Four employees of a school for troubled teenagers in Jamaica were arrested and charged with child abuse Friday in an ongoing investigation into the American-owned facility.
Jamaica’s Child Protection and Family Services Agency removed eight American boys, ages 14 to 18, in February from Atlantis Leadership Academy, along the southern coast of the island country, after abuse allegations came to light during an unannounced welfare check. Two have since been returned home, and a third is expected to come back to the U.S. this week. The rest are being held in group homes in Jamaica, according to attorneys assisting the boys, as child welfare authorities ensure they can be safely returned to their parents.
Jamaica’s St. Elizabeth police arrested five men, according to a spokesperson for the Jamaica Constabulary Force. Four of the men — ages 30 to 51 — were charged with assault occasioning bodily harm, cruelty to child and assault at common law.
The men remain in custody, the spokesperson confirmed, and the fifth may be charged pending further investigation. It is unclear whether they have hired legal representation.
Randall Cook, the academy’s founder and director, responded to the charges in a statement to NBC News on Monday. “ALA is appalled at the hatchet job that is being done to our reputation and deny all the allegations that have been coming at us after over eight years in operation,” he said. Cook was not arrested.
Cook has worked for decades in the so-called troubled teen industry, a constellation of boarding schools, wilderness camps and ranches for children struggling with mental health and behavioral issues. The industry has come under increasing scrutiny by activists and lawmakers who say many such programs abuse children in their care.
Child welfare officials and law enforcement have not released details about the alleged abuse at Atlantis Leadership Academy; Michael McFarland, an attorney for the family of one of the boys still held in…
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