{"id":9690,"date":"2022-03-11T16:42:02","date_gmt":"2022-03-12T00:42:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/?p=9690"},"modified":"2022-03-12T23:34:09","modified_gmt":"2022-03-13T07:34:09","slug":"horizon-academy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/horizon-academy\/","title":{"rendered":"Horizon Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Horizon Academy<\/b> (2004-2013) Amargosa Valley, NV\/La Verkin, UT<\/span><\/h1>\n

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

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

Horizon Academy was a behavior-modification and <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a> program founded by Jade Robinson in 2004. It originally operated under the name <\/span>Bell Academy<\/span><\/a> in Terra Bella, CA, but relocated to Nevada only months after opening under the name Horizon Academy after California officials refused to allow the school to continue to operate there without proper licensing. It is reported that Jade Robinson, who had been working as an adminstrator at <\/span>Casa by the Sea<\/span><\/a>, left to start Bell\/Horizon Academy shortly before CBS was shut down by Mexican authorities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Horizon Academy was marketed as a private, “specialty boarding school” for teenagers aged 13-18. According to their (archived) <\/span>website<\/span><\/a>, they claimed to help teens with a history of “behavior problems including defiance, school troubles, drug or alcohol issues and anger-management difficulties.”<\/span><\/p>\n

It was accredited by the <\/span>Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS)<\/span><\/a>, but it is important to note that neither the United States Department of Education nor the Council for Higher Education Accreditation recognizes the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools as an accrediting agency for institutions of higher education.<\/span><\/p>\n

When asked about the average length of stay in their <\/span>F.A.Q.<\/span><\/a>, Horizon Academy stated “Graduation from Horizon Academy is based solely on the results and changes created by the student in the school. Placing a time limit on graduation takes the focus off of the task at hand, which is making changes that work and last.” It is reported that the avergae stay was between 1-2 years, but it could be much longer. The average tuiton was reported to be as high as $3,795 per month.<\/span><\/p>\n

The original campus was located at <\/span>1492 S Highway 373, Amargosa Valley, NV<\/span><\/a>. In 2011, Horizon Academy moved into the same campus as <\/span>Cross Creek<\/span><\/a> at <\/span>180 N State St. La Verkin, UT 84745<\/span><\/a>, and the programs merged into <\/span>Youth Foundation Inc<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2015, a program called <\/span>Northwest Academy<\/span><\/a> opened in the same location as Horizon Academy. It is widely believed that Northwest Academy is a reincarnation of Horizon Academy, due to Northwest hiring many staff from Horizon Academy and other WWASP programs. In fact, the owners are Marcel and Patricia Chappuis, who both have connections to various WWASP facilities. Northwest Academy was shut down in 2019 after the owners were arrested on charges of allowing child abuse and neglect in connection with the discovery of arsenic in the school’s water supply. This campus is now the location of another Residential Treatment program called <\/span>Never Give Up Youth Healing Center<\/b>, although this program does not appear to be outwardly affiliated with <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Jade Robinson<\/b> was the Founder and and Owner of Horizon Academy. He started his career in behavior modification as a staff member of WWASP\u2019s <\/span>Spring Creek Lodge<\/span><\/a> in Montana. He also worked for a time at the notorious <\/span>Tranquility Bay<\/span><\/a> in Jamaica until he left to help start <\/span>Casa by the Sea<\/span><\/a> in Ensenada, Mexico. Jade Robinson was part of a staff team directly responsible for transferring kids from CBS to <\/span>High Impact<\/span><\/a>, a brutal boot camp co-owned by Dace Goulding. Around 2003 he attempted to open a program called <\/span>Bell Academy<\/span><\/a> in California which was swiftly shut down due to licensing issues. Casa by the Sea was also shut down in 2004 citing issues with CBS operating an illegitimate pharmacy. After this, he promptly moved across the border to Nevada and opened Horizon Academy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chaffin Pullan<\/b> is reported to have worked as an administrator at Horizon Academy. He first worked for WWASP at <\/span>Cross Creek<\/span><\/a> in 1991 and 1992. In 1996, he moved to Montana to open <\/span>Spring Creek Lodge<\/span><\/a> with his twin brother Cameron Pullan and Robert Lichfield\u2019s brother-in-law, Dan Peart. Many allegations of abuse, as well as Social Services complaints and lawsuits have been leveled at Chaffin Pullan and his brother Cameron Pullan. The Pullan\u2019s served as owners and administrators of the SCL facility until 2009, when the school was closed. The Pullan\u2019s were also involved in <\/span>Camas Ranch<\/b>, an apparent attempt to remake a portion of the facility into an 18+ program, which failed. After this, Chaffin moved on to work at Horizon Academy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jason Finlinson<\/b> is reported to have worked as a day staff at Horizon Academy. He first became involved with WWASP when he served as Director of <\/span>Casa By The Sea<\/span><\/a>. As Administrator of the boys side of CBS, Finlinson was responsible for running a brutal program that systematically abused, deprived and tormented children. He has been accused of rape of a teenage girl and countless incidents of assault and battery. In 2001, he left CBS in order to open the <\/span>Academy at Ivy Ridge<\/span><\/a> in New York. After Ivy Ridge was closed in 2009, Finlinson began working at Horizon Academy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brian Vaifanua<\/b> is reported to have worked as night staff at Horizon Academy. Vaifanua started his career with WWASP at <\/span>Cross Creek<\/span><\/a>. Then in 1994, he opened <\/span>Paradise Cove<\/span><\/a> in Samoa, where he worked as Director. After Paradise Cove was shut down he moved back to Cross Creek and then went on to become director of <\/span>Midwest Academy<\/span><\/a>, in Keokuk Iowa.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Like other <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a> programs, Horizon Academy used a level system based on a merit\/demerit structure. The levels were called “statuses.”<\/span><\/p>\n

According to their <\/span>website<\/span><\/a>, “using a choice-based system, students earn merits\/demerits for daily choices. This allows students to recognize the positive and negative consequences for personal decisions. With self-awareness, positive attitude and hard work, students progress through six statuses. Each status advancement earns additional responsibilities and privileges that for most students, were previously taken for granted. This process allows students to create the results they desire and earn their rewards.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The program at Horizon Academy, like other WWASP facilities, followed a strict set of rules. Everyday activities like speaking, using the bathroom, walking freely between rooms, taking showers and talking to parents were restricted by staff. Rule infractions were punishable by demerits, in which a resident would lose a certain amount of the points they had accumulated and would therefore be forced to remain in the program for longer.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the school was co-ed, the boys and girls in the program were seperated. There was no regular mixing of the genders. They do not dine together, they did not study together, they were only allowed in each other’s presence during joint lecture series or the odd field trip.<\/span><\/p>\n

Horizon Academy has been reported by survivors to have used excessive restraints and solitary confinement, called “isolation.” It has also been reported that the program practiced conversion therapy on its LGBTQ+ residents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Until the behavior of the teenager was modified to a certain level in the level system, the only kind of communication with family is by letters. Phone calls are considered a privilege. Once both the parents and the detained teenager had taken part in a number of “seminars” (<\/span>LGAT’s<\/span><\/a>) the parents were allowed to visit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Daily Schedule<\/b><\/h2>\n

The following is the daily schedule at Horizon Academy (2009), as described by their <\/span>website<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n