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CROSS CREEK MANOR
Blanche Hardy
Granbury, Texas
blancheamber@aol.com
September 8, 2002
I am the grandmother of a child who was placed in Cross Creek Manor.
I finally got her released, and in my opinion, this place should be closed. I shall start my list of reasons for this by describing
what was done to her, according to her reports. For the first three months she was there, she was linked to two other students. She
was only released from the linking when they found out I had a lawsuit going. She also felt she was being humiliated by the way she
was being talked to and was not given any privacy, even in the rest room. She claims to have been strip-searched and emotionally stripped
of her dignity and reports the food was unbearable.
The schooling, which they call Browning Academy, consisted she claims, of being handed a schoolbook and occasionally being tested. She
received A's when she was given neither a test, nor a book on a subject, according to my granddaughter. My assumption is that this was
done to show the parents how well their child is doing in this so-called program.
When I enrolled her in school this year, the counselor noted that she had an A in theater from Cross Creek. My granddaughter claims
to have never had class on theater, nor was she ever given a textbook. She reported to me that their students are constantly being called
profanity names, with other students encouraged to join in. My granddaughter said she was frequently a target of the name calling because
of my lawsuit, however, the profanity wasn't limited to her.
She told me she had tried to commit suicide while she was there and no doctor was called. She said she was put in isolation and laid
on a concrete floor for hours while throwing up. The children are frequently placed in isolation according to my granddaughter, and
are locked up for indefinite times with nothing but a concrete floor to lie on. She indicated she was threatened with "consequences"
as they call them, if she testified against them in court. One of their main terms is "accountability" for one's actions.
I would like to see them be held accountable for what I consider to be their abuse of these children.
I have contacted the licensing dept. in Utah, which is investigating potential violations, and the school board, which is investigating
their teaching credentials.
I feel these children go through horrendous mental abuse. My granddaughter did not suffer physical abuse, but reported to me that others
did, but were not allowed to tell, or they would again suffer "consequences".
They are listed on the Internet as a Private School, Correctional Facility Lockdown or Residential Treatment Center. What are they?
I do know that they are not a Residential Treatment Center because I've learned my granddaughter's counselor was not even licensed,
nor did he have the educational background, to counsel. He wrote a letter and she told me he made her copy it, asking me to drop the
lawsuit. If she did not copy it, she claims she was told there would be "consequences". He only stated in his deposition that
he "helped" her, however did admit that he was not licensed to counsel anyone.
My granddaughter is still having nightmares about her stay there. I highly recommend to all parents to investigate any facility where
you are thinking about sending your children. Once they arrive, students are not allowed any contact with the parents for a few months
and when they are, they are monitored as to what they can tell. You are putting your child in the hands of strangers and they can't
even report to you as to what is happening. PARENTS BEWARE!!!!
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