Timber Ridge School (1970-present) Cross Junction, VA
Therapeutic Boarding School
History and Background Information
Timber Ridge School (formerly known as Leary Educational Foundation) is a behavior-modification program that opened in 1970. It is marketed as a Therapeutic Boarding School for boys (10-18) who are dealing with challenges such as emotional distress, attachment and trauma-related behavior, social maladjustment, or non-compliant behavioral disorders, poor attention spans, hyper vigilance, legal issues, substance abuse, authority conflicts, disrupted peer and/or family relationships, and inadequate emotional self-regulation levels.
The program is located at 1463 New Hope Rd, Cross Junction, VA 22625.
Founders and Notable Staff
Program Structure
Abuse Allegations and Lawsuits
Survivor/Parent Testimonials
2/2/2021: (SURVIVOR) “Timber Ridge is a top down program. The administration cares more about themselves than the students and only interact with the youth when attempting to demean the line staff. The turn over amongst staff is high, there is no room for employees to advance unless they lick the boots of the administration, and the burnout amongst staff is a real issue. There’s a reason why the ‘hands off’ administration are all well off financially whilst the front line staff struggle to make ends meet. Counseling is a joke and occurs, maybe, once a week. Staff higher up in the organization always try to belittle lower staff so as to make themselves look effective. It’s a thankless job outside of actually impacting a young persons life in a positive way – you never get that from administration who are happy to just show up to have a photo op. Also: why they show the pictures of youth that have been in the program on their website should be illegal considering the reason the youth end up in the program. Also: the young people on the website were in the program 10 years ago and are now adults – if I were them I’d sue…” – Brian (Yelp)
9/11/2013: (PARENT) “Timberidge has some staff that are really serious about their job and really care for the students and they also have some people working there that are just there for a paycheck and to make the young men that live and attend their school a living hell. I experienced as a parent to a young man attending school there rude comments towards me and my son. I do appreciate the people there who have worked with me and my son and truly have cared as if he were their own child. Timberidge has a few bad apples hopefully they will care enough to weed them out.” – Miss B (Yelp)
