{"id":9646,"date":"2022-03-11T16:12:58","date_gmt":"2022-03-12T00:12:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/?p=9646"},"modified":"2022-03-12T23:38:13","modified_gmt":"2022-03-13T07:38:13","slug":"old-west-academy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/old-west-academy\/","title":{"rendered":"Old West Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Old West Academy<\/b> (2007-2019) Randolph, UT<\/span><\/h1>\n

Therapeutic Boarding School<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

History and Background Information<\/b><\/h2>\n

Old West Academy was a <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a>-affiliated behavior-modification program which opened in 2007 in the previous location of <\/span>Majestic Ranch Academy<\/span><\/a>. It is widely recognized as the re-branding of Majestic Ranch, as it used the same program and most of the same staff. It was marketed as a therapeutic boarding school for children as young as 7 to 14. It was located at <\/span>6450 N. Manhead Road, Randolph, UT 84060<\/span><\/a> on a 2000-acre ranch.<\/span><\/p>\n

As of May 2018, marketing for the school was conducted by the Teen Paths subsidiary of <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The program is reported to have closed sometime in 2019 due to a dramatic drop in enrollment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Founders and Notable Staff<\/b><\/h2>\n

Wayne Winder<\/b> was employed by <\/span>Majestic Ranch<\/span><\/a> in 2001 as the Director of the program. In 2002, Wayne was arrested and charged with aggravated sexual abuse, a first-degree felony; child abuse, a second-degree felony; dealing in material harmful to a minor, a third-degree felony; and two counts of child abuse that are class A misdemeanors. This arrest came after reports that Wayne had been sexually abusing children at the facility. However, he was allowed to continue working at Majestic Ranch\/Old West Academy as the Personnel Director and Daily Living Coordinator until at least 2012. Although the school claimed Winder was no longer the director of the program following his arrest, it has been widely reported that this was untrue, and he still maintained his role as Director and overseer of the program.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tammy Johnson<\/b> was reported to have become the Director of <\/span>Majestic Ranch Academy<\/span><\/a> in July, 2002. She supposedly took over as Director following Winder’s arrest in June, 2002. However, it has been reported that this was more a publicity move, and that her role within the school was not actually as the director.<\/span><\/p>\n

Program Structure<\/b><\/h2>\n

Like other <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a> programs, Old West Academy used a level system (called “statuses”) based around children earning merits\/demerits. The six statuses were as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n