{"id":9668,"date":"2022-03-11T16:27:10","date_gmt":"2022-03-12T00:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/?p=9668"},"modified":"2022-03-12T23:36:03","modified_gmt":"2022-03-13T07:36:03","slug":"majestic-ranch-academy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/majestic-ranch-academy\/","title":{"rendered":"Majestic Ranch Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Majestic Ranch Academy<\/b> (1986-2007) Randolph, UT<\/span><\/h1>\n

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

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

Majestic Ranch Academy was a <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a> behavior-modification program founded in 1986. It was marketed as a therapeutic boarding school for children as young as 7 up to the age of 14. The program originally was for boys only, but in 2001 they began accepting girls. MRA had a maximum enrollment of around 60 children, but due to negative publicity surrounding WWASP, in 2007 their enrollment was only around 32 students. The tuition was reported to be nearly $3,000 per month. The campus was located at <\/span>6450 N. Manhead Road, Randolph, UT 84060<\/span><\/a> on a 2000-acre working ranch.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2007, shortly after the 2006 <\/span>Turley lawsuit<\/span><\/a> against WWASP, Majestic Ranch Academy changed its name to <\/span>Old West Academy<\/span><\/a>, which is reported to have been the same program in the same location and likely employed the same staff. Old West Academy continued to operate in this location until 2019. The campus is now called Dot Bar Ranch, but it is not a TTI program. Dot Bar Ranch appears to be a rentable vacation spot for families.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Dan Peart<\/b> is Robert B. Lichfield\u2019s brother-in-law and in 1992, he became the Director of Majestic Ranch Academy. In 1996, he helped open <\/span>Spring Creek Lodge<\/span><\/a> with the Pullan brothers, and served as SCL’s Vice President.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wayne Winder<\/b> was employed by Majestic Ranch 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\/<\/span>Old West Academy<\/span><\/a> 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 Majestic Ranch Academy 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, Majestic Ranch Academy used a level system (called “statuses”) based around children earning merits\/demerits. The six statuses were as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n