Abandoned School For Troubled Teens | These Kids Went Through Hell

The Academy at Ivy Ridge which is now an abandoned school, opened in 2001 after taking over a former college campus. The site was specifically chosen by the school’s founders mainly due to its strategic isolation in upstate New York and the long brutal harsh winters that naturally reinforce more distance between students and their families.
It sits on approximately 240 acres of land, just a stones throw from the ever raging international waters of the all mighty St. Lawrence River. The facility opened in 2001 after purchasing the former home of Mater Dei College, who originally built the five building educational complex back in 1959 and pretty much ran it until Ivy Ridge came into the picture in 2001. The complex measures in at over 200,000 square feet of building space; including educational classrooms, men and women’s dorms, gymnasiums, computer labs, science labs, a library, and administrative offices. School promotional materials state that the facility boasts cross-country ski trails, nature trails, tennis courts, basketball courts, sand volleyball area, a baseball field, and a soccer field, all located within a quiet peaceful wooded setting.
At its peak, the school had 600 students all paying nearly $4,000 per month per student, allowing the school to rake in over $20 million a year.
The Academy at Ivy Ridge advertised a much kinder approach to student discipline compared to the horrors that were actually taking place in the buildings.
While attending the school the students "were subjected to cramped bedrooms, solitary confinement, physical restraints and a strict points system that determined how long they would have to stay at the academy and in turn, be separated from their families and loved ones.
However, due to the uber strict program rules, students were not permitted to look out any of the windows. A student could reach upper level status in as little as 8 months and then at that time possibly earn the privilege to look outside, and occasionally be taken outside for various activities. And albeit, the rules and regulations at Ivy Ridge were seemingly impossible to adhere to but the consequences and punishment certainly didn’t fit the crime, or violation.
Allegedly there’s evidence that students were beaten, chained, locked in dog cages, forced to eat vomit and made to lie in urine and feces as punishment. Worse of all, documents allegedly claim students were also forced to engage in lewd and sexual acts. The sad part is that parents thought they were helping their teens by sending them away to these schools, but the reality was far more sinister than anyone could have imagined.
Even the students themselves tried to shut the facility down during their 2005 riot unfortunately to no avail. The students started a riot on May 16, 2005, resulting in at least 4 dozen expulsions and 12 arrests. About 35 sheriff's deputies, state troopers, city police officers and US Border Patrol agents assisted in ending the riot and capturing at over 30 runaway students.
The real twist in this story is that Ivy Ridge didn’t even end up closing because of all the allegations against them, but the school officially closed in 2009 after it was discovered that they were unaccredited, meaning the Academy at Ivy Ridge was never an actual academy or school and in the end it was all a scam, a raquet in a sense, at the gain of WWASP, at the loss of the parents and their money, and at the cost of the children and their innocence.
As of 2024, the Academy at Ivy Ridge still sits abandoned just as it has for the previous 15 years. With a current price tag of $875,000.00 it will sure be interesting to see what happens with such a disgraceful place. With Ivy Ridge currently serving as a constant reminder of all of the trauma, pain, and suffering that these students endured, it would not only seem appropriate, but necessary to demolish Ivy Ridge and erase it from the face of the Earth, signaling the end of a true American tragedy.
And that’s going to take its to the end of today’s video on The Academy at Ivy Ridge. As heartbreaking as this story is, we still hope that you all enjoyed another video from abandoned central. For more photos check out our website at AbandonedCentral.com. And please subscribe to Abandoned Central on KZbin so that you get all the latest and greatest videos. Thank you for all the support.

[@deniseshephard3347]

I’m just shocked to the core these poor innocent people treated this way thank you for being their voice

[@abandonedcentral]

Thanks for watching Denise. This was a tough project to work on.

[@RobertoHernandez-cx4yt]

I am very in shocked. & this is very disturbing & scary at the same time. Very sad

[@sueellenelasali7278]

This is nationwide including in churches since first P r e S I d e n t ...YEP CRIMEAMERIKA ARE HORRIBLE AND CHOCKING TO KNOW been going on For Decades! !

