Kan. military school received 339 abuse complaints

http://www.centurylink.net/news/rea...596ET81@news.ap.org>&_LT=MNEW_APN1DCCL1_UNEWS

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Nearly 340 current and former students made complaints to a Kansas military school claiming they were beaten, hazed, harassed or abused during the past five years, including 21 who say they were branded, according to a court document.

The numbers surfaced last week in a federal lawsuit brought by 11 former cadets and their families against St. John's Military School. The latest filing in the case makes public for the first time the extent of abuse that the plaintiffs claim is part of the culture at the Salina boarding school..........

The school has been sued by former cadets from California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Tennessee and Texas. They claim its quasi-military program, which gives higher-ranking cadets the power to discipline other students, encourages physical and mental abuse. They also say the school intentionally fails to supervise its students, allowing the abuse to continue..............

Court documents show that the school has identified 20 cadets, not including Kelly, who were branded while they were students there, and a former St. John's employee, John Koop, testified in his deposition that he was aware of students being held down and branded against their will.........

More at link.....

Branded??? Branded???? As a "teachable" moment? Come on! They say they investigate every report. I would like to know how many police reports were made.

(The school is saying the kids are using branding to get themselves withdrawn from the school. But even if that is happening, they should still have been taking action.)

Military schools are traditionally held up as some sort of panacea for adolescent misbehavior problems. The thinking has been that they instill discipline and a respect for authority. Nothing in itself wrong with that but you don't have to be a rocket scientist to see how this can easily devolve into systemic abuse and a 'Lord of the Flies' atmosphere. I would send my kid there only as a last resort. JMO.