This School For Troubled Teens Turned Out To Be Their Worst Nightmare
Joseph Ricci and Dr. Gerald Davidson co-founded Élan School in 1970. Dr. Davidson, a psychiatrist, and Ricci, a former drug addict with experience in drug treatment, aimed to provide rehabilitation and education to troubled teenagers.
They established Élan as a therapeutic boarding school, known for its controversial methods and intense therapeutic interventions. Ricci led the school, while Davidson’s psychiatric expertise shaped its therapeutic approach.
To the parents paying upwards of $50,000 for the children to attend, it was described as a refuge for troubled youth but to those trapped behind its wall, it was a living hell.
The Élan School in Poland, Maine promised rehabilitation and a brighter future but behind its closed doors, a dark reality lurked. From its founding in 1970 until its closure in 2011, the school was plagued by allegations of abuse, humiliation, and questionable practices that left an indelible mark on the lives of countless students.
Allegedly, it had a 95% success rate where children could make friends and have access to counselors, therapists, and the healing power of the great outdoors. Most of the students were sent due to drug-related issues or court orders, but some were simply unlucky and sent because their parents felt…
