Heart Starts Pounding: Horrors, Hauntings and Mysteries

179. How Reddit Shut Down the Worst Troubled Teen School in America

June 4, 2026·38 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Go to https://kachava.com and use code HSP for 15% off your first order. In 1970, a man with no clinical training opened a "therapeutic boarding school" in the Maine woods. For forty-one years, students inside were subjected to organized beatings, forced fight rings, and psychological torture while journalists, state investigators, and even Congress failed to shut it down.  Then, in 2010, one anonymous Reddit post did what none of them could. TW: Child Abuse, mention of suicide, addiction Subscribe on⁠ Patreon⁠ to become a member of our Rogue Detecting Society and enjoy ad-free listening, monthly bonus content, merch discounts and more. Members of our High Council on Patreon also have access to our weekly after-show, Footnotes, where I share my case file with our producer, Matt. You can also enjoy many of these same perks, including ad-free listening and bonus content when you subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Follow on⁠ Tik Tok⁠ and⁠ Instagram⁠ for a daily dose of horror.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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