My name is mike burnette. I arrived at agape in july of 2006 and spent 6 months there. I left the program without graduating due to my horrible experience there(and i did return home to finish high school and am about to begin my third year of pharmacy school in San Antonio, TX). When i first arrived, i was stripped searched, and all of my personal belongings (from my shoes to my boxers) were confiscated from me. Then i was moved into another room (now only in boxers) and they shaved my head. Then orientation began. Orientation lasted 3 weeks and consisted of non stop workouts in triple digit heat from the time i woke up until the time i went to sleep. Not to mention i was allowed absolutely no contact with my family for the first 30 days i was there. We were also not allowed to speak to one another. Do you know what it’s like for a teenager to not be able to carry on a conversation with his peers? It’s absolutely horrible. Then there was “restraint.” This is a form of punishment when 4-6 of the staff members take you into a small room and manipulate your pressure points, and throw you around a little bit. During my time at Agape, i was restrained numerous times, and evertime i was restrained, i walked out of the restraint room bleeding, or bruised. I remember one specific time Brother Brian (the son of the founder and owner Mr. Clemens) elbowed me in the back of the head, causing my face to slam against the concrete-reinforced wall in the restraint room(Agape is located in tornado alley so therefore has concrete reinforced walls). This left a giant bruise and cut on the left side of my face that i still have a scar from. Brother Brian routinely bragged about his “jurassic-elbow” and the effect it had on us. And thats coming from the son of the owner? And they clame to be a Christian school?? Thats hard to believe when the men that preach to you also physically beat you. My experiences at Agape were horrible, and because of that, i returned home a worse son then when i first arrived there. I came back with the bitter resentment that my mother had sent me to that wretched place. I had all this pent up anger towards the staff at Agape, and i took it out on my family. And it stayed that way until i began seeing a psycologist. I would not suggest Agape Boarding School to any family out there. I am so cionfident that you can find a better boarding school for your son that will use much better tactics for reform.
A personal account from the point of past students from Agape Boarding School.
Abraham Alexander here. . .Enrolled Feb.19th, 2003. Since my departure, i have made it my lifes goal to free myself of the terror implanted within my spirit.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the vast array of abuse i endured, throughout my stay at agape' I became thoroughly convinced of an impending damnation awaiting my immortal soul, of which will last an eternity. Exposure to this psychologically invasive material, in addition to the ''No talking to any body, ever, without a staff member eves dropping on your conversation'' rule is, in my opinion, no place to for a 12 year old boy to go through puberty, while there are no females around except for the staffs daughters and wives, and don't even think about batting an eye at any one of them! best keep your head down, when a lady passes by! ''Wana get restrained?'' you little pervert. Gimme 50! PUSH.
As an outgoing child, this treatment permeated a reticence to confide in anybody. Especially authority figures.
I could sit here and go on and on for days about how this place forever changed my life-Mabee it was my own inner weakness that allowed me to view myself as a victim. Mabee it really is all my fault, and im going to hell to burn forever right after i die. mabee they were trying to save me from my 12 year old self. . .what happend to that 12 year old that was me? y am i so obsessed with being perfect? why im i obsessed with studying and reading? all i know is i have to stop. now. im getting depressed-mabee this is what im always running from. . .in a way, it feels good to talk about it. even though no body will ever read this-mabee thats why it sorta feels good. Either way no body will ever believe me. ..mabee ill write a book
Agape damnation.
Bless you, if you read. . .The only thing that keeps me alive is love.
and to my tormentors-Brian clemensen, burton, householder GRAVES. green. 5 Worth remembering. . .I forgive you, i forgive you for everything, Be happy and live well. . .wherever you are. . .i forgive all of agape concentration camp and you cannot hurt me even in your absence by turning my heart cold and changing who i am, i am the 1 who makes those choices, i will not give you that power. . . .To parents considering sending your child away----think about it---didn't god lend you this boy for a short time
? cant handle the duty?? rather pay good money to get rid of him??? think about the ripples you make in the pond---they spread out. . .if this message prevents one parent from sending one child into this place. . .my time there was well spent. . .and i count it as gain, for i have been givin an opportunity to enhance the experience of another by preventing something that i view as a great evil. . . .peace and love
signed
Abraham Ronald Alexander Feb 19th, 2003-Nov 24th, 2004
what year were you there and are these people still there?
