But it is questions over Northwest's ability to follow those protocols that has led CITA to distance itself from the association, especially in light of the probe into the regulations that were followed — or not — regarding the licensing of Ivy Ridge.

Paul said the flap in New York between Ivy Ridge and the Attorney General's Office has unfortunately spilled over to Northwest.

"We have told (Ivy Ridge) to supply us with all the copies of their licenses and certificates," he said. "We have followed our own policies. The proof is in the fact that we are requiring those materials."

The New York investigation, however, is looking at a time line of when Ivy Ridge began claiming it was accredited, the type of diplomas it claimed to offer and if the school followed state licensing mandates.

The investigation took an academic turn after Ivy Ridge first caught the eye of officials last year after a male teenager being transported to the school said he was beaten while handcuffed.

Two men, contracted by another Utah company called Teen Escort, were found guilty of misdemeanor harassment. The unusual nature of the transport to the school near the Canadian border — the boy was awakened at night and escorted to the car in his underwear — raised questions about Ivy Ridge, its Utah affiliate, WWASPS, and the nature of what goes on in the school.

WWASPS has been the object of multiple allegations of abuse and neglect at its facilities throughout the United States, including its affiliate in Randolph, Utah, called Majestic Ranch, and Spring Creek Lodge in Montana. A report by a New York newspaper says Ivy Ridge is being investigated by the state Office of Children and Family Services, with investigators conducting an unannounced visit to the campus, which is near the Canadian border.

In Mexico, a WWASPS affiliated program Casa By the Sea was closed last year amid allegations of abuse. Other facilities have been the site of riots.

WWASPS denies the allegations of abuse, saying they are stories concocted by disgruntled students with behavioral problems.

---

E-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com