Professor Barry Beyerstein of Simon University in Canada visited Straight, Springfield VA for a first hand look. He subsequently published a paper entitled Thought Reform Tactics: The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions.
Beyerstein outlined 17 methods that cults employ on unsuspecting members, and concluded that Straight, Inc. was guilty of using EVERY one of them. Professor Beyerstein went on to state that Straight could fairly be compared to POW camps.
February: Straight, Virginia Beach closed under allegations of child abuse.
July: Straight, Boston closed when the state of Massachusetts revoked its foster care license.
July 26: Straight, Springfield VA was under criminal investigation for a rape that occured there when the state health department decided not to renew its license. Straight officials "voluntarily" closed the warehouse one day before a scheduled appearance in court.
July 29: Just 3 days after the Virginia warehouse closed, Straight officials crossed the Potomac River - taking the kids and staff members, too - and opened a "new" warehouse in Columbia, Maryland.
October: Straight, Dallas closed under allegations of child abuse.
State health officials cited Straight, Maryland for not having a single certified drug/alcohol counselor on its entire staff.
Straight, Atlanta was cited for employing a counselor who possessed no credentials beyond a GED.
February 28: Straight, Maryland closed. Officials and staff members walked off the job and left the kids to fend for themselves.
August 14: Straight, Orlando FL closed...sort of. At lunch the kids were in Straight. By dinner the warehouse was called SAFE, Inc. Same staff, same kids, same warehouse, different name. It's still open today.
Robert DuPont, former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and a paid consultant for Straight, Inc. testified that the originator of the Straight treatment method was the Synanon Church. DuPont also admitted that Synanon was a cult.
HRS sent a letter to Lowell Clary, Florida's Inspector General, with the following findings:
April: The St. Petersburg warehouse began transferring it's remaining clients to Straight, Atlanta.
May: The St. Petersburg warehouse was preparing to close due to mounting lawsuits and allegations of criminal child abuse. A reporter for the St. Petersburg Times called Mel Sembler's office. Sembler's secretary told the reporter "He [Sembler] will not answer any questions about Straight."
June: Straight Detroit closed...sort of. Former program executive Helen Gowanny opened another Straight clone - Pathway Family Center. It too, still operates today.
July: Straight Atlanta closed...sort of. Former program executive Kathleen Cone opened yet ANOTHER Straight clone - called Phoenix Institute for Adolescents. And yes, it's still operating.
The horrors of Straight were documented in 2 books - Smoke and Mirrors by Dan Baum and Drug Warriors and Their Prey by Richard Lawrence Miller.
The Semblers consented to a very informative interview with Trend Magazine. In it Mel defended the practice of politicians favoring big-money donor. Sembler said he tries to influence politicians all the time. Sembler also freely admitted to leveraging his reputation within the Republican Party. And here's a nice quote from Mel, as written in the article - "Senators never get elected president because all they know how to do is compromise."
When a reporter from a Canadian magazine asked Betty Sembler about the horror stories he had read from Straight survivors, Betty replied, "They should get a life. I am proud of everything we have done. There's nothing to apologize for."
Mel Sembler's world CONTINUED into the new millennium.
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