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West Ridge Academy
Location
West Jordan, Utah, USA
Information
School type	private
Denomination	nondenominational
Director	Kenneth Allen
Age range	9 - 17
Enrollment	150
Website	http://westridgeacademy.com/

West Ridge Academy (known as the Utah Boys Ranch until 2005), is a youth rehabilitation boarding school (classified as a "therapeutic school" according to Utah statutes) based in West Jordan, Utah, USA. It seeks to provide clinical services, education, and other programs for teens at risk. It is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation under the name Children and Youth Services, Inc. The academy states that it provides "quality clinical services, education, and experiences which promote spiritual awareness, personal accountability and change of heart."

Until 2005, the Utah Boys Ranch was male-only. In early 2005, it opened new, separate facilities for girls and changed its name to West Ridge Academy.

Stated purpose and governance

Currently the stated purpose of the West Ridge Academy is "to offer hope and healing to families" by establishing "new coping skills and moral and spiritual values that will propel them into a more functional and peaceful way of life." The board of directors is composed of prominent Utah residents including BYU religion instructor Sally Wyne and LaVar Christensen, and past board members included Utah Senator Delpha Baird, West Jordan city Judge Ronald Kunz, and police chief Ken McGuire. The current executive director is Kenneth R. Allen, who is also director of Proficio Management, a management company owned by the academy. Since their founding, they state they have helped over 25,000 teens. West Ridge is licensed by the Utah Department of Human Services.. The license of West Ridge Academy is reviewed annually and the organization receives periodic visits from a licensing specialist to monitor and provide technical assistance and to insure compliance with Core and Categorical Rules of Treatment. The Utah Division of Child and Family Services responds to West Ridge Academy upon an allegation of child abuse or neglect.

History and controversy

The Utah Boys Ranch was founded by Lowell L. Bennion and a group of his associates in 1964. Later, leadership changed hands and Utah State Senator Chris Buttars became the executive director and remained so for more than fifteen years before retiring amid controversy.

On May 15, 2008, Tyler Elsey, a former West Ridge Academy resident, filed a lawsuit alleging negligence and sexual abuse against West Ridge Academy in Utah District court. As of June 2009, the case is inactive (the status in the Utah court system is given as "notice of removal").

On January 2, 2009, Eric Norwood published an article alleging abuses and controversial practices at the ranch. On January 9, 2009, Salt Lake City radio station KRCL invited Senator Buttars, West Ridge staff, and Eric Norwood on their talk show RadioActive! to discuss the article, but Buttars and West Ridge Academy declined.

Former students and staff at the academy allege there is a strong connection with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the Mormon Church), although the Academy maintains that it is nondenominational. Although Ken Allen, the academy's director, said the (Latter-Day Saint) missionaries role is pivotal in the reformation of the boys and girls who attend West Ridge Academy.

References

1. "Admissions". West Ridge Academy web site.
2. Ball, Fred (October 3, 2007). "Fred Ball Speaking on Business". KSL Radio Small Business Resource Center. KSL. Retrieved June 13, 2009.
3. "Home page". West Ridge Academy web site.
4. "Strugglingteens.com review of West Ridge Academy".
5. "West Ridge Academy program description". West Ridge Academy web site. Retrieved 6/9/2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
6. "West Ridge Academy 2007 tax form 990" (PDF). p. 20.
7. "Board of Trustees". Web Archive of Utah Boys Ranch website. Retrieved 6/9/2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
8. "Home page". Proficio Management web site.
9. "West Ridge Academy 2007 tax form 990" (PDF). p. 8.
10. "West Ridge Academy Staff", West Ridge Academy, retrieved 6/9/2009 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
11. "West Ridge Academy web site home page". West Ridge Academy web site. Retrieved 6/9/2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
12. "UT Admin Code R501-15. Therapeutic Schools". Retrieved 6/9/2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
13. "Utah Department of Human Services licensure records for West Ridge Academy". Retrieved 6/9/2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
14. Bradford, Mary Lythgoe (1995). Lowell L. Bennion: Teacher, Counselor, Humanitarian. Dialogue Foundation. pp. 214–215. ISBN 1560850817.
15. Illegal Goings On at the Utah Boys Ranch?, Associated Press, 2004 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |day= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
16. "Elsey v. West Ridge Academy case #2:2008cv00390". Federal District Court Filings. Retrieved 6/12/2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
17. Norwood, Eric (2009-01-02). "Trapped In A Mormon Gulag". Orato Media Corp. Retrieved 2009-02-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
18. Gena Edvalson (2009-01-13). "RadioActive! Jan 9 The Mormon Gulag". KRCL RadioActive website. Retrieved 6/9/2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
19. Frequently cited examples of this connection with the Mormon church include the following:
    • There are several elderly couples called as Mormon service missionaries at the Academy. These missionaries state that they do not proselytize, but provide spiritual counsel for the youths that come to them. Farmer, Molly (April 15, 2009). "West Ridge Academy missionaries tutor with love". MormonTimes. Deseret News. Ken Allen, the academy's director, has stated that the missionaries' role is pivotal in the reformation of the boys and girls who attend West Ridge Academy.Farmer, Molly (April 15, 2009). "West Ridge Academy missionaries tutor with love". MormonTimes. Deseret News.
    • Prior to 2005, while operating under the name, Utah Boys Ranch, the logo of the facility included the phrase, "Do What is Right, Let the Consequence Follow". This is also the title of an LDS hymn.""Do What Is Right...Let the Consequence Follow" Our Yearly Theme". Web Archive of Utah Boys Ranch website. Retrieved 6/9/2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
    • A past Director of the Utah Boys Ranch insinuated that the facility "promotes and teaches religious principles.""A Message From Our Director". Web Archive of Utah Boys Ranch website. Retrieved 6/9/2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
    • Some former residents claim that they were forced to read from The Book of Mormon.Norwood, Eric (2009-01-02). "Trapped In A Mormon Gulag". Orato Media Corp. Retrieved 2009-02-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
20. http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/curr/accred/reports/TeamReports/WestRidgeAcad.pdf
21. http://utah.schooltree.org/Salt-Lake-County-Schools.html
22. http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives/2006/pdf/146-October06.pdf
23. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20090415/ai_n31538696/

External links

• Academy official website
• Site run by former students stating abusive and unethical practices
• State of Utah Administrative Code: Rule R501-15: Therapeutic Schools

• Behavior modification
• Boarding schools in Utah
• Private schools in Utah
• Salt Lake County, Utah
• Special schools in the United States
• Youth rights