Northeast
Survivors of boarding school for troubled teens expose shocking abuse in new docuseries
A new docuseries chronicling abuse of troubled teens at the hands of New York’s Academy at Ivy Ridge has prompted a wave of new police reports from former students and a police investigation into the now-shuttered boarding school.
Netflix’s “The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping” follows director Katherine Kubler and her former classmates as they visit the site of the school that closed in 2009. Student files, including Kubler’s, were all still at the abandoned site, giving the students more insight to process what happened to them.
They said they spent years isolated from their families and were “treated like prisoners, undergoing mental, physical and sexual abuse,” according to the series.
The former students claim they underwent abuse ranging from abduction from their homes, strip searches, starvation, sleep deprivation, corporal punishment and solitary confinement. Meanwhile, they said, they received no formal education.
Kubler, pictured at 14 years old with her father, Ken, said that she was abducted by two men, placed in handcuffs and taken to the program for troubled teens after she was expelled from boarding school for having alcohol. (Netflix)
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Teens in the program were reportedly not allowed to smile, speak or have any communication with the outside world. Phone calls and letters to parents were closely monitored, and any attempts to tell their loved ones about the abuse they endured would be intercepted and punished.
Victims said they were “brainwashed” by a program that painted them as drug-addicted, manipulative and hopeless — and that still-existing programs for troubled teens throughout the country use the same damaging methods.
Katherine Kubler and a group of her former classmates visit the abandoned school where they said they were physically and psychologically tortured. Along with chilling graffiti, student records — including their own — were left behind at the quickly-shuttered school. (Netflix)
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Several former students reported sexual abuse at the institution, which filmmakers called an “open secret at Ivy Ridge.”
“They dehumanize the kids, that these kids are liars, manipulators, and they use that to create compliance,” one interview subject said.
Kubler and her classmates described mandatory endurance exercises called “seminars” — in one, they would spend about an hour screaming and slamming towels wrapped in duct tape on the ground. If they stopped the exercise, they said, they were sent to a new seminar meant to break them.
St. Lawrence County, New York, District Attorney Gary Pasqua said new reports have been pouring in since the documentary aired on March 5. (Netflix)
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Two former students who attended the program for 22 months when they were 15 years old said that they had to sit on a chair and repeat the words “palms up, palms down, palms together, palms apart” while acting out the instructions with their hands for eight uninterrupted hours.
In high school, Kubler said, she found herself “drinking, smoking, sneaking out at night… typical teenager stuff.”
She was expelled from her boarding school during her sophomore year in 2004 for having alcohol and assumed her father would pick her up. Instead, her parents had arranged for two men to abduct her and take her to Ivy Ridge.
Kubler said the trauma she endured there followed her for the rest of her life, with one college roommate telling her that she “[didn’t] need to explain the program to everyone [she] met.”
Filmmaker Katherine Kubler said she was forever changed by her 15 months at the school. (Netflix)
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“They really drill into you this complete sense of shame, and that you’re this horrible person for being there, so I felt like I had this disclaimer I needed to say to people,” she said.
The St. Lawrence County District Attorney’s office and state police said at a Monday press conference that complaints of abuse at the school near Ogdensburg have been pouring in every day since the series first aired on March 5.
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District Attorney Gary Pasqua urged the public not to call the DA’s office to harass staff or inquire about the investigation. He also asked that the public not trespass on the abandoned Ivy Ridge property.
“I understand the reaction that is going to come from watching some of the things that were on those videos. But it is not a reason, it does not give you a free pass to go and harass anyone, whether it be a person or a business,” Pasqua said. “Please. Let us do our job.”
Former staffers of the school have also been harassed and even threatened with violence, Pasqua said.
The documentary claims that staff members at the school were untrained and had no credentials — neither did those who created the program itself, according to the three-part docuseries.
