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Circle of Hope Girls Ranch

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37°48′26.4″N 93°41′52.8″W / 37.807333°N 93.698000°W / 37.807333; -93.698000

Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch
Location
Map
Humansville
,
Missouri

United States
Information
TypeAll-girls single-sex reformatory boarding school
Religious affiliation(s)Christianity
Established2006
FounderBoyd Householder
Enrollmentclosed
Campus35 acres (0.14 km2)
Websitecircleofhopegirlsranch.org at the Wayback Machine (archived 2020-06-17)

Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch was a reformatory boarding school located in Humansville, Missouri. The school opened in July 2006 and was closed in 2020 amid reports and lawsuits filed by former students alleging child abuse, as well as due to an investigation conducted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Before the school's closure, parents, former students, and staff filed multiple reports to state authorities, but to no avail. Federal prosecutors refused to file charges after a 2018 report by the Missouri State Highway Patrol regarding child abuse at the ranch, and prosecutors in Missouri also refused to file charges after another report the year before. Former students have alleged that Missouri's Department of Social Services largely ignored their reports regarding the ranch.

As part of an investigation involving various state agencies, including the Cedar County Sheriff's Department, "at least 24" students were removed by local child protective services in August 2020.

Boyd and Stephanie Householder were arrested and brought into state custody on March 9, 2021. After Boyd Householder indicated that he had developed COVID-19 and Stephanie Householder had blood clots in her right foot, they were released on a $10,000 bail and sentenced to house arrest in July 2021. Boyd Householder died in June 2024.

History

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Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch opened in July 2006.[1][2] The owner of the ranch, Boyd Householder, was a Vietnam War veteran who had previously worked at reform schools in Missouri and Florida, including the Agape Boarding School, which was under investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.[1][3]

Program

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Religious teaching through the Bible were a core part of the program; their website stated that their purpose was to "use the Bible to teach [young women] that they are to obey their parents and the authority over them".[4][5] Residents spent much of their day doing manual labor, such as working outside and cleaning the house. Their clothes were allowed to be changed twice a week. Educational material consisted of packets from the home-school provider Accelerated Christian Education. The educational aspect of the program often did not count towards credits in other school districts. Residents were required to stay at the ranch for at least two years. The program permitted 15-minute calls and letters with parents; however, former residents stated that communication was heavily censored.[1]

Reporting of abuse

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Allegations of abuse at the ranch were first made known about a year after it opened in 2006. Parents, former students, and staff filed multiple reports to state authorities, but to no avail.[6][1][2][3] Federal prosecutors refused to file charges after a 2018 report by the Missouri State Highway Patrol regarding child abuse at the ranch, and prosecutors in Missouri also refused to file charges after another report the year before. Former students have alleged that their experiences with the ranch were largely ignored by Missouri's Department of Social Services.[3][7] The ranch largely evaded detection by authorities due to a law that protected faith-based schools from the requirement of basic oversight.[1][7][8]

Starting in 2020, the ranch started to gain wider media attention due to former residents using social media to talk about their experiences at the ranch.[6] Among those who spoke out against the ranch is Amanda Householder, the daughter of Boyd and Stephanie Householder, who are the owners of the ranch.[9] Amanda set up a TikTok account in May carrying the bio: "My parents own an abusive boarding school for girls. This is my page exposing it." Videos by Amanda and former residents describing abuse at the ranch amassed more than 33 million views—and finally prompted action.[6][1][3][9]

Investigations were also launched by the Kansas City Star and the Cedar County Republican, both local newspapers in Missouri.[4]

Lawsuits

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Multiple lawsuits were filed against the ranch in September 2020 by former residents. These residents alleged, among other things, that they had been raped, molested, denied food and water, handcuffed, chained, and forced to stand in front of a wall for hours on end.[3][9][10][11]

In July 2021, four of these lawsuits were settled.[12] The amounts that the plaintiffs settled for are reportedly confidential.[13]

In March 2022, Amanda sued her parents, along with other parties, alleging that her parents made her perform forced labor, beat her, and forced her to punish other students.[14]

In August 2022, Oklahoma woman and former student Maggie Drew sued the Householders and other parties, including Agape Boarding School and the Agape Baptist Church. She alleges that they committed sex trafficking.[15]

More than 15 lawsuits have been filed regarding the ranch as of June 2024.[16]

Closure and aftermath

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"At least 24" students were removed by local child protective services in August 2020 as part of an investigation involving several state agencies, including the Cedar County Sheriff's Department.[4] In September 2020, Boyd Householder stated to the Kansas City Star that the ranch was "closed for good" and also stated that he and his wife Stephanie were going to try and "vindicate themselves".[9][10] The properties that were part of the ranch were put up for sale the same month.[1][17]

