It seems apparent here that many staff feel hurt by the actions of certain alumni. That is too bad, and I’m sorry individuals become extreme and therefore slop-shod with their beliefs. You must feel as though the ‘Truth Campaign’ is a blow to your way of life, but I assure you it’s only a blow to your ego, and will never detract from the core of what you do.

What I have noticed is that both the Family Foundation School Staff and the FFS Truth Campaign Administrators use ridiculous, tactile language, much similar to language I have seen used in political editorials handed out by the ISO. Here are two examples:

-The term “Detractor’
-The term ‘Abuser’

Is there staff that would like to speak with an alumni who is neutral, and reasonable? If so, contact me. Meg you seem like somebody who could use a sound voice on the subject. I don’t know your sister, and I’m sorry you are now on such terms, but not everyone who submitted a testimony to the Truth Campaign website is a liar and resentful bully. If you were to refer to me as such, I would feel hurt in the same way you feel bullied by some alumni.

The term bully can be thrown around pretty easily, and it’s on the same level as ‘detractor.’ If there isn’t a staff member willing to look into the lives of the people they disagree with, they become like the alumni who are bitter with scars of the past. I would not throw a sucker punch or use violent language referencing the school, therefore I represent at least one alumni who can see rationally both sides of the argument.

What needs to be highlighted here is the foundation of the 8th and 9th steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. There should be at no point a practicing member of AA who refuses a chance to take inventory of their past and reconcile where is needed. Using blanket statements about an entire group of people is not in the spirit of what I was taught at the Family Foundation School.

Thank you again for your time,

Matt Mantone

Unfortunately, Susan is able to fund lawyers and CAFTEY staff to continue a campaign of deceit and lies. Susan herself has refused all efforts to address her concerns in a peaceful and mutually beneficial manner. Both FFS and mutual acquaintances have offered to “mediate” Susan’s allegations, but all offers have been refused.

Instead, she continues to lash out in public, with such bizarre actions as mass mailing a slanderous letter to 4,000 strangers. This letter contained a blatant lie, that FFS is “under investigation” by federal authorities. Susan has been repeating this lie for 2 years, but has yet to produce any proof.

FFS is a wonderful community that has helped thousands of children and families regain peace and love. I have witnessed this first hand and maintain close relationships with other families and former students. Susan’s perspective, on the other hand, is woven out of whole cloth and bears little resemblance to reality.

Please feel free to contact me if you would like more background about the smear campaign and those promoting this destructive effort.

If my opinion is omitted from this page, I will assume the person who monitors this site, and the school at large, has something to hide. If that is not the case, I will see my post up on the blog, and I will feel more pleasant about the people who helped raise me.

To the Administration who were employed during my stay, I thank you for helping me become a better man. You were never bad to me and I never felt abused. Confused, scared, bored, yes, but abused never.

What I did witness, however, was very profane language being used by otherwise devout Christians, in very loud voices. I did see children who had only used drugs a hand-full of times be labeled addicts, and I did notice how certain students were treated differently then others.

My hope is that both this site, and the sites that claim abuse, can drop the warring attitude and come to a peaceful, mutually beneficial agreement. As was stated here on this blog, no school that deals with such powerful issues is perfect. If you could learn from alumni testimony, would you read them? Would you honor the word of students you shared bread with?

Thanks for addressing the many lies and distortions being propagated by the alleged Truth campaign.

It is common knowledge that the campaign was started by a family member of mine who disagreed with my parental decision to enroll my daughters at the Family School. This family member has no children of her own, and maintained at best a superficial relationship with my children. She is estranged from her siblings and parents, who are all supportive of my decision to provide my daughters with the best help I could find. I can only describe my sibling’s behavior in pursuing and funding this campaign as disturbed and out of touch with reality. It is indeed unfortunate, both for the sibling and the apparently troubled individuals who choose to follow her lead.

The Family School helped my daughters turn their lives around and rebuild relationships between them and with me. They successfully transitioned from the school in June 2009 – one to a top-notch college and other to a top-notch prep school.

With my parents, friends, and partner, I spent perhaps hundreds of hours at the Family School during the 18 month period my daughters were enrolled there. I attended countless table topics, many sports events, choral performances, picnics -in short, with two daughters at the school and the many opportunities for parental involvement, I felt Family School was my second home for those 18 months. Every visit left me feeling that my daughters we receiving the best possible support, care, love and guidance available anywhere. On top of that, they received an excellent high school education.

My gratitude for the Family School is immense. I am an attorney and dedicated mom who left no stone unturned in trying to find the best therapeutic program anywhere to help my daughters. I searched from Vermont to Hawaii, making personal visits to several schools. No where did I find the unique opportunities offered at the Family School.

The Family School was undoubtedly the best thing I could have done for my daughters, and indeed my family. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart, and know that the truth will prevail – it always does. I pray that the troubled individuals relentlessly pursuing the anti-Family School campaign will find peace and move on with their lives, rather than remain stuck in their torrent of anger, denial, and confusion.

Peace to all.
Meg Sheehan

As a 1998 graduate of FFS, I have attempted over the past few years to maintain a middle ground with regards to the allegations and “smear campaign” that has come from both sides and only comment when I felt it necessary.

I attended the 2006 “reunion” and heard your apology for the abuses encountered during the early and mid 1990′s. I also received a personal (although somewhat public) apology from Mike Argiros during that event. For me, the apology was enough. I felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off me- the weight of resentment. My resentment deteriorated because I believed that you and the staff had taken responsibility for your actions and any effect they may have caused and were willing to make changes. Furthermore, I had visited the school in 2002 and noticed significant changes for myself.

My reason for writing today is because some of your response seems to detract from your earlier apologies and therefore causes you to seem as disingenuous as your detractors. I agree that there is a small group of alumni who will never be satisfied- they still hold on to their resentment and would like nothing less than to see FFS burned to the ground. On the other hand, there is a much larger group (those that work with CAFETY including Jon Martin Crawford as well as many who remain quiet) who simply want assurances that the abuses that you have previously admitted to are no longer occurring.

I have openly voiced my opinion regarding “The Family School Truth Campaign” when I believed they were exaggerating or being misleading. This time, I feel it is you who is doing just that. Rather than attempting to impeach Jon and others by explaining away their “testimony” as that of drug addicts who have slipped back into old behavior or the like, why not admit your past wrongdoings as you have in the past. Admit that Jon’s allegations were accurate but that you have seen the error of your ways and have changed for the better.

As you know, the majority of your students are desperately seeking acceptance. It is often, one of the main things that causes them to be sent to FFS. One of the reasons why FFS is able to run the way it does (with students holding each other accountable) is because of this same phenomenon- because even while at FFS the students still want to be accepted (by their peers and the staff). What I feel has been neglected is the realization that these students, after spending the majority of their adolescence in your care, would continue to seek your acceptance long after graduation. Accept these alumni. Accept them for who they were, who they have become and why they are the way they are- and that means accepting their memories and their feelings about those memories. The “cover-up” and belittling of your alumni and their memories is the antithesis of acceptance and is only adding fuel to the fire.