Miracle Meadows Case Mentioned During Paris Hilton’s Recent Speech

Recently, in Jamaica, Paris Hilton has spoken out about yet another disturbing case of child abuse within the troubled teen industry. This time, seven American boys were rescued from the Atlantis Leadership Academy after enduring physical and sexual abuse at the facility.

The children were placed in care of the Jamaican Child Protection and Family Services Agency as the government works with U.S. authorities to return them to the states.

As a survivor herself, Hilton has passionately advocated for stricter legislation to prevent these heinous crimes in the “Troubled Teen Industry.” These programs claim to assist teenagers dealing with emotional and behavioral challenges.

But, tragically, some staff members perpetrate cruel punishments on the very minors they are meant to help.

During the press conference, Hilton explained, “Atlantis Leadership Academy is not a one-off program. This is a global issue that requires systemic change. American-owned youth residential programs are currently operating and housing vulnerable American youth in Mexico, Samoa, Costa Rica, St. Lucia, and many other locations around the world.”

Hilton continued, “My visit here is a show of support for the Jamaican action that has been taken and for encouraging the U.S. government at all levels to take this issue seriously and to act with urgency. While we wait for the government to take action, survivors will continue to uncover this broken system and expose those who are putting profits over the well-being of our most vulnerable youth. We will protect the powerless ourselves.”

While the Atlantis Leadership Academy is under the spotlight, another Jamaican facility, known as Yoba Housing, is home to 150 minors. Many of its staff members have connections to the now-closed Miracle Meadows facility in West Virginia.

The Miracle Meadows School case is an alarming and tragic chapter in the history of troubled teen facilities. The boarding school was located in Salem, West Virginia, and it was founded by the Seventh Day Adventists. This school operated for over 30 years, closing in 2018 after allegations of abuse.

During that time, many students experienced sexual, mental, and physical abuse at the hands of their caretakers.

“This settlement will finally bring justice to these innocent children, now adults, and hopefully allow them to begin to heal,” Scott Long said. “The horrific abuse has come to an end, but without setting aside money to provide these former children the healing services they desperately need, their abuse would continue.”

Former students represented by Forbes Law Offices, PLLC, Laffey, Bucci & Kent, LLP, and Hendrickson & Long, PLLC, settled the case for a record $51.9 million dollars.

At Hendrickson & Long, PLLC, we are proud of our commitment to successfully litigate on behalf of our clients and shut down the program. However, more work needs to be done to prevent further incidents of child abuse in this country.

Paris Hilton’s commitment to justice shows the urgent need for systemic change and protection of vulnerable youth. At Hendrickson & Long, PLLC, we are also committed to helping victims hold those facilities and their staff accountable for these heinous actions.