Secret Harbor School

Last updated

Secret Harbor School
Location
Secret Harbor School
Skagit County
,
Washington
Coordinates 48°33′4.56″N122°41′38.76″W / 48.5512667°N 122.6941000°W / 48.5512667; -122.6941000
Information
Former nameSecret Harbor farm
TypePrivate
Established1949
Closed2000
NCES School ID530015002753
Age range11 to 18
Website https://web.archive.org/web/20010202130800/http://secretharbor.org/

The Secret Harbor School was a private boarding school on Cypress Island in Washington state. It was known for its unique educational approach[ clarification needed ] and natural setting. [1]

History

The original name was Secret Harbor Farms. Lillian Johnson and Thomas Gallagher founded the school.

In 1955, Secret Harbor Farms appealed to the Washington State Supreme Court as a defendant in a case centred around land access rights. [2]

In 1974, in an article that ran in the Spokane Daily Chronicle , a youth from Michigan sued Secret Harbor Farms, alleging he was abused, denied medical attention, and claimed that the staff made him shovel raw sewage. The article mentioned no phone line reached the mainland. [3]

In a 1976 article, the school mentioned that alumni came from places as diverse as Chicago, Los Angeles, Canada, France, and the Philippines. [4]

In 1978, a judge warned the school to curb escape attempts due to 52 attempts over the prior three years. [5]

In 1987, three residents tried to escape from the school and reached Guemes Island. They left the island by ferry. [6]

In a 1990 kidnap and assault case, two school residents were charged with kidnapping and assaulting an employee. They had obtained a shotgun and pistol. They escaped on a power boat, but were later arrested. [7]

After the school's closure, the island was unoccupied until it was sold in 2005. [8] The new owners had ambitious plans that included turning it into a luxury resort and spa destination. However, due to local resistance, these plans did not happen.[ citation needed ]

In 2020, Michael J Moore wrote a book called Secret Harbor. It is about a school called Secret Harbor on an island in the San Juan Islands. [9]

In 2023, the Seattle Times reported lawsuits against the school alleging child abuse in the 1980s and 1990s. [10]

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References

  1. ↑ "About Us". Secret Harbor. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Anderson v. Secret Harbor Farms, Inc". Justia Law. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Youth Claims Abuse". Spokane Chronicle. December 19, 1974. p. 14. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Anacortes American 15 December 1976 — Washington Digital Newspapers". washingtondigitalnewspapers.org. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  5. ↑ "judge warns cypress boy facility may be closed". The Bellingham Herald. January 9, 1978. p. 4. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  6. ↑ "1987 escape attempt". The Bellingham Herald. February 2, 1987. p. 7. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Secret harbor escape attempt". The Bellingham Herald. February 17, 1990. p. 5. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Secret Harbor School Receives $25,000 Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation". Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  9. ↑ Moore, Michael (2020). Secret Harbor. Black Rose Writing. ISBN   9781684335220.
  10. ↑ Carter, Mike (January 18, 2023). "Lawsuits target WA group home, 'juvenile Alcatraz' for troubled boys". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 28, 2023.


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