against girls reform school owners", "House passes bill to regulate faith-based residential care", "Missouri lawmakers consider regulating faith-based boarding schools", "Missouri senators vow to do 'whatever we can' after former students describe abuse", "Senators hear testimony, including from Paris Hilton, on reform school protections", "Missouri Senate passes bill giving state some oversight of Christian reform schools", "Missouri lawmakers pass new oversight for private, religious boarding schools", "Survivors of Missouri boarding school abuse applaud lawmakers passing new bill", "Missouri lawmakers pass safeguards for boarding schools", "Former owners of girls boarding school facing more than 100 felony charges including statutory rape", "Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch owners charged with abuse after women spoke out on TikTok", "Circle of Hope owners 'firmly assert their innocence,' want lower bond in abuse case", "Judge rules on boarding school owners' request to get out of jail on abuse charges", "Owners of Circle of Hope girls ranch face judge in abuse case", "Circle of Hope owners in court for preliminary hearing, victims share details of what happened at the ranch", "Trial date set for former owners of Missouri girls' boarding school charged with abuse", "Missouri AG: judge's ruling and release of reform school owners 'completely improper', "Missouri couple accused of child abuse want home confinement eased to go to Walmart", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Circle_of_Hope_Girls_Ranch&oldid=1160386686, All-girls single-sex reformatory boarding school, This page was last edited on 16 June 2023, at 05:28. Householder alleged that her parents seemed to get sexual gratification from the abuse, stating in the complaint:'At times, the parents would kiss as they switched positions to continue beating the children. An Oklahoma woman is suing the former owners of Circle of Hope Girls Ranch in federal court, accusing them of sex trafficking, racketeering, forced labor and . Both pleaded not guilty during their initial court appearance on Wednesday. Householder has accused the aforementioned individuals and organizations of abusing children, as well as enabling and encouraging each other in their efforts to abuse children. Thats what we were f*****g taught. Boyd and Stephanie Householder were arrested and brought into state custody on March 9, 2021. The Missouri AG said this was one of the most widespread cases of sexual, physical and mental abuse patterns against young girls and women in Missouri history.. The state has been fighting to close Agap ever since. I was sheltered, Breshears says. Working with integrity, our recommendations are based on over 15 years of placement and program experience.