Matthew Tierney at The Family Foundation School (From Youthright.org)

This story was originally written on a webpage created to provide statements for a GAO hearing in 2007. The address is cafety.youthrights.org and it waits for your statement if you believe that your stay at a boarding school included unfair treatment or even abuse. All rights and credits goes to the author Matthew Tierney, who posted the original story on cafety.youthrights.org


My name is Matthew Tierney. I attended The Family Foundation School from October of 2004, to December of 2008. This is my account.

I was sent to The Family School for several reasons. Stealing, lying, sex, and violence were among the reasons. I was immediately set straight upon introduction to The Family School. It was made clear that my lying and stealing would not be tolerated.

However, physical actions against me were never committed. I was repirmanded for my actions, in the form of physical manual labor. I believe that this was necessary, for if I did not suffer, I would not have changed. I believe that there needs to be some form of uncomfortability in order for one to change at times. This was certainly true for me.

The amount of change that occured ibn my life while attending that school is unmeasurable. I cannot describe the amount of gratitude I have towards the staff and students of The Family School. I not only learned to care for others, but I also learned to care about myself. I learned what it means to put in an honest day of work. I learned what it means to be happy. I have only one qualm, and that is with the conditions in which these hearings are done.

I believe that both sides of the issueneed to be heard. The bad and the good. To take only the bad, and use it to build a case, is completely, and utterly dishonorable. Not only does it show that our government is liable to being bias, it shows unfair ethics.

2013 the school changed its name to Allynwood Academy due to the bad press.

References:

Datasheet about the boarding school at Fornits Home for Wayward Web Fora

The original statement on cafety.youthrights.com