Ivy Ridge survivors to protest against child abuse Saturday in Ogdensburg

Matt Curatolo, Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
·2 min read
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Apr. 21—OGDENSBURG — City Hall, 330 Ford St., will be the site of what organizers are calling a peaceful protest against widespread child abuse on Saturday.

The protest stems from the March documentary on Netflix titled "The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping" that focused on abuse and brutal conditions at the former Academy at Ivy Ridge, a disciplinary boarding school that opened in 2001 at the former Mater Dei College on Route 37. The Academy at Ivy Ridge was part of the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools, a Utah-based company founded by Robert B. Lichfield, and was run as a disciplinary boarding school for troubled youth.

At its height, it had approximately 500 students, ages 12 through 18.

Fifty to 100 former Academy at Ivy Ridge students are expected to attend the protest, scheduled from noon to 3 p.m., according to Erin Corbine and Alexa Cross, who are local coordinators of the protest and are assisting former Academy at Ivy student Chris Gentile with the event.

City Hall was chosen because the former Academy at Ivy Ridge property is private and holding a protest along Route 37 could be dangerous, Cross said.

"It's the center of the city and obviously there is nowhere to protest in Oswegatchie (township) technically where the school was located. The majority of the people employed there were from Ogdensburg so I think it only makes sense to hold the protest in Ogdensburg," said Corbine.

The Facebook event posting states that "a large group of Ivy Ridge survivors will be reuniting in the Ogdensburg area to peacefully protest."

"All concerned citizens that wish to speak out against institutional child abuse are encouraged to join in a peaceful demonstration that will take place in front of Ogdensburg City Hall," the Facebook posting stated.

It added that "all are welcome" and encouraged people to create signs against child abuse.

Ogdensburg police are aware of the protest and have begun planning for the event.