DeleteI too feel your pain and share your hellish experience. I served my time from 1990 until 1994! I was pulled back in a chair cracking my head on a concrete floor blacking out. I was allowed to have a wrestling move known as a back breaker performed on me by staff member brother brian. I was yelled at on a daily by my buddy about how I was going to burn in hell if I did not except christ as my savior.
DeleteI was emotionally abused by mrs Clemensen and brother brian. I was forced into a boxing match with one of the students against my will. Punishment was push ups, repeat sentence writing or salad for lunch and dinner. I started the school in stockton California and moved with them to Othello Washington just before they got shut down for abuse and safety violations. If you have any questions you may email me at toddmb77@gmail.com
I was there at the same time the radarhill school I remember getting a buddy and him getting his cloths taken away for talking about running away and how they loved to have you do push-ups till you passed out there was so much abuse it was sick the 9 months I was there before they got kicked out of Washington was the worst of the 10 years I was in foster care
DeleteI been through all that stuff too wen I was younger it didnt help me only made me worst n weneva something happens they tell everybody to look away so u cant see wat they doing n if u dnt look away u next sry that things happen to u just have to move on it's not our fault
DeleteI am sorry this happened to you, we were thinking about sending our son there because he is literally out of control and nothing we have done is helping. He has ADHD and ODD, this was going to be a last resort because we are at our wits end and his next stop in jail if things do not change for him. But upon reading this and other past student accounts we are no longer seeing this place as an option.
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ReplyDeleteWhat up everybody my name is Freeman Jacobs and I was in that place too! I have seen a lot of things in that place that was off the hook. First day I was in there I was in a fight with my buddy it was more like me getting my ass kicked by my buddy who was 3 years older than me I was 14 and he was 17 going on 18 and later that night I was waken up by the sound of a man getting beat by a bar of soap in a sock. That place was on and cracking. I had never in my life been in so many fights, people getting raped at night and a lot more. That Boarding School was a fucking jail. My life has been rough around the edges and it all started with that school. I was in Othello Washington from 1994 to 1996. Now my life is just fine I travelled the world and now live in beautiful Melbourne Australia with my wife and two kids. I do not plan on going to USA again that whole place is a trap at least for me I'm form Los Angles CA the gang capital of the world. If there is a God, he is going to punish those who worked there. The only good thing that I learned is that I should respect women and that m n m pancakes are good. Later dudes!
ReplyDeleteMuch love brother I to served my time in agape hell from 90 to 94. I still have nightmares.
Deleteanyone that went to the Agape in Othello Washington please write me! stepperangela@gmail.com. My boyfriend went there and we are trying to get in touch with some ppl who went there. He was there when it got shut down and during the 9 months before.
DeleteJosh Blunt here, Freeman I hope you weren't my buddy. I did 9 mo in there from 1994 till Fire Marshal close date. I fought the first day I was there as being introduced to the clan of 160 as a San Clemente skin head. Granted me being one of the six "San Clementians" had a little rougher go at the whole agape experince but can say I am one out of 3 of us that are still alive, the others over dosed soon after leaving/escaping. I credit at least us not being able to overdose during that time in my life to Agape. Btw no such thing as san clemnte skin heads... but I went with it. Too many stories to list but I too have a large family with 5 children, 16 years clean and live happily now stuffing out a lot of nightmarish memories of that place. Brother Brian better pray to God I dont ever see him on the streets. I am now a believer , not of agape and the fear of Hell but rather the Love He has for me. I have a lott of photos during that time, some preciouse to me as my friends died shortly after. Amongst the San Clementians we were : Bobby Springman, Jimmy Watchler,Sean Clarke,Tim Wade, Jogn Goematt( for a day until be broke Brians nose) and Matt Collins ( was driven up and straight back out to another facility... thatd been the end of Agape) lol..
DeleteWhat up Freeman. Steven Weibel here
DeleteAgape alum 91-95. Still breathing loving life. Pray for them. They don't know any better. How about them Skittles Pancakes. Remember those. To this day I am still not a big pancake fan. Know what I mean
Who's your favorite Floor Leader (1993-1995)?? That's right - Craig Price!!
