JEFFERSON CITY (MO)
KRCG-TV, Ch. 13 [Jefferson City MO]
May 16, 2024
By Kermit Miller and Jennifer Weiser
The battle between advocates for abused kids and state officials appearing less than concerned returned Wednesday to the steps of the Missouri Supreme Court building.
People connected to the allegations against several southwest Missouri boarding schools went to the office of Attorney General Andrew Bailey to demand action.
The SNAP organization and other abuse survivors are frustrated by a perceived lack of action against as many as five schools where kids allegedly have endured physical and sexual abuse.
“I beg him to just listen to us, to just hear our stories, hear our concerns,” said abuse survivor Amanda Householder.
Householder’s parents are scheduled to go to trial in October on 99 felony charges and one misdemeanor charge related to the alleged abuse of girls when they ran the Circle of Hope girls ranch in Humansville, Missouri. The state closed the ranch in 2020.
David Clohessy is the director of SNAP.
“There are two dozen or three dozen facilities in our state,” said Clohessy. “Four or five of them are clearly very, very troubled. Parents, please, please, think twice and look hard at these institutions before you send your kids.”
Bailey has responded with a short letter thanking the Clohessy group for their interest but without any commitment to action.