Élan School was an abusive behavior modification program and

therapeutic boarding school Therapeutic boarding school is an institution where students reside on campus and are provided with both educational and therapeutic services. These institutions first began to emerge in the late 1960s. Description A therapeutic boarding school ...

located in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

. It was a full member of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) and was considered to be a part of the

troubled teen industry In the United States, the troubled teen industry (also known as TTI) is a broad range of youth residential programs aimed at struggling teenagers. The term encompasses various facilities and programs, including youth residential treatment centers, ...

. The facility closed down on April 1, 2011, following multiple reports of

abuse Abuse is the act of improper usage or treatment of a person or thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, ...

, many from former students, dating back to its opening in 1970. The Élan School was located on a

campus A campus traditionally refers to the land and buildings of a college or university. This will often include libraries, lecture halls, student centers and, for residential universities, residence halls and dining halls. By extension, a corp ...

in south Poland that was formerly a hunting lodge. There were also other campuses, such as the one on 424 Maplecrest Road in Parsonsfield, which was formerly a hotel and hospital before it was bought by Élan in 1975. This campus was known to have some of the worst abuse in the school's history, and was put out of use sometime in the 1980s. The Élan School acquired notoriety during the 1990s and early-2000s when former classmates of Michael Skakel, who had attended in the 1970s, testified against him in his trial for a murder that had occurred about two years before he had enrolled. The school was also the subject of persistent allegations of abuse in their behavioral modification program.

Background and history

Élan School was founded in 1970 by Joseph Ricci, a former

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...

addict who had worked with young people in drug treatment facilities, along with

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly ...

Dr. Gerald Davidson and investor David Goldberg. Ricci headed the school until his death on January 29, 2001, due to

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

, when his widow Sharon Terry took over. In 1974, Élan 1 was damaged by a fire with damages estimated as $100,000. Maine politician Bill Diamond served as the school's Director of Governmental Relations.

Program

In the school's controversial program, "

humiliation Humiliation is the abasement of pride, which creates mortification or leads to a state of being Humility, humbled or reduced to lowliness or submission. It is an emotion felt by a person whose social status, either by force or willingly, has ...

" was identified as a therapeutic tool, as was following up on such intervention with encouragement and warm support. Students attended year-round. The school's treatment methods were based on the "

therapeutic community Therapeutic community is a participative, group-based approach to long-term mental illness, personality disorders and drug addiction. The approach was usually residential, with the clients and therapists living together, but increasingly resident ...

" or TC modality popularized in the 1960s at facilities such as

Synanon Synanon, originally known as Tender Loving Care, was a new religious movement founded in 1958 by Charles E. "Chuck" Dederich Sr. in Santa Monica, California, United States. Originally established as a drug rehabilitation program, Synanon develop ...

, and later at Daytop Village. In 2002, a

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

educational consultant An educational consultant (EC), sometimes referred to as an independent educational consultant (IEC), is an advisor who helps parents and either traditional students or non-traditional students with educational planning for college and graduate sch ...

who had referred students to Élan for twenty-two years told ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' that he would refer only "the most serious cases" to the school, which he said would "take kids who haven't responded to other programs and who are really out of control." and that the school was "certainly not for the faint-hearted." He said "There's lots of confrontation, ... and yet there are lots of hugs." Accounts of former students include mentions of physical and mental abuse, including degrading tasks such as " essionsof cleaning urinals with a

toothbrush A toothbrush is a special type of brush used to clean the Human tooth, teeth, gingiva, gums, and tongue. It consists of a head of tightly clustered bristles, atop of which toothpaste can be applied, mounted on a handle (grip), handle which facil ...

that can last for hours" and up to the point of critical

malnourishment Malnutrition occurs when an organism gets too few or too many nutrients, resulting in health problems. Specifically, it is a deficiency, excess, or imbalance of energy, protein and other nutrients which adversely affects the body's tissues a ...

Controversies

Throughout its history, the Élan School was faced with numerous allegations of student maltreatment. In 2001, ''Details'' magazine cited Élan as "among the most controversial of the nation's residential therapeutic communities." In 1975,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

state officials removed eleven children from the Élan program, alleging mistreatment. In the late-1970s,

Androscoggin County Androscoggin County ( French: ''Comté d'Androscoggin'') is a county in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 111,139. Its county seat is Auburn and its most populous city is Lewiston. Androscoggin Cou ...

Sheriff's Office Lieutenant Max Ashburn visited the school after repeatedly hearing rumors of abuse, but the staff did not allow him entry into the school past the

lobby Lobby may refer to: * Lobby (room), an entranceway or foyer in a building * Lobbying, the action or the group used to influence a viewpoint to politicians * Lobby (food), a thick stew made in Leigh, Greater Manchester and North Staffordshire, like ...