DeleteHit me up: ahilltopview@icloud.com
And everyone knows, I get first crack at Brother Brian..
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DeleteIncredible to see that even after all these years, the radar base in Othello still haunts as many people as it does me. Weibel, I was in the bunk under you .. Cody was our junior leader. I hope you are well.
DeleteMy floor leader was brother Jason and that place still scares me I hate driving radarhill
DeleteWe must have been there the sane time . Remember me?
DeleteJosh Blunt holy cow I remember you & wade and all you crazy punk rockers from san Clementa. I was the only kid with a sk8 board and yawl would constintly get it taken away from me because god forbid I share lol . Hit me up let’s swop photos .i got a grip of them. Robertlepido@yahoo.com
DeleteAlso yawl wanna see something spooky ? Google earth or google maps radar hill. The building we did the roofing on that spells agape is still In view from space. Including Kent’s airport runway, little Tijuana across the street on & on
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I have no idea what you guys experienced, but I never had the problems that you guys described. If I think about it now, my time at Agape was the most peaceful and stable environment I've ever experienced. The only shitty part was all that christian crap they stuff down your throats, but it's up to you whether you want to believe or not. They don't force you to believe, only that you must participate.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what you guys experienced, but I never had the problems that you guys described. If I think about it now, my time at Agape was the most peaceful and stable environment I've ever experienced. The only shitty part was all that christian crap they stuff down your throats, but it's up to you whether you want to believe or not. They don't force you to believe, only that you must participate.
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I am a parent of a child that we sent to Agape. Despite the alarm bells that went off during our first visit, we kept our child there believing the referral of the Psychologist that told us about this place. I was convinced that we needed to 'break' our child's spirit, but that he would not be physically abused. I hated the idea of the Paddle, but we were a Christian family that believed in corporal punishment - THEN! Not now. We also believed them, that they would only resort to that after nothing else worked and that it would be done with constraint and 'in love' and never in anger.
ReplyDeleteWhen we visited, I definitely got a strange vibe from some of the staff, and brother Brian, though at first friendly and informative, had an arrogance to him if questioned or probed, and I could see him trying to restrain his resentment toward me - a parent that cares and wants her questions answered!
Later in the program, my son wrote random quotes of scripture in his letters, which made no sense to me, then later he let me know that you cannot write anything you want to or you are bullied and cannot move forward in the program, stand for long hours with your head against a wall, and are even physically abused at times for the slightest display of emotion or 'defiance' to their authority.They did indeed no allow the boys to speak to anyone - all day - every day. I witnessed this. Again - warning bells and a bad feeling in my stomach but I continued to try to trust but now see this as a terrible form of emotional, psychological abuse to isolate a child in this way. It's cruel and twisted.
My son was only roughed up a little, but witnessed someone physically thrown onto a table so hard he broke the table. My son was terrified and angry and just wanted to conform until he could one day get the hell out of there.
I finally spoke to the ownerThey also lied about his credits. (Mr Clemens?) about the things my son finally confessed to us was going on there during our Christmas visit. I think he is well meaning but chooses to turn a blind eye to all that goes on. He also lied to me because he said if we took our son out before a full year he would not get to keep any of his credits. We endured a couple another month while we dug a little deeper and discovered that the nearly entire year he was there, his credits counted for NOTHING anyway! They are not an credited school! He left there in worse shape with his credits than before he left because he lost an entire year. My son developed a life-long aversion to all authority - he can't hold a job, etc. This place is terrible and apparently moved two other places to where they get little to no monitoring. Do not send your child here. If you do need an option - look into Hannah Boys Center in Sonoma, CA. It is AMAZING!!! Look them up. I wish that we knew about it before our son was over 18, it could have changed his life rather than damage him psychologically like this place did. I hope this is helpful.
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I am a parent of a child that we sent to Agape. Despite the alarm bells that went off during our first visit, we kept our child there believing the referral of the Psychologist that told us about this place. I was convinced that we needed to 'break' our child's spirit, but that he would not be physically abused. I hated the idea of the Paddle, but we were a Christian family that believed in corporal punishment - THEN! Not now. We also believed them, that they would only resort to that after nothing else worked and that it would be done with constraint and 'in love' and never in anger.