In the last episode of the series, titled “Follow the Money,” filmmakers explored where the profits from these programs went. Robert “Bob” Lichfield founded the Worldwide Association of Speciality Programs and Schools, and the Academy at Ivy Ridge was one of more than 25 boarding schools or youth programs affiliated with the Utah-based group worldwide.
The organization made millions each year until it dissolved amid legal battles over abuse allegations, according to the docuseries.
“There are glimmers of hope, but these places are like Whac-a-Mole,” Kubler said. “You get one shut down, and it’ll open again under a new name… sometimes in the same building with the same staff.”
The Netflix film advocates for the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, which calls for more thorough accountability for these programs. The proposed legislation would formally ban the use of restraints and seclusion, designate a group to make recommendations on the length of students’ stays and collect outcome-oriented data on students at least six months after they are sent back home.
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HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — State and local leaders are urging lawmakers to expand a bill protecting renters.
The proposed legislation would expand the “Just Cause” bill, which protects residents over 62 years old and living with a disability, or in public housing, from eviction without cause.
The expansion would cover new tenants in five-unit buildings after the first year of moving in. They said the goal is to help stabilize housing for thousands of people.
“Your apartment is your home, your apartment is dignity, your apartment is respect, your apartment is access to a local school for your child, knowing where that’s going to be and knowing it’s not going to change on short notice,” Gov. Ned Lamont (D) said. “Knowing you have a little continuity and a little bit of respect. And this bill is about a little bit of respect for the folks who are playing by the rules.”
The Connecticut Apartment Association said in response:
“Connecticut needs more housing in more places, and legislators need to focus on bills that will grow more housing for all incomes. Our members will stay at the table with them to craft sustainable responses that ensure accountability and solve Connecticut’s housing crisis.”
Democrat Joseph A. Campbell of Windham will try to unseat incumbent Republican Mark Cooper as State Representative for Maine House District 107 in the general election in November.
| Joseph A. Campbell of Windham, a Democrat, will be a candidate in November for State Representative in Maine House District 107, representing part of Windham. He is a long-term substitute teacher at Gray/New Gloucester High School and a graduate student at the University of Maine. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
Campbell, a long-term Substitute at Gray/NewGloucester High School and a graduate student at the University of Maine, was a candidate for the Windham Town Council At Large position last fall, a seat eventually won by Katie Cook.
He says that he is running to represent House District 107, representing part of Windham, because he loves Maine and sees it as all our responsibility to make our voices heard in how the state is run.
“As someone navigating the difficult process of settling down, establishing a career, and pursuing higher education, I believe my perspective is representative of many Mainers who don’t normally see themselves in the legislature,” Campbell said. “When elected, I would feel accomplished once I could say that the common-sense goals of owning a home, starting a family, and maybe even retiring someday are more attainable than they were at the start of my term.”
The most significant issue in the race is the rising cost of housing, he said.
“Skyrocketing housing expenses are hurting the whole spectrum of Windham residents, from renters just trying to get by and save, to seniors struggling to afford their family home,” Campbell said. “We need to find a way to grease the wheels for first time buyers, responsibly build enough for supply to meet demand, and decouple critical services like schools from the local mil rate.”
“Schools, students, and teachers are all struggling, and we need to find a way to ensure kids are getting what they need to learn, while teachers and districts have the energy, professionalism, and resources they need to make that happen,” he said. “We expect a lot from teachers, as we should, and they deserve a proportional level of compensation and respect for the work they do. Additionally, academic excellence is only possible when we’re exposed to diverse thoughts and ideas. We need to give kids books and encourage literacy, banning books is never the right way forward.”
Currently finishing a master’s degree in international and political history at the University of Maine, Campbell says that as a historian, he thinks we have a responsibility as citizens of a democracy to do right by the system that people have fought and died for by making sure that we’re an educated electorate.
