Yesterday, we learned about Guiliani's South Carolina Chairman and his cocaine troubles. Today, we have another one to talk about - Robert Lichfield, one of Mitt Romney's Finance Committee's co-chairs in the state of Utah. Lichfield is being sued by 133 plaintiffs - alleged victims of abuse in schools that Lichfield owns and/or operates.
Being affiliated with schools for troubled teens that allegedly employ highly-questionable discipline tactics, WWASPS have contributed greatly to Mr. Lichfield's wealth, (the plaintiffs claim millions); wealth that he has no trouble in spreading to republican efforts. Not only is Mr. Lichfield an active Romney supporter/backer/co-chair, he has also contributed to several Republican candidates, Republican causes, the NRCC, and Bush/Cheney '04. (a total of $1.01M during the 2002 and 2004 elections.)
Lawsuits hit a Romney money man
In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, 133 plaintiffs have alleged that Robert Lichfield, co-chairman of Romney’s Utah finance committee owned or operated residential boarding schools for troubled teenagers where students were "subjected to physical abuse, emotional abuse and sexual abuse."
The complaint, which plaintiffs amended and resubmitted to the court last week, alleges children attending schools operated by Lichfield suffered abuses such as unsanitary living conditions; denial of adequate food; exposure to extreme temperatures; beatings; confinement in dog cages; and sexual fondling.
(snip)
Lichfield did not respond to requests for comment made through the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS). WWASPS is his co-defendant in several lawsuits and Lichfield sits on its board of directors.
Plaintiffs represented by the Dallas-based Turley Law Firm claim Lichfield and WWASPS helped to run boarding schools where staff abused students and "acted in concert" to "fraudulently conceal the extent and nature of the physical, emotional, mental and sexual abuse occurring at its [member] schools," their complaint states.
Types of abuse cited includes being threatened with cattle prods and severe punishments including "being forced to lie face down on the floor for hours at a time, forbidden from moving their arms or legs".
The night I arrived happened to be uniform night, where we turn in our dirty uniforms and get new ones. I was in line to get a new uniform when the girl in front of me was not paying attention and fell behind in line. I whispered loudly, "Run!" so she would not get in trouble. Little did I know that the staff would interpret that was a Category 4 rule violation: run away plans. Before I could understand what was happening, I was sent to "R and R" more commonly known as "room restriction." I was there for 2 days until I was dismissed by the headmaster.
In R and R you are to sit with your nose one inch from the wall, with your legs folded under the weight of your body, your arms are to be held behind your back, they cannot touch the floor, your back or each other; your back and neck must remain rigid and straight. Sooner than you might think, your arms fall asleep, your legs fall asleep, there is no blood going to them. They ache so badly it puts you into tears. They throb and just when you think you are going to collapse and endure the consequences, you get a bathroom break. 3 bathroom breaks. 3 meal breaks. Many people say, "If I were you I would have just told them to screw themselves" but I've heard the screaming that comes for R and R sometimes. I never found out what happened that made the girls scream like that but I never wanted to find out.
Another attendee's account:
We were not allowed to go to the bathroom unless we were taken which would make us sometimes hold our bladder for hours at a time making some boys soil themselves in which they would then be sent to detention for hours at a time. We would have to fight for toilet paper since there was never any in the bathroom. Most of the time to wipe ourselves we would have to steal napkins from the cafeteria, but if we were caught doing that we would be severely punished.
Of course, WWASPS is brushing off the plaintiffs of the lawsuit, claiming the plaintiffs are doing this for financial gain and that the children who were allegedly affected are not credible due to their "long history of lying, fabricating and twisting the story around to their own benefit".
The current president is Ken Kay.
ISAC Note: During sworn testimony in the August 2004 case of WWASPS vs PURE, Ken Kay stated that in his opinion, sexual activity between staff members and students is "not necessarily" abuse.
I think there are others who would disagree with you, Mr. Kay. Especially for a facility that is supposed to be helping "troubled teens".
Prior lawsuits on the same charges had been previously filed, but had subsequently been thrown out due to "procedural reasons" or have been settled out of court. One such case, filed in LA County, was thrown out because it was determined that California did not have jurisdiction over the matter. Another was dropped because the plaintiff "could not bear the psychological anguish of testifying".
How profitable are these "schools"?
The WWASPS schools rake in about $80 million a year. Claiming to enlist about 1,250 students (the official number has dropped from 2,500 in 2003), the company schools are part of a wider industry, estimated to hold 10,000 teenagers, that is rarely covered by the news media.
(snip)
It's true that WWASPS is generous to the GOP. The schools and "teen transport" company are run by a web of cell-like corporate entities that deny their interconnectedness -- but share family members, billing addresses and other obvious signs of affiliation. At the top is founder Bob Lichfield, who lives in Utah on a posh ranch, his lifestyle and political presence fueled by tuition payments. According to the Salt Lake City Tribune Bob Lichfield and his family and business associates have given given over $1 million to GOP politics at the local and national level.
I will be the first to say that I have not worked with troubled teens; however, I do not believe that using "torture/abuse methods" will lead to any positive behavioral modifications. And yes, from the links I have read relating to WWASPS, I believe that the schools are employing forms of torture and abuse. I do not believe that 133 plaintiffs have come together in some type of grand conspiracy against Lichfield and WWASPS, either. The Hill article also states that results from their survey find that there have been "at least nine lawsuits filed in the last nine years against specialty boarding schools affiliated with Lichfield." Coincidence? I think not.
But, hey, IOKIYAR. Right??? You're raking in the money and are able to help keep your powers-to-be in charge.
What say you, Mitt?
"Mr. Lichfield is one of 6 Co-Chairman of our Utah finance team," said Romney spokeswoman Gail Gitcho in a statement.
"He has donated to numerous Republican candidates and committees. The Romney campaign will continue its policy to make our fundraising efforts as transparent as possible."
Yes, but are you going to dismiss Lichfield from being a finance committee co-chair and give back the money donated from his fundraising efforts on your behalf? That is the question.
UPDATE: 11:28pm EST. For additional information and links, please visit OneCrankyDom's diary from last evening: Mitt Fundraiser Sued 4 Child Abuse, Rico, Assault, Battery, False Imprisonment.
My biggest problem with this story is that it has been in the News since at least August of last year. That would seem to mean Mitt or some of his people had to be aware of this problem and did nothing about it.