The lawsuit claims that students who tried to escape were tracked down and brought back using K9 dogs.
A former student of the now-defunct Family Foundation School in New York has accused the institution of horrific abuse. He alleged that students were strip-searched, forced to dig their own graves, and made to eat their own vomit.
The allegations were detailed in court documents filed by a survivor of the private boarding school, which once charged families up to $80,000 (approximately Rs 75.50 lakh) a year. The facility operated in the small village of Hancock in upstate New York before closing in 2014, according to the NY Post.
According to a $10 million lawsuit, some students were wrapped tightly inside rolled-up rugs that were then secured with duct tape. The complainant also claimed he was repeatedly sexually abused while attending the school.
The survivor, who attended the Family Foundation School from 2000 to 2003, said children were strip-searched upon arrival and made to participate in what the lawsuit describes as “sexualized group sessions” involving teachers. The lawsuit further claims that students who tried to escape were tracked down and brought back using K9 dogs.
At the school, he was placed under the supervision of music teacher Paul Geer, who allegedly forced him to join the school’s chorus group, according to the lawsuit. During a chorus trip to Toronto, Canada, the student claims Geer sexually abused him.
When he reported the abuse to school owner Mike Argiros, his complaint was ignored, and he was instead placed on a “work sanction.” The victim later testified against Geer at a federal criminal trial in 2024. Geer was subsequently sentenced to 27 years in prison.
The lawsuit further alleges that students were treated as unpaid workers at the school owned by Michael and Cindy Argiros. These tasks allegedly included digging trenches on the family’s estate, shovelling snow, cleaning pig pens and animal enclosures, and performing construction work at the family’s private home.
The former student also claimed that children were required to cook meals for the family and clean their house.
The survivor alleged that the school deceived families into enrolling their children and convinced some parents to hand over legal guardianship to the school’s owners. According to the court filing, the school was run by staff members who lacked professional teaching, counselling, or clinical qualifications.
The court filing further claims: “The school was run by former alcoholics and self-identified sex addicts with no professional licensing, clinical training, or educational credentials.”
Argiros denied knowing about any abuse at the institution. According to The New York Times, he said during sworn testimony that he was unaware of any complaints or reports of abuse while the school was operating.
