The Los Angeles LGBT Center has joined forces with Survivors of Institutional Abuse (SIA) to launch a national campaign to regulate the industry of residential programs that claim to help “troubled” young people, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
The Center’s decision to join with SIA in the campaign is a response to reports of abuse from thousands of young people, and the reported deaths of hundreds of young people.
“It’s outrageous that neighborhood nail salons are more regulated than the industry of residential schools, camps and wilderness programs that are entrusted with the lives of kids,” said David Garcia, the Center’s director of public policy, at a news conference today. “We’ve heard from survivors forced to endure torture techniques that include food and water deprivation, physical abuse, and electric shocks. We’ve also spoken to devastated parents whose children died in these programs.”
David Wernsman, a young gay survivor of a program for “troubled teens,” shared his story of abuse, which is depicted in the 2014 documentary “Kidnapped for Christ.”
“When I was 17, two large men woke me up before dawn, tied a belt around my waist and forced me out of my home,” Wernsman said. “I was taken to a dumping ground—guarded by men with guns—for kids whose families didn’t know how to solve their child’s issue. In my case, it was the fact that I’m gay. The program was an endless nightmare of torture including public beatings and humiliation, hard labor, and sometimes solitary confinement in a windowless cell where we relieved ourselves in a bucket. They blanketed their abusive practices under the guise of Christianity.”
Garcia and Wernsman were joined at the news conference by SIA Executive Director Jodi Hobbs and California State Sen. Ricardo Lara who announced the introduction of his “Protecting Youth from Institutional Abuse Act” (SB 524). The bill, co-sponsored by the Center and SIA, would regulate the “troubled teen” industry, with no exemption for religious-based groups.
“Tragically many young people have experienced horrendous abuse, neglect, and even death at some unregulated youth facilities,” Lara said. “SB 524 would define private alternative youth treatment and education institutions and require them to obtain a license from the Department of Social Services and ensure youth’s rights are protected.”
The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that in just one year (2005), 1,619 program employees—in 33 states—were involved in incidents of abuse. And SIA reports the deaths of more than 300 people who are linked to these programs. Federal legislation is essential, the Center said, because it’s common for programs forced to close in one state to re-open in another, often under a different name. That’s why the Center also announced that it is working with U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff and other leaders in Congress to pass federal legislation to regulate this industry.
“We cannot ignore reports that far too many young people have died and suffered abuse at the hands of those who run and work at residential treatment programs under the guise of providing critical therapy and rehabilitation services,” said Schiff. “This is why I am working with my colleagues to introduce legislation that will hold all residential treatment programs accountable for instances of child abuse. The measure will also increase the transparency of these programs so that parents can make informed and safer choices for their children. Families that turn to these treatment programs for help, often as a last resort, must know that their children are safe and in the care of professionals. “
The Center has launched a website to share information about its “Protect Youth from Institutional Abuse” campaign with an online petition to members of Congress and the California legislature. The site also lists the growing number of organizations that have signed on as campaign supporters.
