- Former student sues Family Foundation School for $10 million.
- Allegations include strip-searches, forced labor, sexual abuse.
- School owner denies knowledge of widespread student mistreatment.
A former student of the now-closed Family Foundation School in New York has accused the school of terrible abuse. He says students were strip-searched, forced to dig their own graves, and made to eat their own vomit. These claims are part of a USD 10 million lawsuit filed by the survivor. The private boarding school was located in the small village of Hancock in upstate New York. It charged families up to USD 80,000 a year before it shut down in 2014. The student, who attended from 2000 to 2003, described many shocking things in the court papers.
Sexualised group sessions with teachers
According to the lawsuit, students were tightly wrapped inside rolled-up rugs and secured with duct tape. They also had to join strange “sexualised group sessions” with teachers. If students tried to run away, the school used dogs to track them down and bring them back.
The student says he was sexually abused many times by the school’s music teacher, Paul Geer. Geer forced him to join the chorus group. During a trip to Toronto, Canada, Geer allegedly abused him. When the boy told school owner Mike Argiros about the abuse, nothing was done. Instead, he was punished with extra work. Later, the survivor spoke against Geer in a 2024 federal court trial. Geer was sentenced to 27 years in prison.
ALSO READ: US Hockey Game Shooting: 3 Dead As Gunman Opens Fire During High School Match In Rhode Island
The lawsuit also says students were used as free workers. They had to dig trenches, shovel snow, clean pig pens, build things at the owners’ private home, cook meals, and clean the Argiros family house.
The school, owned by Michael and Cindy Argiros, tricked many families into sending their children there. Some parents even gave legal guardianship to the school owners. Most staff had no proper training or qualifications as teachers or counsellors.
School was run by sex addicts
The lawsuit claims the school was run by former alcoholics and people who admitted to being sex addicts, with no real professional skills. Michael Argiros has denied knowing about any abuse. In sworn statements, he said he never heard any complaints while the school was open. This case has brought new attention to problems in private schools that promise to help troubled teens but are accused of causing serious harm.