[@rym7174]

Yeah and when you say people... you have to remember we were simply children

[@jan7240]

I watched the documentary the former students made it was shocking and heartbreaking to hear what they were subjected to, every adult who worked there needs to be made accountable this was child abuse on a massive scale and must not be just swept under the carpet 😢

[@timpritts1499]

EXACTLY 💯!

[@bauerj3398]

Closed in 2009. Statute of limitiations has long run out on any possible wrongdoing.

[@true_explores]

Prayers for all who were affected. Horrible what went on here

[@abandonedcentral]

Thanks for watching man. So shitty what happened here.

[@kimmcbay7039]

That's so horrible I can't imagine the horror they endured your teen years are supposed to be fun

[@michellevasquez3205]

Innocence is taken away, and to make anyone feel invisible is EVIL 😈 I pray that these young adults will overcome this horrible tragedy. Don't let them or that place define you!! Every person that was involved with that place & did nothing to help will answer to our God. I am so sorry this happened to these young people.❤

[@timpritts1499]

​@@michellevasquez3205AGREED 💯!

[@simplyboppingK]

While what these kids went through is incredibly horrible, I'm glad that you are also making sure no one forgets about the terrible things that happen at these poor excuse of "schools". It makes me happy that you are using your platform for good. I feel that you honored those victims' stories properly (even though I'm not one).

[@lavadaketterman7379]

You should probably wear a mask with all that mold going on every time you move something that goes in the air and into your lungs

[@sarahcouture24]

Yeah, she did such an amazing job on the documentary, and I appreciate you too just for acknowledging the injustice and the horror of this atrocity. I am a wwasp survivor as well, and it really does help to see that people are angry that this happened to us and to know that people do actually give a shit, so thank you for this!

[@abandonedcentral]

She really did a great job on it. Hopefully she comes across our project one day. Sorry for went you went through. So sad to hear the stories kids went through while doing research for this project.

[@timpritts1499]

WE ARE ANGRY about what happened to you! Unbelievable!

[@katiemiller1776]

SO disturbing! Awesome video Bob and Fran. Thank you for documenting this. Hope these Monsters get what’s coming to them!

[@abandonedcentral]

Thanks for watching Katie! The more we learned about this location the more disturbing it was.

[@RobertoHernandez-cx4yt]

I hope so to. These fuckin monsters should be facing life in prison with no parole

[@sueellenelasali7278]

IN GENERAL, I believe that's the purpose from mansions built far away from the cities (LUCEFERIANS) that's why they ended up being ABANDONED!

[@SarcasticMary]

I have no words for how sad this is, I actually can't find the right ones to put here. I hope all the survivors have found peace, and are living the best life possible. #SURVIVORSTRONG

[@michaeltaylor4421]

Evil people man.... I really hope all the kids/teens that went there have recovered as much as possible 🙏🙏🙏

[@calichicana6587]

How can this happen???? Parents should of been more involved and aware of everything that went on in these types of supposed schools or camps!!! This is messed up and disgusting at the same damn time!

[@sunflower-xj6pe]

parents failed their children, as well

[@abandonedcentral]

100% agree

[@timpritts1499]

Exactly 💯!

[@joemccann4373]

Imagine what could be on the hard drives if they are still in the computers

[@abandonedcentral]

Pretty shocking to see some of the footage in the documentary they pulled from the surveillance tapes. Thanks for watching Joe!

[@Warhead_235]

Even with all that it’s now 20 years and those staff can’t be charged as statue limitations ran out. But heard some staff went to jail for other crimes

[@gabriella7746]

I watched the documentary on Netflix, it's great. It's great. This video of yours is also excellent

[@abandonedcentral]

Thank you very much!

[@PokeCrusadeLLC]

What was it called?

[@moneygrabbercodswollop8133]

@@PokeCrusadeLLCThe Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping.

[@customscreenprinting]

Abandoned central thanks for sharing this story what a bad place this school was what did they do to the staff did they go to jail for what they did i wonder???? and God Bless.

[@wyntermalone4034]

Awesome video!!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!!

[@abandonedcentral]

Thanks for watching!

