The disclaimer comes despite the school's existence since 2002, when it opened just outside of Ogdenburg near the Canadian border and since then has promoted two forms of diplomas as an academic offering.

Kay said the problem is unfortunate because the students' education is being sacrificed simply due to "some bureaucratic jousting going on."

The Northwest Association, the regional accrediting agency for Utah and several other Western states, suspended Ivy Ridge's accreditation until the issue is clarified, Kay said.

"They ran gun-shy because they got a threat from the attorney general in New York."

For its part, the AG's office is remaining mum about the extent of the probe, but officials believe several procedural violations may come into play, including the school's failure to properly operate with a certificate of approval issued by the state Department of Education.

The paperwork problems come on top of complaints by parents who have claimed their children are abused.

Kay said claims frequently surface because of the nature of the schools' population. "They make up stories, they fabricate; you are dealing with a difficult part of society."

New York officials did find enough evidence to substantiate criminal charges against two men contracted to transport a teenager to Ivy Ridge last year.

WWASPS says parents routinely use such escort services — in this case Teen Escort from La Verkin — to transport an unwilling child to a facility.

New York officials, at the time, believed WWASPS and Teen Escort to be one and the same. WWASPS denies any connection.

The men were accused of beating the boy while handcuffed in the car after the teenager — who was then free of restraints — grabbed the steering wheel and caused the vehicle to crash.

Initially charged with misdemeanor assault and felony imprisonment, the two men reached a plea agreement in which they admitted guilt to misdemeanor harassment and were fined.

The New York problems with accreditation are continuing to unfold, even while Missouri officials firmly slammed the door on a proposal to establish a boarding school in the town of Boonville.

Kay said the bid to open a school for troubled youth at the site of the former Kemper Military School was completely unrelated to any WWASPS venture, even though it was founder Lichfield who cut the check for the earnest money deposit and a former WWASPS employee who was going to lease the property from Lichfield and run the facility.