Hidden Lake Academy

Hidden Lake Academy (HLA) is a therapeutic boarding school in Dahlonega, Georgia.

History

According to the school's website, " Hidden Lake Academy was founded in 1994 by Dr. Len Buccellato to fill the need for a specialty school to fill the gap between services of residential treatment centers and traditional boarding schools." [http://www.hiddenlakeacademy.com/ Hidden Lake Academy website] ]

Program

New students typically have struggled with homework, depression, anger management, or various addictions. Most of the students have been diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) prior to coming to Hidden Lake Academy. Some students are from outside the United States. The student population in the past has often ranged from about 15 to 200 students. Hidden Lake Academy is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS), and the Georgia Accreditation Commission (GAC). [ [http://www.sacscasi.org/schools/Proceedings_Accredited_SACS_CASI_GA.html SACS CASI Accredited Schools in Georgia] , Last update: Jan 15 2008]

The school boasts a 100% college acceptance rate for those who apply. The staff recommend that most of the students attend small colleges or boarding schools, although a few attend larger universities or go back to ordinary high schools against the school's recommendations.

Books are also screened, students are not allowed to possess any literature which contains sex or drug references/pictures. Magazines, newspapers, and journals are also screened, and any inappropriate articles are cut out to allow the student to have reading material without negative influences. Incoming and outgoing mail is no longer screened by staff; all mail to and from the student for their friends is sent to the parents for approval and re-routing. [HLA August 2007 Parent Handbook]

Peer groups

Peer groups, the school's method of Group Therapy, start with about 10 students and 1 counselor. Students arrive at all times during the school year and are expected to stay for 13-15 months. During that time the students receive a college preparatory education that can be tailored for those who have learning differences and/or disabilities & group therapy. The school has extracurricular activities in which students can become involved: soccer, baseball, basketball, volleyball, music, art, track, cross country running, tennis, golf, canoeing, and clubs.

Like other institutions dedicated to improving behaviors, Hidden Lake Academy puts students through different developmental tracks. Each peer group progresses through different steps of the program. The tracks are known as Elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Galaxy. In the past, the program has ranged from 18-28 months; their website states that their programs now run 13-15 months. Those that do not progress according to the clinical and educational goals of the school and parents can be dropped into a newer PG or temporarily referred to a wilderness program. [http://www.hiddenlakeacademy.com/ Hidden Lake Academy] also has a post graduate program available for students needing additional structure and/or the credits necessary to graduate from high school.

Criticism

2006 petition for lawsuit

On September 11, 2006 three plaintiffs filed a petition for a federal class action lawsuit (Civil action No. 2:06-CV-0146-WCO) against HLA and Len Buccellato on behalf of parents of students who attended the school since January 1, 2000 [ [http://bergermontague.com/pdfs/Hidden%20Lake%20Academy%20Complaint.pdf 206cv146 comppt1.pdf ] ] . The case is "Jill Ryan, Ron Ryan, Doff Meyer, Robin Brecker, and on behalf of others similarly situated vs. Hidden Lake Academy, Inc; HLA, Inc.; Hidden Lake Foundation, Inc.; and Dr. Leonard Buccellato."

The plaintiffs were clients of Berger & Montague and were represented by Gorby, Reeves, and Peters. According to Berger & Montague's website, the plaintiffs charged that Hidden Lake Academy "employed a number of uncertified teachers and unqualified counseling staff; did not employ at times any licensed learning disability specialist or a registered or properly licensed nurse; allowed unlicensed staff such as secretaries to dispense to students prescription medication; enrolled a number court-ordered, violent and severely disturbed children; and overbilled families for a number of items and incidental charges, among other things."

Hidden Lake Academy defense attorney Martin Quirk responded by saying that it was the result of parents who, after withdrawing their children, were unhappy with not being able to get a refund for the school's tuition. [ [http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/articles/2006/09/21/news/01hla.txt front-page article about the lawsuit] , "The Dahlonega Nugget", September 21, 2006] Len Buccellato responded with a letter to parents and consultants stating that "the feelings of the staff at the meetings we have had have ranged from pain as deep as mine to absolute rage that anyone could say those things in light of the countless numbers of students and families we have worked with whose lives have been put back on a positive and productive track...we have been advised by counsel not to comment on the specific allegations at this point and to allow our attorneys respond to the allegations in due course." Matt Aiken, a former staff member at HLA, wrote a front page article about the lawsuit in the local newspaper, "The Dahlonega Nugget". Various letters to the editor were later published. Diane Stephenson, a laywoman highly involved in the local Unitarian Universalist Church, wrote of Hidden Lake Academy's various contributions to the local community. [ [http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/articles/2006/09/27/editorial/letters/02%20stephenson.txt Letter to the Editor: "The Other Side of the Story: The Good HLA Does" by Diane Stephenson] ] Reverend Barry Bailey, who often visits the school to teach students about Native American spirituality, wrote a letter about "When those [plaintiff's] lawyers made their blistering attack they conveniently forgot that Hidden Lake is a last chance boarding academy that offers objectively-defined teenagers an alternative to prison. Such a school is inherent with risks and the possibility of violence and retaliation." [ [http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/articles/2006/09/27/editorial/letters/03%20bailey.txt Letter to the Editor: "Hidden Lake Needs Community Support" by Rev. Barry Bailey] ]

Headmaster Charles Cates also responded to the article, saying that Hidden Lake Academy is "considered the premier institute in this area and has a high success rate... [and the lawsuit] apparently relies on erroneous information provided by disgruntled ex-employees." [ [http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/articles/2006/09/27/editorial/letters/01%20cates.txt Letter to the Editor: "Do Not Judge School Based on Story, Suit" by Charles Cates] ] Clarke Poole also sent a letter to the editor. [http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/articles/2006/10/24/editorial/letters/01%20poole.txt Letter to the Editor: "I am Not a Disgruntled HLA Ex-Employee" by Clarke Poole] ] Poole was once the Senior Admissions Coordinator at HLA. Though he is not a psychotherapist, he became concerned about the admission of students whom he felt to be dangerous and voiced his concerns to his colleagues. He felt that his "concerns were dismissed and I was routinely admonished for raising them. In February 2006, when I was denied a meeting with school management to address issues of grave concern related to the safety of students, it was ethically incumbent upon me to resign." In his letter to the Nugget, besides outlining his record of involvement with the school, he also attempted to dispel rumors that he was the Admissions Director (as opposed to the Coordinator) and that he was involved with the lawsuit.

Hidden Lake Academy replied to the lawsuit, requesting that it be dismissed by the court and filed a counterclaim claiming that the plaintiffs should be obligated to reimburse the school for losses incurred by its involvement in the lawsuit. [ [http://www.strugglingteens.com/news/HLAlawsuitresponse.pdf Response to Lawsuit] ] A hearing to determine if the case qualifies as a class action lawsuit was held on January 31, 2007, and on August 15, 2007, Federal Judge William O'Kelley ruled against the plaintiffs by denying the petition for class action.

References