Diamond Ranch Academy

The Diamond Ranch Academy is a residential treatment center and therapeutic boarding school in Hurricane, Utah. It admits adolescents with various issues, including ADHD predominantly inattentive,[1][2] using what they call the "Real Life Transition Program", which includes a peer participant judicial system which uses citations, fines, and an appeal process,[3] with an emphasis on the participants solving real life problems. It enrolls young people between 12 and 18 years of age.

Not to be confused with Diamond Ranch High School in Pomona, California
The football field at Diamond Ranch Academy

Diamond Ranch Academy was founded in Boise, Idaho, in 1999 by Rob Dias and later moved to southern Utah,[4] where it occupied a 200-acre (81 ha) ranch.[5][6][7] Enrollees aged 12 to 17 were housed in age- and gender-specific groups on four separate areas of the ranch.[5][6][7] Students who had reached the age of 18 before completing the program were housed in a fifth area.[7] In 2012, a new campus was opened at a site about 5 miles (8.0 km) from Hurricane.[8]

The academy's motto is "Healing Families, One Youth at a Time." Its education programs are accredited by the Northwest Accreditation Commission, and its courses generally last between ten and twelve months. Activities include various sports, including interscholastic competition, as well as caring for farm animals.[7]

In 2013, there were news media reports that Paris Jackson, daughter of singer Michael Jackson, was being placed at Diamond Ranch Academy.[9][10] Paris Jackson has since stated that she suffered symptoms of PTSD after attending the school.[11]

Child Abuse Allegations and Deaths

There have been multiple allegations of abuse at Diamond Ranch Academy; two students died under the care of Diamond Ranch Academy and a sexual abuse lawsuit was filed in 2017.[12][13][14][15] A website titled DRASurvivors collected and displayed accounts of students who had accused the institution of abuse but the website was closed after Diamond Ranch Academy sued its owner and took over the domain; however, the websites archive can still be found online.[16][17] Other informal reports of abuse can still be found on r/troubledteens on Reddit.[18]

References
  1. Diamond Ranch Academy
  2. "Home - Diamond Ranch Academy". Diamond Ranch Academy. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  3. "The Real Life Transition Program" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
  4. News, Idaho Falls (2017-07-31). "Diamond Ranch Academy Review". Idaho Falls Spokesperson. Retrieved 2017-07-31.
  5. DIAMOND RANCH ACADEMY New Perspectives, Woodbury Reports website, July 30, 2004
  6. "Diamond Ranch Academy Tuition, Financing & Tax Deductions". Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
  7. Judith E. Bessette, Visit Report: Diamond Ranch Academy, Woodbury Reports website, April 28, 2010
  8. https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2012/11/28/morgan-diamond-ranch-academy-teen-treatment-facility-opens-new-hurricane-campus/
  9. Mohan, Keerthi (July 8, 2013). "Paris Jackson To Be Enrolled In Utah's Diamond Ranch Academy, A School For Troubled Teens, After She Checks Out Of Hospital Following Suicide Bid". International Business Times.
  10. Toomey, Alyssa; Machado, Baker (July 9, 2013). "Paris Jackson's Potential Treatment Facility: An Inside Look at Diamond Ranch". E! Online.
  11. "Paris Jackson Supports Paris Hilton, Says She Was Diagnosed with PTSD After Attending Similar School". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  12. "Abuse allegations continue at Utah residential youth treatment facilities". america.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
  13. "Girl, 16, files sexual assault lawsuit against Diamond Ranch". The Spectrum & Daily News. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
  14. Jilliestake (2013-11-01). "Jillie's Take!: DIAMOND RANCH ACADEMY - CONFIRMATION - ANOTHER CHILD'S LIFE IS LOST - "SUICIDE COMPLETION"". Jillie's Take!. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
  15. "New lawsuit against Diamond Ranch Academy". Minors in residential placement research center. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
  16. "Diamond Ranch Academy Survivors | Abuse is NOT Treatment!". 2017-01-03. Archived from the original on 2017-01-03. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
  17. "Diamond Ranch Academy v. Filer, No. 2:2014cv00751 - Document 55 (D. Utah 2015)". Justia Law. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  18. "r/troubledteens - Diamond Ranch Academy". reddit. Retrieved 2019-02-07.


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