ReplyDeleteWhen we visited, I definitely got a strange vibe from some of the staff, and brother Brian, though at first friendly and informative, had an arrogance to him if questioned or probed, and I could see him trying to restrain his resentment toward me - a parent that cares and wants her questions answered!
Later in the program, my son wrote random quotes of scripture in his letters, which made no sense to me, then later he let me know that you cannot write anything you want to or you are bullied and cannot move forward in the program, stand for long hours with your head against a wall, and are even physically abused at times for the slightest display of emotion or 'defiance' to their authority.They did indeed no allow the boys to speak to anyone - all day - every day. I witnessed this. Again - warning bells and a bad feeling in my stomach but I continued to try to trust but now see this as a terrible form of emotional, psychological abuse to isolate a child in this way. It's cruel and twisted.
My son was only roughed up a little, but witnessed someone physically thrown onto a table so hard he broke the table. My son was terrified and angry and just wanted to conform until he could one day get the hell out of there.
I finally spoke to the ownerThey also lied about his credits. (Mr Clemens?) about the things my son finally confessed to us was going on there during our Christmas visit. I think he is well meaning but chooses to turn a blind eye to all that goes on. He also lied to me because he said if we took our son out before a full year he would not get to keep any of his credits. We endured a couple another month while we dug a little deeper and discovered that the nearly entire year he was there, his credits counted for NOTHING anyway! They are not an credited school! He left there in worse shape with his credits than before he left because he lost an entire year. My son developed a life-long aversion to all authority - he can't hold a job, etc. This place is terrible and apparently moved two other places to where they get little to no monitoring. Do not send your child here. If you do need an option - look into Hannah Boys Center in Sonoma, CA. It is AMAZING!!! Look them up. I wish that we knew about it before our son was over 18, it could have changed his life rather than damage him psychologically like this place did. I hope this is helpful.
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This school is shit.i was there for a year in the 90's before it looks like it does now.they force the children to work,stuff religion downyour throat.i personally witnessed brian clemensen bounce zenith tuey face off the wall.i personally had numerous write ups to the point where i had thirty "swats" coming with a paddle for ten write ups and got them all at once.this place is not for children.
ReplyDeleteWas that the time (forgot his name I think “z” something)popes those pills thy tossed in intake and Brian beat the shit outa everyone involved . ? How about the time we all where to scream AMAN when we finished our manly chore at that age and thy flipped the fuck out like jerking off makes you a homo lol
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This school is shit.i was there for a year in the 90's before it looks like it does now.they force the children to work,stuff religion downyour throat.i personally witnessed brian clemensen bounce zenith tuey face off the wall.i personally had numerous write ups to the point where i had thirty "swats" coming with a paddle for ten write ups and got them all at once.this place is not for children.
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Ya most of those guys working there are fucked up people. Programmed me to believe i will burn forever, and if i try to pray to get God to not burn me, I won't be praying for the right reason; so then I'll go to hell anyway. And if i don't change and "hear or feel the Spirit speaking", then I will still go to hell. And if i'm afraid of hell, even if i begged God to please not burn me, then that means i don't KNOW for sure God forgave me, which means I didn't have faith. So I will go to hell. No matter how hard i try or how much i think of some way to believe it'll be okay. No matter how much time goes by, I never ever ever forget. That today may be the day i begin my eternal torture. Its going to hurt so bad. But until then, FUCK YOUR FAKE BIBLE
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Yup I survived that shit hole in othello Washington. Matter fact it’s me who got the Swots a policy . I was the 1st to be swotted at this school . I would love to cross paths with some of those staff members today, in a dark ally . I could care less if it’s elderly abuse (thy got to be old now) because it was child abuse in ever fashion that thy did to us!! Remember walking around and n robes, bear foot in the dead winter ? Or that fat ass hole burton would make a comment in a room full of testosterone young men that if he walks out this room and shuts the door , he has no idea what happens and will assume I fell down stairs. May I mention I was 12yrs old when this all went down . Go find a 12 yr old and look at them. Could you treat that person like this or how others where treated . I can go on and on. !! I got wind of a class action I’m trying to get a part of. I actually have photos of some of the abuse including forsed boxing match’s like we where there Tijuana fighting chickens . If anyone knows anything or if a agape staff wants to meet up some time ( anywhere , anytime) call me 56I-635-76o7 Robert Lepido , Robertlepido@yahoo.com
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My son attended agape in 1997. I just showed him an article that was in a farm magazine about the school. He then finally confided in me that he was was sexually molested by one of the jr staff members on several occasions. Jr staff, meaning a boy that was transitioning from student to staff. He was 18 or over, wore a different color shirt and had authority over the boys. His name is David Burgess. My son was made to stand against a wall holding a piece of paper with his nose for two months. released only for meals because he wouldn't denounce the Mormon church in which he had been raised. Another time they had the septic system pumped and there was sludge remaining in the tank. They forced my son to be lowered inside and shovel out the rest of that remained. They were forced to clean the toilets with a penny scraping out the collected crud at the bottom. I asked my son were you forced into the sexual act? He assured me that he was. I contacted agape by phone but Clemons is to weak to discuss this matter personally. a week later I am contacted by legal rep of agape claiming David Burgess was a student not staff. From the things I have read and heard from my son who is a very reliable source brian Clemons needs to close the doors to this place before he ends up locked up.By the way my son told his house leader Brother Don what was going on at the time, he said it would be handled and it never was. There were other boys being abused by Burgess also. If anyone has information on this mans whereabouts my email is, carfred54@gmail.com.
