Old West Academy
| Old West Academy | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
6450 Manhead Rd Rich County, Utah 84064 | |
| Information | |
| Former name | Majestic Ranch Academy |
| School type | Private |
| Founder | 1986 |
| Closed | 2019 |
| Director | Tammy Johnson[2] |
| Age range | 7 - 14[3] |
| Affiliation | World Wide Association of Specialty Programs[1] |
Old West Academy, formerly Majestic Ranch Academy,[3] was a Boarding school located in Randolph, Utah. Founded in 1986, it housed boys and girls with behavioral issues, ages 7 to 14.[4]
As of May 2018, marketing for the school was conducted by the Teen Paths subsidiary of the controversial World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools.[3]
Controversy
[edit]Like other schools marketed by Teen Paths and associated the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools, there have been numerous allegations of physical and sexual abuse at Old West Academy. In 2002, academy director Wayne Winder was arrested and charged with aggravated sexual abuse, child abuse, and dealing in material harmful to a minor after he allegedly sexually abused students and showed them pornography. A staff member was fired after reporting child abuse at the school to police. Students at the school had limited contact with their parents and the outside world, and all telephone calls were monitored by staff, making it difficult to report abuse.[5]
There was very little regulatory oversight of the school, and staff apparently received minimal training to prepare them to handle children with behavioral problems. Even after Wayne Winder's arrest on child sexual abuse charges, he continued working at the school as the director.[6]
In 2005, the mother of a male student at the academy filed a lawsuit against the school, claiming that her son was seriously injured after Sean E. Coombs slammed him against a wall and a table, threw him, and struck him. The lawsuit also alleged that the boy was repeatedly restrained and placed in handcuffs during his time at the school.[7]
Reported punishements included students being forced to stand barefoot on milk crates for long hours, outdoors, in sub-freezing temperatures.[8][moved resource?]
References
[edit]- ^ Hayes, Toby (June 18, 2003). "Boarding schools go unchecked in Utah". Deseret News. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "Majestic Ranch Academy". Archived from the original on December 19, 2003. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Old West Academy Specialized Boarding School for Pre-teens". www.teenpaths.org. Archived from the original on December 2, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ^ Stewart, Kirsten (July 16, 2007). "Loophole in state law has allowed some in teen-help industry to go unlicensed". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on January 5, 2025. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ^ Thomson, Linda (June 15, 2002). "Youth director charged with abuse". DeseretNews.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
- ^ Hayes, Toby (June 18, 2003). "Boarding schools go unchecked in Utah". DeseretNews.com. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
- ^ "Mother Files Lawsuit, Claims Boarding School Abused Son | KSL.com". April 22, 2005. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "Majestic Ranch Academy, Memoirs of a Troubled Teen". CNN iReport. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
External links
[edit]- Majestic Ranch Academy homepage Archived November 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- Old West Academy homepage Archived December 11, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
41°47′18″N 111°6′15″W / 41.78833°N 111.10417°W
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