The Householders have denied ever abusing a student. They have stated that the allegations against them are false and that they were created by former residents "whose lives didn't turn out the way they wanted after they left the ranch".[6][10][18] The Householders' attorney, Jay Kirksey, stated to the Cedar County Republican that the allegations were from "young women who have troubled pasts, who have biases [and] prejudices [and] who have no credibility".[4]

In 2021, representatives Rudy Veit and Keri Ingle introduced Missouri House bills 557 and 560, which requires private faith-based facilities and schools to have basic oversight.[2] The bill also requires employees to have background checks, regular inspections for health and safety, and requires schools to notify authorities that it is operating in the state.[8][19] Testimony about the bill was heard in February and April 2021. Among the speakers were former residents of the ranch.[20][21][22] The bill passed unanimously in the House and in the Senate.[8][19][23][24][25][26]

In February 2021, the ranch was covered on the Dateline NBC episode "Broken Circle".[2][5][27]

The ranch was also a subject of the 2023 docuseries Let Us Prey: A Ministry of Scandals, which documented accounts of abuse in the Independent Fundamental Baptist movement.[28]

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On March 9, 2021, Boyd and Stephanie Householder were taken into state custody. The Missouri Attorney General's office announced that Boyd is being charged with 79 felony counts and 1 misdemeanor, including charges for child molestation and sodomy. Stephanie was also charged with 22 felony counts; all for child abuse and neglect. They pled not guilty during their first court appearance.[5][29] Eric Schmitt, Missouri's Attorney General, stated that the Circle of Hope case is "one of the most widespread cases of sexual, physical and mental abuse patterns against young girls and women in Missouri history".[5][30] The Householders maintain their innocence, and their defense attorney Adam Woody petitioned for them to be released on bond, stating that they are "very good people ... [with] outstanding reputations and spotless records".[31] On June 14, 2021, judge David R. Munton denied their initial bond request. Their bond hearing was held in the Vernon County Circuit Court in the city of Nevada, as the Householders moved after the closure of Circle of Hope.[32]

The Householders faced a judge for a preliminary hearing on May 20, 2021. During the hearing, prosecutors shared details from their interviews with former residents.[33][34]

As of July 2022,[35] they are now out on a $10,000 bond and sentenced to house arrest, after Boyd Householder reportedly stated that he had contracted COVID-19, and that Stephanie Householder had blood clots in her right foot. Former residents expressed disgust at the decision; the Householders' daughter Amanda stated that it made her "sick to [her] stomach".[36] Attorney General Schmitt also criticized their release, stating that it was the responsibility of the Cedar County jail administrator to find another facility to hold them instead of releasing them.[37]

In September 2021, the couple asked for their home confinement to be eased so that they could drive to Walmart. They also asked to be able to go to church.[38] These requests were denied.[35]

In 2023, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey offered Stephanie Householder a plea deal that would involve her testifying against her husband. She declined the plea deal.[39] Stephanie Householder's trial is scheduled for October 2024.[39]