. Following this, he began keeping a file in which he documented names and phone numbers related to Élan, as well as reported abuses. The

New York State Education Department The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is the department of the New York state government responsible for the supervision for all public schools in New York and all standardized testing, as well as the production and administration ...

, which had paid

tuition Tuition may refer to: *Formal education, education within a structured institutional framework *Tutoring, private academic help *Tuition payments Tuition payments, usually known as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in Commonwealth ...

for

special education Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual di ...

students to attend Élan School, gave the school a favorable review in 2005. In 2007, however, New York education officials raised questions about the school's practices, alleging in a letter to the school and Maine education officials that Élan students were physically restraining their peers and being deprived of sleep. The allegations prompted the state of New York to threaten to withdraw tuition money for taxpayer-funded students. The school's lawyer contested the allegations.

Skakel and Moxley case

On the evening of October 30, 1975, in

Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich ( ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 63,518. It is the largest town on Gold Coast (Connecticut), Connectic ...

, 15-year-old Martha Moxley left with friends to participate in "

mischief night Mischief Night is an informal holiday on which children, teenagers and adults engage in jokes, pranks, vandalism, or parties. It is known by a variety of names including Devil's Night (particularly in Detroit), Gate Night, Goosey Night, Moving ...

", in which neighborhood youths would ring

doorbell A doorbell is a signaling device typically placed near a door to a building's entrance. When a visitor presses a button (control), button, the bell rings inside the building, alerting the occupant to the presence of the visitor. Although the ...

s and pull pranks such as

toilet papering Toilet papering (also called TP-ing, house wrapping, yard rolling, or simply rolling) is the act of covering an object, such as a tree, house, or another structure with toilet paper. This is typically done by throwing numerous toilet paper rolls ...

houses. According to friends, Moxley began flirting with, and eventually kissed, Thomas Skakel, the older brother of 15-year-old Michael Skakel. Moxley was last seen "falling together behind the fence" with Thomas, near the pool in the Skakel backyard, at around 9:30 p.m. The next day, Moxley's

corpse A cadaver, often known as a corpse, is a dead human body. Cadavers are used by medical students, physicians and other scientists to study anatomy, identify disease sites, determine causes of death, and provide tissue to repair a defect in a li ...

was found beneath a tree in her family's backyard. Her pants and underwear were pulled down, but she had not been

sexually assaulted Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexua ...

. Pieces of a broken six-iron

golf club A golf club is a club used to hit a golf ball in a game of golf. Each club is composed of a shaft with a grip and a club head. Woods are mainly used for long-distance fairway or tee shots; irons, the most versatile class, are used for a variety o ...

were found near the body. An

autopsy An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of deat ...

indicated that she had been both bludgeoned and stabbed with the club, which was traced back to the Skakel residence. Michael Skakel's trial began on May 7, 2002, in Norwalk. Two former students from Élan, where Skakel received treatment for

alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

, testified they heard Skakel confess to killing Moxley with a golf club. One of the former students, Gregory Coleman, testified that Skakel was given special privileges and had bragged, "I'm going to get away with murder. I'm a

Kennedy Kennedy may refer to: People * Kennedy (surname), including any of several people with that surname ** Kennedy family, a prominent American political family that includes: *** Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. (1888–1969), American businessman, investor, ...

." Furthermore, witnesses testified that beatings and public humiliation were parts of life at Élan during the late-1970s. In trial testimony, former students also described the practice of placing a student in a "

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

ring" surrounded by classmates who confronted the student. Michael Skakel refused to confess when staff demanded it and he was placed in the boxing ring were he was beaten by other students who took turns in the boxing ring afterwards he was spanked after six or eight hours is when he said maybe he had Martha Moxley.''The New York Times'' has reported that, at the school, "smiling without permission can lead to a session of cleaning urinals with a toothbrush that can last for hours." On June 7, 2002, Skakel was found guilty of murdering Moxley and was sentenced to 20 years to

life in prison Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life imprisonment are co ...

Deaths related to Élan

* In July 1990, 15-year-old runaway Brad Glickman of Bedford, New York, visited the home of Todd and Audrey Blaylock in Norway, Maine, after meeting one of Audrey Blaylock's daughters. Glickman told those he met that his name was "David Smith". Roy O'Hara, a resident at the house, was handling a

revolver A revolver is a repeating handgun with at least one barrel and a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, ...

when it discharged, fatally shooting Glickman in the heart. O'Hara was found guilty of

manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...

that November; however, the verdict would be partially overturned in 1993. * On March 21, 1993, 17-year-old student Dawn Marie Birnbaum ran away from Élan during a school outing. On March 24, she was found dead in a snowbank near

Interstate 80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one of the ori ...

having been

raped Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person w ...

and murdered by a trucker while hitchhiking back home. 36-year-old James Robert Cruz Jr. was charged with the

first-degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse committed with the necessary intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisdiction. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse ...

of Birnbaum, and sentenced to life in prison. * After decades of struggling with

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

, 49-year-old Tiffany Joyce Sedaris died by

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

on May 24, 2013. Sedaris was the sister of

Amy Sedaris Amy Louise Sedaris (; born March 29, 1961) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She played Jerri Blank in the Comedy Central comedy series '' Strangers with Candy'' (1999–2000) and the prequel film '' Strangers with Candy'' (2005), wh ...

and

David Sedaris David Raymond Sedaris ( ; born December 26, 1956) is an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor. He was publicly recognized in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay " Santaland Diaries". He published his first col ...