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Johnny Zela here. AKA at the time Chicago. I was there in the year 1993-94. It haunts me to this day. It was the most stressful part of my life. I was so scared all the time. Total brain wash school. A d actually what school? It was a comic book with scripture in it. We didnt even a totally receive credit. I was in the building with Brother Don as my floor leader. Caz Ramone was my Unit leader. I remember you Blunt and Weibel
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I am so sorry that comments like all of yours above were not available back in the 90s, before we sent our son, Jonathan Campbell, to Agape in Othello. Fortunately, he wasn't there long. He ran away and we never sent him back. I truly don't understand how this "school" is allowed to exist here in America!
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ReplyDeleteMy son was spiraling fast- drugs, alcohol, stealing, sneaking out at night, getting in trouble with the law. completely disrespecting and violating any boundary in our home. Hanging out with the "wrong" people. Not doing well in school. Would not participate in counseling, was not cooperative with doctors for help. He was 17, and i was at point that i honestly believed he would be in jail or dead before he was 18. i talked to several parents of troubled teens, and felt it was a last resort to keep him alive at least until he was 18. (Its easy to judge us but i hope you never know what that fear feels like when you see someone you love with so much potential have such a disregard for themselves.) We looked into many schools, wilderness camps, etc. talked to many parents, and a few kids, and decided on Agape. It was the hardest decision of my life, and i was depressed myself the whole time he was there. I knew it wasn't going to be a "fun" place, but i had no idea it would be this horrible and violent against the boys. My son is 31, is still angry at me. If i had to do it again with the information i have now, i would not. And after reading these posts i hope, no, i know, God will have a special place and judgment for those who took advantaged and abused young men who needed their help. I hope my son can resolve his anger toward me and forgive me someday.
ReplyDeleteI'm sitting here reading all of your comments late into the night and I cant helo but cry as I hear all of these stories. I'm am so sorry all of you went through such horrible things, it sounds like a straight up dystopian novel. I could never imagine that hell and what you have to live with and the nightmares you must face. I pray that all of you are well
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that the staff lie to the parents on the phone as a means to increase profit for their "organization" that they have. Staff members quell the parents into thinking that they are the good guys, omitting any of the child abuse going on. I believe that they have a policy regarding manipulating parents so they can take their money, while senselessly beating up/restraining other adolescents. To the parents out their that sent their kids to agape, they probably deserved boarding school, but senseless child abuse is definitely not the answer nor is it the place to be. I went there from 2007-2008 (approx. 2 years). I have recurring nightmares from a resentful staff member beating me up for no reason (he admitted this mistake to my mother, to quell her before I spoke to her on my weekly phone call). I never understood why the child abuse had to pursue, they kept on running away to a place where they can beat up kids, with relaxed laws regarding physical abuse. I didn't say corporal punishment, I said physical abuse without cause. They probably had the statute of limitations in mind so they can get away with releasing anger on adolescents. It seems that these staff members (and deans especially) need help. I pray that justice will come their way and the school will be gone once and for good.
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