{"id":9719,"date":"2022-03-11T17:01:49","date_gmt":"2022-03-12T01:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/?p=9719"},"modified":"2022-03-11T17:01:49","modified_gmt":"2022-03-12T01:01:49","slug":"discovery-academy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/discovery-academy\/","title":{"rendered":"Discovery Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Discovery Academy<\/b> (1989-present) Provo, UT<\/span><\/h1>\n

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

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

Discovery Academy is an <\/span>Ascent Company<\/span><\/a> behavior-modification program founded in 1989. It is marketed as a Therapeutic Boarding School for teenagers aged 13-18. The program is divided into a Girls’ program and a Boys’ program, and, interetsingly, the issues they report being able to help treat are different for the two programs. The boys program enrolls boys’ who struggle with “Learning disabilities, ADHD\/ADD, Adoption issues, Appropriate assertiveness, Substance abuse, Depression, Trauma, Wilderness transition, and Family communication.” The girls’ program enrolls girls who struggle with “Trauma, Emotional regulation, Physical or sexual abuse, Adoption issues, Self harm, Learning disabilities, Substance abuse, and Depression.” The average length of stay is reported to be between 6 and 18 months. When the school opened, it had a maximum enrollment of 24, but their that has since grown substanitally and is currently at 82 teenagers. The school’s motto is “Discovering who you are and learning what you can become.” Discovery Academy has been a <\/span>NATSAP<\/span><\/a> member since 1999.<\/span><\/p>\n

The program is located at <\/span>105 N 500 W, Provo, UT 84601<\/span><\/a>. The campus is divided in two, with one side for the Boys’ program and one side for the Girls’. In addition, Discovery Academy is a sister program to <\/span>RedCliff Ascent<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Discovery Ranch<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Discovery Ranch For Girls<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Discovery Connections<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Oxbow Academy<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Discovery Academy is “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 NAAS as an accrediting agency for institutions of higher education. NAAS is an organization that has “accredited” many notoriously abusive behavior-modification programs, including <\/span>many<\/span><\/i> WWASP<\/span><\/a> programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Discovery Academy is believed to be a spin-off program of the notoriously abusive <\/span>Provo Canyon School<\/span><\/a>, which is located only about 6 miles from DA. Provo Canyon School is a confirmedly abusive program, and is widely regarded as the birthplace of the extremely abusive <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a> organization. Discovery Academy is owned, founded, and directed by former Provo Canyon School executives and staff members and, although the school maintained it was not connected to PCS, the school utilizes a very similar program model and structure.<\/span><\/p>\n

Founders and Notable Staff<\/b><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Eugene Thorne<\/b> was the Founder of Discovery Academy. He previously worked as the co-owner of <\/span>Provo Canyon School<\/span><\/a>, a confirmedly abusive behavior-modification program which is also where many of the founders and staff members of <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a> began their careers, until 1986. He is reported to have practiced the controversial <\/span>Aversion Therapy<\/span><\/a> during his time at BYU in the 1970’s. He passed away unexpectedly on December 19, 2018, at the age of 84. <\/span>Link<\/span><\/a> to his obituary.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Brent Hall<\/b> is the Executive Director of Discovery Academy. He previously worked at the confirmedly abusive <\/span>Provo Canyon School<\/span><\/a>, which is widely regarded as the birthplace of the <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a> organization. He also worked for a time as the Director of <\/span>NATSAP<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Matt Child<\/b> is the current Clinical Director of Discovery Ranch. He began his career at DR working as a Therapist.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Robert Crist<\/b> is the Owner\/Vice President of Discovery Academy. Crist was also the founder of the notoriously abusive <\/span>Provo Canyon School<\/span><\/a> (which is widely regarded as the birthplace of the <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a> organization), as well as <\/span>Silverado Academy\/Boys Ranch<\/span><\/a>. He also worked as the Medical Director for the notoriously abusive <\/span>Logan River Academy<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

    Like other behavior-modification programs, Discovery Academy utilizes a level-system consisting of four levels. Residents progress through the levels by earning points while avoiding demerits, which are given for negative behaviors and rule violations. This merit\/demerit system is very common in many behavior-modificiation programs, including the extremely abusive <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a> programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

    According to <\/span>one survivor<\/span><\/a>, “the program had 4 levels, divided into “plus” and “minus”, greater divided into “upper”, “middle”, and “lower” levels. “upper” levels are between 3 and 4+, “mid” levels are between 2 and 3, ”lower” levels are between 1- and 2-. Each group were given certain privileges, for example upper levels were allowed outside jobs, could leave campus, and were given greater deals of money for trips as well as more posh outings. “mid” levels were allowed trips to movies and other activities with less money allotted towards themselves, and “lower” levels were not allowed any privileges.”<\/span><\/p>\n

    Survivors report that students at DA are prohibited from contacting their parents by phone for the first few months of enrollment. All subsequent phone calls are strictly monitored and terminated if the student says anything negative about D.A. All mail, both incoming and out-going, is monitored and censored. Letters critical of DA are never sent and detainees were ordered to re-write them to D.A.’s satisfaction. Many incoming letters to students were never delivered, including those sent by parents.<\/span><\/p>\n

    All detainees are reportedly forced to comply with fundamentalist Mormon teachings. Mormonism is regularly pushed onto students. Atheism or agnosticism are considered to be problems in need of fixing. All boys are forced to have their heads shaved on enrollment. Girls are often forced to have their hair cut depending on the circumstances. No form of individual expression is permitted at DA. Strict military-style conformity is reportedly imposed on all students. DA is also reported to be extremely anti-gay and homophobic.<\/span><\/p>\n

    All education is reportedly “self-study”, meaning students are given study books and, when ready, can opt for the test. It is reported that there are no teachers that actually teach at DA, but instead the teachers there are strictly guards. No proper education is offered at D.A, instead, a student’s success and growth was left completely up to them with little to no guidelines on what to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

    DA does not employ any medical staff. When serious injuries are sustained by students, they are taken to the local emergency room, who never question the number of injuries sustained by the school.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Individual therapy sessions are conducted by reportedly barely-qualified employees and consist of verbal abuse and religious preaching. Group therapy is supposedly offered to students, however, more often they were group sessions in which many students suffered even further emotional and mental abuse.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Discovery Academy is also known to use soliatry confinement as punishment, which is colloquially known by residents as the “hole in the wall”. A survivor has provided the following <\/span>photo<\/span><\/a> of what this room looks like. It has been reported by survivors that teenagers at DA can spend weeks in solitary confinement, forced to do nothing but stare at the wall.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The facilities shown on Discovery Academy’s <\/span>website<\/span><\/a> are reported by survivors to be misleading. According to an <\/span>image posted to the Subreddit<\/span><\/a>, the program’s actual facilities are nowhere near what is shown on their website.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Abuse and Lawsuits<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Discovery Academy is widely reported to be an extremely abusive program. Survivors report emotional, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of the employees of DA. Some of these instances of reported abuse and neglect include:<\/span><\/p>\n