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Parents
To Sue Association
By Tim Rogers
Tico Times Staff
trogers@ticotimes.net
After months of planning and organizing, an underground parents'
network opposed to the behavior-modification practices employed by
the Utah-based World-Wide Association of Specialty Programs (WWASP)
is now prepared to surface and slap the umbrella organization with
a massive class-action lawsuit, The Tico Times has learned.
Two high-profile California-based
law firms, Huron Law Group LLP and Masry & Vititoe - the latter made famous by the movie "Erin
Brockovich" - are planning to enter the class-action suit in
a Northern District Federal Court of California today, attorney
Ed Masry told The Tico Times yesterday.
The lawsuit is expected to name all nine WWASP affiliates in the
U.S., Mexico, Jamaica, and Costa Rica's recently closed Dundee Ranch
Academy, a facility on the grounds of a former resort hotel in the
central Pacific town of Orotina.
Dundee, home to 200 troubled teens mostly from the U.S., was forced
to close last month following two government interventions to investigate
allegations of abuse, including reports of physical restraint and
sentencing youths to hours of solitary confinement, and allegations
of drugging the students.
The interventions spun out of control when Prosecutor Fernando Vargas
explained to the students their rights under Costa Rican law, sparking
rebellion, violent rioting and 35 students running away (TT, May
23).
Since the program closed, all the youths have been relocated to their
homes in the U.S., or to WWASP's sister programs in Montana and Jamaica
(TT, May 30; June 6, 13).
MANY Dundee parents adamantly
defend the facility, insisting that the program's "tough-love" tactics
helped their sons or daughters through severe discipline and drug
problems. Several parents
have told The Tico Times in past months that their children
were on a potentially fatal crash course and that Dundee provided
a life-saving
emergency brake.
Dundee owner and Utah native Narvin Lichfield, 42, was jailed for
24 hours May 23 on allegations of abuse, coercion and rights violations.
He is currently under court order to remain in the country while the
Prosecutor's Office continues to investigate what went on during Dundee's
20-month existence here.
The recent problems at Dundee have also prompted authorities in Jamaica
and Utah to take new interest in the WWASP programs there, and this
week impelled the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina
to open an investigation of Lichfield's other behavior-modification
program, Carolina Springs.
According to Masry, the class-action lawsuit will accuse WWASP of
deceptive trade practices, violation of the 1983 Civil Rights Act,
civil racketeering, false advertising and assault and battery.
The lawyers also will ask the judge to slap all WWASP facilities
with temporary cease-and-desist orders, Masry said.
California father Chris Goodwin is expected to be a key plaintiff
in the case, but it is not yet clear how many other victims will be
involved.
Goodwin, who led the charge
to close a WWASP-associated program in Mexico, claims his son was
severely abused at the now-defunct "High
Impact" program. According to Goodwin, at the Mexican facility
his son was locked in a dog cage for a week at a time, hog-tied
for three days, had his thumb twisted back and broken by a staffer,
and
had his teeth knocked through his lips by an employee who
smashed his face in the ground repeatedly (TT, March 14).
WWASP earns more than $80 million worldwide each year, according
to some estimates. It is not clear how much the class-action suit
will request in damages.
WWASP president Ken Kay told The Tico Times this week he was unaware
of the class-action suit, but doesn't think the organization will
be held liable for any wrongdoing. He said WWASP is a non-profit membership
organization that doesn't own or operate any schools.
Meanwhile, in Costa Rica, separate legal proceedings against Dundee
moved ahead this week following last Friday's deposition by Robin
Crawford, mother of former Dundee student Cody. Crawford told the
judge Dundee falsely advertised itself and its staff physically and
emotionally abused her son (TT, June 13).
Lichfield, who estimated he lost $20 million because of his program's
closure, has not returned repeated Tico Times phone calls
over the last two weeks.
This article was reprinted with permission from
The Tico Times; www.ticotimes.net
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