Boyd Householder died on June 25, 2024, whilst awaiting trial.[16]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Kingkade, Tyler (25 September 2020). "Girls alleged abuse at Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch for years. It stayed open until they got on TikTok". NBC News. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Kingkade, Tyler; Brown, Liz; Morrison, Keith (11 February 2021). "Legal loopholes allow abuse to go undetected at religious boarding schools, advocates say". NBC News. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e Bauer, Laura; Thomas, Judy (14 March 2021). "Circle of Hope students happy with charges, but still want to know: What took so long?". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d Inman, Jesse; Macy, Ivie (21 August 2020). "Dozens of young girls removed from 'Circle of Hope Girls Ranch' amid allegations of abuse". OzarksFirst.com. Nexstar Broadcasting. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d "Circle of Hope: Boarding school couple charged after TikTok abuse allegations". BBC News. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d "Missouri Christian boarding school probed over abuse claims". Associated Press. 17 September 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  7. ^ a b Bauer, Laura; Thomas, Judy (7 April 2021). "Incensed lawmakers say Missouri agency knew kids were being abused and did nothing". STLtoday.com. The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 2021-04-08. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  8. ^ a b c Thomas, Judy; Bauer, Laura (11 April 2021). "Missouri reform schools lack government oversight, but get nearly $1M in COVID relief". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 2021-04-13. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d Holman, Gregory (29 September 2020). "Civil lawsuits allege rape, severe abuse at Circle of Hope Girls Ranch in Cedar County". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  10. ^ a b c Bauer, Laura; Thomas, Judy (16 September 2020). "Owners of Missouri Christian boarding school say girls' abuse allegations are lies". Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 2020-09-22. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  11. ^ Bauer, Laura; Thomas, Judy (5 April 2021). "New details in Circle of Hope case; girl said she was handcuffed, chained for 2 weeks". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  12. ^ Six, Chris (21 July 2021). "Abuse claims against Springfield, Mo. Circle of Hope Girls Ranch settled". FOX 2 Now. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2021-07-24.
  13. ^ Thomas, Judy; Bauer, Laura (20 July 2021). "Former students alleging abuse, rape settle 4 suits against Missouri reform school". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 2021-07-21. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  14. ^ Holman, Gregory J. "Circle of Hope Girls Ranch and Boarding School faces two new civil lawsuits over severe abuse allegations". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  15. ^ Bauer, Laura; Thomas, Judy (August 17, 2022). "Sex trafficking, racketeering alleged at Missouri boarding school in federal lawsuit". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  16. ^ a b Bauer, Laura; Thomas, Jody (June 26, 2024). "Former MO boarding school owner facing trial on 78 child abuse felonies died Tuesday". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  17. ^ Thomas, Judy; Bauer, Laura (22 September 2020). "Missouri Christian reform school, under investigation for abuse, is put up for sale". Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  18. ^ Bauer, Laura; Thomas, Judy; Kuang, Jeanne (10 March 2021). "Missouri AG details 'horrific' abuse in charges against girls reform school owners". Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 2021-03-11. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  19. ^ a b Gamm, Joe (30 March 2021). "House passes bill to regulate faith-based residential care". Fulton Sun. Archived from the original on 2021-03-30. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  20. ^ "Missouri lawmakers consider regulating faith-based boarding schools". KY3. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  21. ^ Thomas, Judy; Bauer, Laura (14 April 2021). "Missouri senators vow to do 'whatever we can' after former students describe abuse". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 2021-04-18. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  22. ^ Schallhorn, Kaitlyn (14 April 2021). "Senators hear testimony, including from Paris Hilton, on reform school protections". The Missouri Times. Archived from the original on 2021-04-14. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  23. ^ Thomas, Judy; Bauer, Laura (11 May 2021). "Missouri Senate passes bill giving state some oversight of Christian reform schools". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 2021-05-12. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  24. ^ Simmons, Linda (14 May 2021). "Missouri lawmakers pass new oversight for private, religious boarding schools". KY3. Archived from the original on 2021-05-14. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  25. ^ McGonigle, Pat (14 May 2021). "Survivors of Missouri boarding school abuse applaud lawmakers passing new bill". FOX 2 Now. Archived from the original on 2021-05-15. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  26. ^ Lieb, David (13 May 2021). "Missouri lawmakers pass safeguards for boarding schools". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2021-05-15. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  27. ^ "Broken Circle". Dateline NBC. 11 February 2021. NBC. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  28. ^ "'Let Us Prey' docuseries highlights abuse at Circle of Hope and Agape Boarding School in Missouri". KCUR. NPR. November 30, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  29. ^ Jones, Kay; Crespo, Gisela (11 March 2021). "Former owners of girls boarding school facing more than 100 felony charges including statutory rape". CNN. Archived from the original on 2021-03-12. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  30. ^ Kingkade, Tyler; Brown, Liz (10 March 2021). "Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch owners charged with abuse after women spoke out on TikTok". NBC News. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  31. ^ Thomas, Judy; Bauer, Laura (17 March 2021). "Circle of Hope owners 'firmly assert their innocence,' want lower bond in abuse case". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 2021-03-17. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  32. ^ Thomas, Judy; Bauer, Laura (15 June 2021). "Judge rules on boarding school owners' request to get out of jail on abuse charges". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 2021-06-28. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  33. ^ Simmons, Linda (20 May 2021). "Owners of Circle of Hope girls ranch face judge in abuse case". KY3. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  34. ^ Strohl, Bailey; Six, Chris (21 May 2021). "Circle of Hope owners in court for preliminary hearing, victims share details of what happened at the ranch". KNWA. Archived from the original on 2021-06-28. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  35. ^ a b Thomas, Judy; Bauer, Laura (July 13, 2022). "Trial date set for former owners of Missouri girls' boarding school charged with abuse". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  36. ^ Thomas, Judy; Bauer, Laura (23 July 2021). "'Shocked and horrified': Missouri Circle of Hope owners out on bond after COVID claim". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 2021-07-24. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  37. ^ Bauer, Laura; Thomas, Judy (27 July 2021). "Missouri AG: judge's ruling and release of reform school owners 'completely improper'". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  38. ^ Thomas, Judy; Bauer, Laura (30 September 2021). "Missouri couple accused of child abuse want home confinement eased to go to Walmart". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 2021-09-30. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  39. ^ a b Hanshaw, Annelise (2024-07-18). "Circle of Hope abuse survivors ask Missouri to continue with trial of boarding school owner". KCUR. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
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