“Working with the kids at the high school is one small way I like to try and do my part,” he said. “It’s really refreshing to see young people working hard and getting ready to enter the adult world, and I think we owe it to them to make sure that that world is something good. As to why I study history, it’s because I believe that just like we learn from our own mistakes and find inspiration in how far we’ve come as individuals, we can do the same as communities. If you look back 90 years ago, Mainers were able to survive the Great Depression, reject fascism, and would go on to weather World War II. If we could make it through those times, we can figure out how to rein in property taxes, give kids a good education, and do something about folks’ CMP bills. This is all very doable, and I like to think that we can make it easier upon ourselves by paying attention to those who came before us.”
According to Campbell, he enjoys living in Windham and says the parks and trails in the town are great recreational opportunities, specifically Black Brook Preserve and Donnabeth Lippman Park.
“My wife Chelsea and I make sure to get outside for a quick picnic, walk, or hike at least a couple of times a week while we’re lucky enough to have some good weather,” he said. “It’s really heartening to see a place like Windham navigate growth and development, while making absolutely sure to carve out and preserve space for nature.”
If elected, Campbell says that he’d like to see if legislators could find a way to rely less on local property taxes to get the schools what they need.
“We should work toward more equitable state taxes, focusing on those with the ability to pay, while relieving working and middle-class Mainers who may own a home, but aren’t flush with cash,” Campbell said. “That revenue should go toward the school districts, with the added benefit of making sure that your school’s budget isn’t forever tied to the real estate in town. With a responsible budget, working class Mainers could see their mil rate go down, and wealthy Mainers can know that their tax dollars are going toward their children and grandchildren getting a good education.”
Along with Democrat State Senator incumbent Tim Nangle, Republican State Senate candidate Peter Violette and Republic House 107 incumbent Mark Cooper, Campbell’s campaign is funded by the Maine Clean Elections Act. To support any of these campaigns, nonpartisan $5 contributions may be made at maine.gov/ethics website.
BOSTON — State Sen. Vanna Howard (D-Lowell) was recently recognized as a legislative champion by The Arc of Massachusetts for her advocacy on behalf of members of the autism community.
The award was presented by The Arc of Massachusetts during the 21st annual Autism Advocacy Day on April 8 at the State House. Howard was introduced by constituents Lindsey Gresco and Maxwell Banfield.
“I am truly honored to receive this award,” Howard said. “There are so many deserving individuals who are on the frontlines doing the hard work including teachers, paraprofessionals, caregivers, and therapists. As a state senator, I will never stop advocating for the necessary funding to grow and support the many resources we have available here in the Commonwealth.”
Now in her first term as state senator in the 1st Middlesex District, Howard previously served as state representative for the 17th Middlesex District. From 2021 to 2026, Howard put the work of physically and intellectually disabled individuals at the forefront of her work. In 2025, she was appointed as a member of the Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities by Speaker of the House Ronald Mariano. Howard was on hand as the commission hosted its latest Meeting the Moment: A Community Conversation and Resource Fair event at UMass Lowell on March 27.
“We are incredibly proud to honor Senator Vanna Howard for her steadfast dedication and impactful service during her tenure in the House of Representatives,” said The Arc of Massachusetts CEO Maura Sullivan. “By weaving her lived experience as a parent and caregiver into the her policy work, she has served as a powerful voice for our community. We are thrilled to recognize her achievements as she carries this vital advocacy into her new chapter in the Senate.”
In addition to Howard, state Sen. Paul Feeney was also recognized as a 2026 Legislator of the Year. Jeremy Spittle, the legislative director for Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues, also received The Arc’s first-ever Distinguished Staff Champion award.
The mission of The Arc of Massachusetts is to enhance the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism and their families. For two decades, Advocates for Autism of Massachusetts has been a fierce public voice and a powerhouse of legislative change. Established in 2004, AFAM has grown over the years and its membership has always included the leading autism advocacy or service organizations in Massachusetts. AFAM’s history has been inextricably linked with The Arc of Massachusetts, operating as its dedicated division to mobilize and advocate for individuals with autism, their families, and professionals who provide essential supports and services.
The 1st Middlesex Senate District includes Lowell, Dracut, Dunstable, Pepperell and Tyngsboro.
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