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the
elan school
east
coast, us
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SURVIVOR ACCOUNT #1
By
Anonymous
Everything
in my statement is true. I give HEAL permission to use my statement.
Do NOT send your child to Elan.
Read this before you decide.
Elan is a terrible tormenting place. If a child needs help Elan or
places similar should never be considered. It should not even be allowed
to be on a list of options. A child may need some time to find a
positive path but just because Elan separates that child from the
outside world for an extended period of time(two-three years unless
you're lucky enough to be taken out or runaway and not be
captured)doesn't mean it helps. All of the exits are guarded at all
times by students. Being screamed at by four different people at once
and let's estimate about an average of three times a day for two years
is not just not healthy but is clearly insane.
The first day I arrived at Elan I walked into a room where a "three
house ring" and "general meeting" was being held. A boy's
nose was the receiving end of a boxing glove and blood streaming down
his face was the result from being in the "Ring". Then about
one hundred and fifty students in rows of about five all "got their
feelings off", which involves screaming and swearing in a persons
face who is deemed to have done something "wrong" in the eyes
of the so called "Directors" of the school that is a
"General Meeting". The "Directors" keep the momentum
of these unbelievable events going. I always wished my parents would
make a surprise visit and stumble in on a "General Meeting".
What would they think?
("General Meetings" could happen as often as two or more times
a day. "Rings" happened occasionally, which consist of a
circle of students surrounding the "offender" and the other
student who are both wearing boxing gloves. The outside circle is
taunting the offender while the two box. When the student gets tired
another takes his or her place to be in the ring with the
"offender")
The "Directors" are the ones who tightly control each of the
students lives. Reading students mail, having phone calls listened to so
that nothing could breach their operation of making $50,000 a head a
year per student.
At night a student stays awake to guard the dorms of his or her gender.
Every ten minutes for eight hours a night a "bed check" is
conducted. Each student has their sheets lifted up and a flashlight is
shone on the students body to make sure they don't have any hidden
clothing to take with them in the event that they try to run away. Could
you imagine having your sheets pulled up every ten minutes for eight
hours every night for years? Can you imagine that students are expected,
who are in positions of responsibility, to stay up all night and be a
"night guard"? And if you fall asleep you will be punished and
be made to scrub the floors for a couple of days and have your shoe
laces taken away.
"The Corner", which is really a term dubbed for being put into
isolation, is used to take a child who is not conforming with Elan out
of the population. Another student is then placed with them as a
"support person". This support person could be subject to the
other student acting out, which could involve attempts at self
mutilation, being spat on, sworn at, screamed at, exposed to the
students genitals, exposed to them masturbating for shock effect but
Elan has a no kick out policy. The "support person" may be
expected to physically restrain the acting out student. Sometimes the
support person had to hold them down on the floor and have plastic
restraints put on the student so his or her hands are behind his or her
back. Sometimes this student who is acting out could be in the corner
for over a month. Spending his or her days facing the corner of a wall
and sleeping on a dingy mattress on the floor. This student could spend
a month acting crazy like this and then stop and come out of "the
corner" only to be put right back in because he or she starts
acting out again. Usually there was at least one student in "the
corner" for the two year period I was there. Also if the
"support person" may take their eyes off this other student in
"the corner" and he or she decides to self mutilate and
succeeds then the "support person" will be stripped of his or
her position of responsibility and made to scrub floors for a time of
maybe two to three days. Can you believe that this is allowed to go on?
A fifteen year old child being forced into this responsibility if he or
she wants to succeed in Elan? Also that child who is"acting
out" does so because he or she is standing up for themselves albeit
it is in a damaging fashion but that is how a person may cope when being
forced to stay in a place like Elan.
The school curriculum, is fabulous for an unmotivated child, with no
test, exams, or projects it couldn't be better. When parents receive
news that their child, who was once possibly failing in school, is now
getting great marks they could only think that Elan is doing something
right. That is one of the tactics Elan uses to decept parents and school
boards but ultimately rob that child of a real education.
Could you imagine not being allowed to go outside when you want? When I
was in Elan you pretty much got outside once a week for a gym class. If
you were lucky you got to go out for special outings maybe once every
month or two but that only happens after about six months, which I would
say is about the average length of time it takes for the
"brainwashing effect" to be fully active in a student. After
that constant fear and guilt consumes a student and everything from
brushing up against the opposite sex to taking a minute longer in the
shower than is allowed is written down on a piece of paper(referred to
in Elan as "copping to your guilt") and given to the powers at
be so they know your every move. So basically everything that Elan deems
as "wrong" is instilled through feeling immense guilt and
usually eventually you fess up. When I was in Elan for about a month I
spat in a staff member's coffee but nobody knew except me. A year later
I told on myself. By the way Elan is co-ed but no physical or flirty
behaviour is allowed. Can you imagine a house full of hormonal teens
being watched over so severely that you're scared to look someone of the
opposite sex in the eye for too long? I received a " general
meeting" for being flirty. I had people scream and swear in my face
for ten minutes because I am human. This is where the ultimate control
happens and the "Directors" or staff were ruthless. They would
scream and swear in your face and make you feel absolutely hopeless.
They controlled the level of fear among the students.
Can being around all of these things and many other detrimental things
for years be conducive to grow up healthy? Because you really are
growing up in Elan. Two or sometimes three years during your teens is
crucial and Elan tears those pages right out of your life. THEY CAN
NEVER BE REPLACED.
If you would like to submit your statement regarding
Elan, click here. |