[@jeanaesamuel47]

This is so sad😢

[@abandonedcentral]

It really is. Thanks for watching 😔

[@jeanaesamuel47]

@@abandonedcentral my heart hurts to see this.... I can't even imagine

[@RobertoHernandez-cx4yt]

​@jeanaesamuel47 My heart hurts as well. I just can't even imagine what these innocent people go through every single day because of those bastards. They need to be facing life on prison with no parole

[@jeanaesamuel47]

@@RobertoHernandez-cx4yt i totally agree

[@pyro323]

Reminds me of that movie Accepted where they made a fake school called South Harmon Institute Of Technology. But yeah, everyone one of those faculty and staff members will answer for what they've done to those kids!

[@amaritalia5219]

The program has me genuinely infatuated with the troubled teen industry. What sucks about this whole industry is the fact the parents are being brainwashed into thinking that these programs are helping. The fact that they tell parents upfront that the kids will say bad things about program but not to believe them, should be a red flag. Another red flag should have been the fact that participants of these programs had to earn phone calls and visiting with families as if they’re prisoners. Speaking of prisoners, when the boys side of ivy ridge rioted and fled from the school & police were involved, police should’ve seen the issue with a riot because only prisoners and enraged people riot! New York as a state failed these kids! They looked past allegations of child abuse, a riot involving children, & the fact that they let that “school” operate for years without accreditation, but they were housing minors marketing themself as a boarding school. I just can’t believe that they left all that evidence and confessions of child abuse there, it’s almost like they wanted all of this to happen lol.

[@sarahcouture24]

@@amaritalia5219 unfortunately wwasp had schools EVERYWHERE! I was held captive at one they had in Montana called Spring Creek Lodge Academy and it was just like Ivy Ridge :( the problem is widespread and massive.

[@ospreyyy1]

I can't even say Unbelievable anymore. So many of these places that are out there. So many people are traumatized by these organizations. Just teenagers doing what they do. Breaks my heart knowing parents put their kids in there so someone else could deal with them. Sadly there are still places like this operating. Karma is a bee with an itch!

[@Dodge34]

I swore I would never subscribe to netflix, and now, I just got my first membership, I need to see this documentary for real, sad reality is some parents engage kidnappers and they sent them to theses kind of schools some are in other Country without regulations of any kind. It needs to end.

[@abandonedcentral]

She did a really good job on the documentary. Its very sad parents did this to their own children. A lot of these parents were paying to leave their children here so they didn't have to deal with them.

[@Dodge34]

@@abandonedcentral Yup, and now I've learned that since then, the US govt along with CPS and Department of Justice is actually funding similar facilities around the world. I knew they existed but nothing was ever done, perhaps with this new netflix serie, something will happen hopefully, sadly Robert Lichfield is rarely in US territories since that serie went out and the way it was done, he probably would never see a jail cell.

[@darrenbarnhart6526]

Can't believe they couldn't even talk to each other or off ground couldn't call other family members etc or throw party etc yeah that a clear violation of frist Amendment right freedom of speech .

[@brendakrieger7000]

Horrible🤬🤬

[@RobertoHernandez-cx4yt]

Very horrible. 🤬🤬🤬. & very upsetting as well. 🤬🤬

[@brendakrieger7000]

@@RobertoHernandez-cx4yt for sure

[@abandonedcentral]

It really is. Make sure to check out the documentary on Netflix if you haven't yet.

[@brendakrieger7000]

@@abandonedcentral ok I will

[@joemccann4373]

with that dust you should of had a mask on

[@abandonedcentral]

You're probably right.

[@chriscooper1905]

Very sad story, horrible

[@joemccann4373]

beds look like the ones I slept on in Military school

[@thestars386]

24:01 I hope all the people behind covering this up or even just not saying anything as to what was going down there get what's coming to them.

[@user-zx8de8op9l]

This is crazy "American Horror Story"

[@robertmailhos8159]

The female suicide rate was higher than the male rate glad that place was shut down because of the abuse was not a thing to do to those teenagers

[@abandonedcentral]

Thanks for watching Robert. Hopefully the ones responsible for this will get sent to prison like they should be. Theres a huge investigation about the abuse going on since the Netflix doc released.

