Who was the founder of The Program in Ivy Ridge? Details about abusers in Netflix's The Program docuseries explored

The horrific story of The Program docuseries is streaming currently (Image via Netflix)

Netflix's The Program docuseries was released on March 5, 2024. The miniseries titled, The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping, has Diane Becker, Brooke Workneh, Ann Rogers, Brian Knappenberger, Melanie Miller, and Rachel Libert as producers and is directed by Katherine Kubler.

Disclaimer: This article may contain spoilers and mentions of mistreatment of children. Reader's discretion is advised.

The three-episode series presents the horrific story of The Academy at Ivy Ridge, an establishment touted as a disciplinary school for troubled teenagers. The boarding school used severe, abusive, and harsh methods to treat the students. While they felt misunderstood at the time, The Program docuseries provides remnant proof of the abuse.

Located in Ogdensburg, New York, the therapeutic boarding school was founded by Robert Lichfield under the association of WWASP. As per director Kubler’s findings, Lichfield continues to operate even though many of his establishments have closed down.

Who was the main founder of the institution shown in The Program docuseries?

The school faced many legal cases for its abusive methodology (Image via Netflix)

As mentioned before, Robert “Bob” Lichfield founded the Academy at Ivy Ridge. According to the director of The Program docuseries, Katherine Kubler, Lichfield is also the founder of the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASP).

WWASP runs numerous youth programs and schools worldwide and Ivy Ridge was one such WWASP-affiliated boarding school. The litigations brought against the company forbid it from being dissolved. However, the affiliates have withdrawn their association with the defunct organization.

While there is not much information about Bob Lichfield, it is believed that he recently funded a recreation center and more to be built in Hurricane, Utah, in his honor. While there has been a public furor over it and the project is not yet assigned, it proves that Lichfield continues to operate and is not facing any legal penalty.

Where are the other abusers as per The Program docuseries?

The students felt misunderstood (Image via Netflix)

The Program docuseries showed Kubler accidentally meeting one of the former caregivers from the school and they go for breakfast together. While the staffer accepted she was carrying out orders when she ill-treated kids, she regrets not speaking out at the time.

It was hinted in the Netflix series that one of the waiters in the breakfast joint was a relative of another staffer from the infamous boarding school. Yet another scene shows an associate of Ivy Ridge’s parent company performing karaoke. However, nothing more is known about other abusers.

What happened to the kids from the disreputable school?

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Kubler believes that many of the students ended their lives. However, Kubler and a few of the Ivy Ridge survivors have come forward to dig out information from the past and put together The Program docuseries.

The Ivy Ridge officially closed its doors in 2009 and the property was bought by a Chinese businessman in 2012, as reported by People. However, the place was not cleared out and this helped Kubler, Katie and many of the other former residents of the ill-famed school to visit the premises.

The survivors went through surveillance footage, restraint logs, infraction record,s and more to piece the story together. Putting together the proof of past abuse also helped the survivors heal from the years of trauma.

However, ex-student Kubler aims to expose the methodology used in all these therapeutic formats. As per a 2021 American Bar Association report, around $24 billion is funded into the “troubled teen industry”, People reports.

Tune in to Netflix to watch the true crime three-part documentary, The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping.