Thayer Learning Center

The Thayer Learning Center or TLC is a military based, Christian boarding school boot camp for troubled teens in Kidder, Missouri. The program enrolls over 100 students and costs run up to $4000 a month. The program claims that it "...changes, reunites, and restores hope to families across the nation." Despite the website's positive claims, it has been under much controversy in past years, from claims of sexual and physical abuse to even a death occurring at the facility. It is owned and operated by John and Willa Bundy. John Bundy is believed to have been a former employee of the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools. The center is one of many facilities for troubled teens listed on the watch list on the International Survivors Action Committee (ISAC) website.

Program Information
The Thayer Learning Center offers a year-long program, and summer programs of four, eight, and twelve weeks in the summer for teenagers from the ages of thirteen to seventeen. A typical student, as described on Thayer Learning Center's website, is generally thought to have been one of the following:


 * Acting defiant, disrespectful and disobedient to authority figures at home and/or in school
 * Doing poorly, refusing to attend, or failing in school
 * Experimenting with drugs, alcohol, sex, and other risky behaviors
 * Having some minor legal troubles, shoplifting, taking the family car etc.
 * Struggling with or showing signs of ADD/ADHD or ODD

Academics
Of the two phases of the Thayer Learning Center, only the second permits a student to be educated. This is because TLC wants children to view education as a privilege. There are no professional teachers at Thayer Learning Center and the children are taught via videotape and self-directed study through Penn Foster, a distance-learning program. Additionally, claims on the ISAC website report no certified teachers available to the students, and students report being taught by videotape.

Motto
As quoted from the Thayer Learning Center's website:

It is mastery of these simple things in life that brings true success in life:


 * Spiritual Identity
 * Physical Fitness
 * Good Nutrition
 * Time Management
 * Financial Management
 * Goal Setting
 * Service to others

Roberto Reyes
Roberto Reyes of Santa Rosa, California died on November 3rd, 2004 at Thayer after being denied treatment for a spider bite from a Brown Recluse, which led to complications of rhabdomyolysis. He had been enrolled in the program for less than two weeks at the time. A Missouri child fatality review panel concluded that "earlier medical treatment at the Thayer Learning Center may have prevented this fatality." Soon after Reyes death his parents filed a complaint against John Bundy, who had made an unannounced visit to their home and allegedly "threatened" and "harassed" them. Victor and Gracia Reyes filed a wrongful death lawsuit against employees of Thayer Learning Center, and received $1,000,000 compensation.

Allegations of Further Abuses
 Allegedly: Boys are forced to share razors instead of being given the ones purchased by parents.

Some children spend 30 days or more in solitary confinement.

An emergency room physician prescribed bedrest and antibiotics for a child with an ear infection.

Back at Thayer Learning Center, the child was forced to exercise and sleep on the concrete floor.

Thayer staff members told the parents that there was "a little bit of drainage" coming from the child's ear, when in fact, the child's ear was bleeding.

Two children were reportedly "restrained" with zip-ties around their ankles and wrists.

One child was attached to a file cabinet.

Male children have been stripped to their underwear, "hog-tied," and sprayed with a hose.

Children are forced to "re-write" letters to parents, until the letters contain nothing negative about the program.

Athlete's foot and other fungal infections are widespread and go untreated.

Willa Bundy reportedly denied medical care for a child who had the flu and was constantly vomiting.

According to former staff members, Willa Bundy diagnosed the vomiting as "a ploy to go home."

When asbestos was found in an old building on the Thayer compound, the Bundys refused to hire trained asbestos removal contractors.

Instead, students were forced to remove the hazardous removal and instructed to put the asbestos in a pile outside.

Thayer was fined by the Department of Natural Resources for the improper disposal.

A child reportedly arrived at Thayer in a nearly comatose condition. The teen transport personnel stated that they had administered prescription muscle relaxants to the child to prevent "problems" during transport.

Willa Bundy was informed of the child's condition and denied requests for medical attention. She reportedly instructed staff members to put the child in bed until the medication wore off.

After several children collapsed from heat exhaustion and dehydration, the drill sergeants at Thayer began forcing children to drink large quantities of water.

<li>During a one year period, group therapy occurred just once - at 10 PM and was led by Willa Bundy.

<li>One child refused to exercise and was allegedly pulled around by the hair, arm and clothing by John Bundy.

<li>All calls from children to parents are monitored and children are punished for saying anything against the program.

<li>John Bundy allegedly forced female students to exercise outside in the snow without shoes.

<li>One child was allegedly roped to a 4 wheel all terrain vehicle (ATV) and instructed to "keep up."

When the child could not keep pace with the vehicle and fell to the ground, he was dragged behind it.

<li>Willa and John Bundy are reportedly gone for extended periods of time and leave their 17 year old daughter in charge of the facility.

<li>A male staff member supplied illegal drugs to at least one female student.

<li>As punishment, two children were reportedly bound together with duct-tape and left that way overnight.

<li>Before announced visits by the Department of Social Services, Willa Bundy allegedly takes "problem" students out for ice cream or to Wal-Mart.

<li>In one building on the property, 26 female children share 1 bathroom and are given just 30 seconds to get ready for bed at night.

<li>There are frequent outbreaks of head lice.

<li>Part of the "fitness training " at Thayer reportedly involves students being forced to run while carrying 5-gallon buckets full of sand.

<li>Students are awakened in the middle of the night and forced to exercise.

<li>Children who are not physically fit are required to perform strenuous activities, including 6-mile runs.

<li>Students have suffered serious injuries and were denied medical attention. Parents were not notified of their child's condition.

<li>The facility reportedly has no certified teachers. Classes are "taught" via videotape.

<li>Level 1 boot camp students sleep on bedrolls in a basement.

<li>At present, 18 boys are in the basement which has just one bathroom.

<li>The facility is reportedly overcrowded and housing some children in trailers, yet hoping to double enrollment for the summer boot camp program. </ul>