[@sunflower-xj6pe]

​@@abandonedcentrallikely no charges happen

[@roxannemetcalf628]

@@abandonedcentralwhat is the name of the documentary please? I live in Australia and would like to watch it. I feel so sorry for the kids made to go here and to other WASP locations. No child deserves this, abuse is abuse and these adults were paid millions to abuse children. The law should have protected these teens and it failed to. These abusive adults could hurt other children … they should be in jail for a very, very long time. My heart goes out to the survivors and I hope they find a way to heal from their time here. Any who are no longer with us, may their souls rest in peace and finally be free.

[@nestordv90]

​@@roxannemetcalf628the program

[@simplyboppingK]

@@sunflower-xj6pe Not true. I feel that those victims have enough for some charges to be made. It might not shut down the main people but it could charge some of the others.

[@nreyes789]

MY GOD what happened here

[@Shannonbarnesdr1]

this place reminds me of what used to be The Elan school in portland maine where they forced people to sit in dumpsters, even wear diapers, bunny suits, wear signs to humiliate them, plus yelling in their faces, hitting ,etc. it was all about breaking and brainwashing, there was another one where they forced people to wear bloody tampons on their heads ??!...not sure if that was also at Elan..or another, but anyways, all of this is abusive and completely counter productive, it does nothing but harm.

[@ginakhorsandpour4699]

I saw this story on Netflix pretty horrible

[@abandonedcentral]

It really is. Thanks for watching Gina!

[@myladymoffatt]

I’m really hoping you don’t spend too much time there without some sort of mask. There’s so many forms of fungi & molds!!! Be safe!

[@Ana-ke7mu]

what happened to the staff?

[@bauerj3398]

what do you mean? They were laid off when the place closed.

[@David-wo5ir]

Good Ole Ogdensburg. People knew about the abuse for years.

[@bauerj3398]

I can say, with all certainty, that I never met a person from Ogdensburg who was not a complete and utter P.O.S. Amazing how consistently hateful the populace is.

[@cathymorrison4953]

Same as Residencial School 🤬🇨🇦🤬

[@sassysue6472]

I watched the Netflix documentary. I can’t believe parents sent their kids here for…..being kids? And in what universe do the powers that be think abuse is teaching these kids?? This is cult behavior and brainwashing. I hope they finally get sued out of business. Now what kind of twisted mind makes kids do stupid 🤬 like that? That’s so awful.

[@abandonedcentral]

We agree, I really hope the owners of the school and everyone involved gets put in jail and sued. Thanks for watching our video Sue.

[@exploringwithjason151]

Do you know where you can watch the documentary? Also do you know if any of these victims died while a student here?

[@greywebs1944]

I did put RIP as looking at the graffiti it speaks volumes. We'll never really know I guess ? But these places do have fatalities and have done for many many years. I can't imagine anybody getting back to normal again through the torture they all went through 😢

[@illburnmyselfforreal]

What if you were trans and cross dressed, it wouldn't really be that bad for clothes. But i get it, absolutely sickening what they did to these kids

[@rym7174]

I went here for 2 months back in the early 2000s, pretty shitty experience

[@abandonedcentral]

Sorry to hear you experienced this place. Were you released early? From our research it usually took 10-12 months to complete the program?

[@darrenbarnhart6526]

Agree

[@margarita8442]

gay 2 straight conversion was good

[@thestars386]

At 9:45; See Women can be evil.

[@111CREWGO69ZEHZ]

What did you want to do with the computers?

[@abandonedcentral]

They could've been donated 15 years ago when they were still in working conditions to schools or group homes that would actually use them.

[@illburnmyselfforreal]

​@@abandonedcentralimagine what's on them

[@illburnmyselfforreal]

​@@abandonedcentralif there's any converse shoes, jerseys, I'll take them

[@michaeltaylor4421]

​@@illburnmyselfforrealI burned myself before a lot 😂😢

[@rym7174]

This is wild, I haven't thought about my experience here in yearsssss and I think about it today and decide to goole any new information and Netflix made a god damn documentary, plus your video im finding! This is wild, part of my life is on a netflix documentary, i cant believe I spent 2 months locked up in this building This is insane