. Tiffany's two years at Élan were cited in her siblings' writings and interviews as deeply traumatic to her, and a direct cause of her inability to form normal relationships with her family members and other people. * In March 2016, Maine State Police announced they had opened a

cold case ''Cold Case'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series. It ran on CBS from September 28, 2003, to May 2, 2010. The series revolved around a fictionalized Philadelphia Police Department division that specializes in invest ...

investigation into the death of 15-year-old former Élan resident Phil Williams, who died on December 27, 1982, after participating in Élan's "ring," where students were forced to fight each other as a means of behavior modification. Williams had been punished for talking back to staff and was beaten so badly that he died of a "

brain aneurysm An intracranial aneurysm, also known as a cerebral aneurysm, is a cerebrovascular disorder characterized by a localized dilation or ballooning of a blood vessel in the brain due to a weakness in the vessel wall. These aneurysms can occur in an ...

". The State Police later announced no charges would be filed as a result of their investigation, citing insufficient evidence.

Runaways

Students would occasionally run away from Élan. Former Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office Captain Ray Lafrance stated that Élan would send groups in vans to search for and return runaways, and noted that the school only called police to report missing students as a last resort. Lafrance said some runaways would be relieved to be found after spending nights in the woods, though others "were scared to death to go back to Élan. If we really felt they were really scared, we'd bring them into the department, call their parents and at least let them know what's going on. Then we'd call Élan and they'd come pick them up." In 1979, Lieutenant Max Ashburn was called by a local family to pick up a 16-year-old Élan runaway. The boy had been a student at Élan for several months, and said that his parents lived in another state. Ashburn recalled in 2016 that the boy "was crying, and he was begging me not to take him back"; rather than return him to the school, Ashburn, a former truck driver, took the boy to a local diner, and instructed him to hitch a ride with one of the truck drivers there.

Closure

On March 23, 2011, the Élan School announced it would be closing on April 1, 2011. The school's owner, Sharon Terry, blamed "declining enrollment and resulting financial difficulties," as well as negative attacks on the school via the Internet backlash. In a letter to the '' Lewiston Sun-Journal'', Terry said: "The school has been the target of harsh and false attacks spread over

Reddit Reddit ( ) is an American Proprietary software, proprietary social news news aggregator, aggregation and Internet forum, forum Social media, social media platform. Registered users (commonly referred to as "redditors") submit content to the ...

and the internet with the avowed purpose of forcing the school to be closed."

Arson attacks

On November 17, 2024, a fire destroyed a building on the property of the former Élan School. In March 2025, two more fires destroyed another two buildings on the property. In May 2025, two 18-year-old male suspects were arrested and charged for the three fires as well as two fires in Yarmouth. Investigators also determined two 17-year-olds were involved in the fires but they have not yet been charged.

In media

Élan was featured in '' Children of Darkness'', a

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

shot in 1983 that explored the experiences of emotionally troubled youth and the various residences and institutions that housed them. The school was covered by The Last Podcast on the Left in a three-part special. A documentary chronicling the school's history and impact titled ''The Last Stop'' was released in 2017. The film was directed by an Élan graduate and included interviews from various residents and professionals including

Maia Szalavitz Maia Pearl Szalavitz (born March 29, 1965) is an American reporter and author who focuses on science, public policy and addiction treatment. Early life and education Maia Szalavitz was born March 29, 1965. She was raised in upstate New York. She ...

. Élan is the main location for the events in ''Joe versus Elan School'', a web-based graphic novel.

References

External links

* * Todd Nilssen: ''The Last Stop'' (documentary, 2017) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Elan School Ageism Androscoggin County, Maine Boarding schools in Maine Child abuse Child abuse in the United States Child abuse incidents and cases Child murder in Maine Crimes against children Crimes in Maine Education controversies in the United States Educational institutions established in 1970 Educational institutions disestablished in 2011 Human rights abuses in the United States Poland, Maine Private high schools in Maine Reddit School violence Schools in Androscoggin County, Maine Therapeutic boarding schools in the United States Therapeutic community Totalitarianism Troubled teen programs Violence against children Violence against children in the United States Institutional abuse