Podcast Summary: Something Was Wrong – S24 Ep14: "Horror Movie"

Host: Tiffany Reese (Broken Cycle Media)
Guest: Ed (Survivor, Academy at Ivy Ridge)
Date: September 25, 2025

Overview

This harrowing episode of Something Was Wrong features Ed, a survivor of the now-defunct Academy at Ivy Ridge, who recounts the trauma of being forcibly transported to the facility as a teen and the abuse he and his peers suffered inside. The episode reveals the inner workings of the "troubled teen" industry: the brutal methods of youth transport, the culture of secrecy and deceit surrounding these institutions, the ongoing lack of oversight, and the long-term impacts on survivors. Ed’s unflinching testimony exposes both personal and systemic failures—and highlights the ongoing fight for justice and reform.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Troubled Teen Transport (00:00–06:23)

• Tiffany Reese outlines the controversial practice of "youth transport/teen escort" services, where teens are forcibly removed from their homes, often in the middle of the night.
• Common methods include handcuffs, zip ties, and denial of shoes or belongings.
• Survivors often compare the experience to kidnapping, resulting in PTSD and lasting distrust.
• Industry operates in a legal gray area with minimal oversight or required training.

Notable Quote

“Survivors often compared the experience to kidnapping, citing long lasting PTSD, nightmares, and distrust of parents or authority figures.”
– Tiffany Reese (04:00)

2. Ed's Family and Early Life (06:23–09:29)

• Ed describes an affluent, image-conscious family, with a father who was a local attorney.
• He excelled academically and athletically but felt constant pressure to avoid "tarnishing" the family reputation.
• Ed’s relationship with his parents was strictly managed; decisions often prioritized optics over his well-being.

Notable Quote

“It was always kind of walking on eggshells… I was a good kid, but I had some ‘I want to be a kid’ tendencies and that was too much for them.”
– Ed (07:10)

3. The Night of the Kidnapping (09:29–13:36)

• Ed recalls being woken up at 3 a.m. by two strangers; his mother passively instructs him to comply.
• While attempting to escape, Ed runs from the house, likening the ordeal to a horror movie.
• He is eventually recaptured, handcuffed behind his back, and transported by car for eight hours, denied restrooms, and public cries for help are ignored.

Notable Moments & Quotes

“As soon as we step out onto it, I push them both off the landing and I take off into the neighborhood. And it’s like a frickin’ horror movie. It felt like I was running from Michael Myers.”
– Ed (10:48)

“Multiple individuals heard me [scream I was kidnapped] and nobody did a goddamn thing. So they threw me back in the car.”
– Ed (13:20)

4. Arrival at Ivy Ridge and Immediate Abuse (15:10–18:34)

• Ed is greeted with hostility; staff make a spectacle of his arrival, subjecting him to public humiliation and physical intimidation.
• Forced to shave with a single razor and no hot water, Ed’s agency is systematically stripped away.
• Families are misled about the nature and conditions of the institution.

Notable Quote

“My spirit was so broken from the kidnapping and the thought that my parents could have me taken against my will to someplace they had never visited or apparently never even checked…”
– Ed (16:33)

5. Life Inside Ivy Ridge: Deprivation and Brutality (17:34–28:38)

• New arrivals face strict regimentation and surveillance, denied even shoes to prevent escape.
• Punishments include physical restraint, "observed placement position" (face-down on the floor), and public humiliations.
• Ed describes seeing daily violence and severe neglect, including a peer forced to wear duct-taped oven mitts due to infection and denied medical care.

Educational Deprivation

• Ed is given outdated, unchallenging schoolwork and minimal instruction.
• Rapid academic progress is discouraged; compliance is valued over learning.

Therapy and Referral Incentives

• Licensed therapists are scarce; therapy is delegated to unqualified staff.
• Financial incentives exist for keeping kids in the program and for parent referrals.

Communication Censorship

• Phone calls are monitored and censored; any negative comment results in punishment and more isolation.

Notable Quotes

“If you spoke out of turn, you’re getting restrained. We saw the staff joke around with kids in the hallway and then get them in trouble for speaking out of line and then restrain them…”
– Ed (19:55)

“They would joke with him in the bathroom line. They wouldn’t take the oven mitts off his hands, so he would urinate himself and then he would get in trouble for doing that.”
– Ed (22:20)

6. Aftermath: Fake Diploma, Family Estrangement, and Lasting Trauma (28:38–32:51)

• Ed graduates with a diploma that turns out to be fraudulent—discovered only when a college rejects it.
• This breach of trust extends to lifelong family estrangement; he hasn’t spoken to his parents in over seven years.
• The emotional damage is ongoing: “I never did overcome it. I’ll drop a relationship in no time with somebody over minuscule stuff because you can’t hurt me if I can’t deal with you anymore.” (28:53)

7. Healing, Advocacy, and Community (32:51–44:27)

• Ed credits his wife and her family with being his true support system and helping with healing.
• He and fellow survivors actively participate in shutting down abusive facilities, recently succeeding with the Aurora Center for Healing in Nevada.
• Ed describes his own advocacy and the high emotional toll of revisiting trauma through documentaries and meetups.
• Survivor community provides validation, connection, and ongoing support.

Notable Quotes

“She is the only family I’ve ever known. Her and her kids and her mom are by far my biggest supporters. My family, they’re my everything.”
– Ed (33:06)

“Every time you go through it again, it’s like you’re there. Like I’ll have crazy dreams tonight…”
– Ed (39:15)

8. Systemic Barriers to Justice (44:27–45:28)

• Survivors’ attempted lawsuits have been dismissed due to statutes of limitations.
• Ed calls for federal oversight and more rigorous accountability for these facilities.

Notable Quote

“This will not ever stop unless there is some sort of agreed upon federal oversight… Tens of thousands of kids today are in these programs.”
– Ed (44:27)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

| Time | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:00 | A | "Survivors often compared the experience to kidnapping, citing long lasting PTSD, nightmares..." | | 07:10 | B | “It was always kind of walking on eggshells… I was a good kid, but I had some... tendencies and that was too much for them.” | | 10:48 | B | “...I take off into the neighborhood. And it’s like a frickin’ horror movie. It felt like I was running from Michael Myers.” | | 13:20 | B | “Multiple individuals heard me [scream I was kidnapped] and nobody did a goddamn thing. So they threw me back in the car.” | | 16:33 | B | “My spirit was so broken from the kidnapping and the thought that my parents could have me taken against my will...” | | 19:55 | B | “If you spoke out of turn, you’re getting restrained. We saw the staff joke around with kids in the hallway and then get them in trouble for speaking out of line and then restrain them…” | | 22:20 | B | “They would joke with him in the bathroom line. They wouldn’t take the oven mitts off his hands, so he would urinate himself and then he would get in trouble for doing that.” | | 28:53 | B | "I never did overcome it. I'll drop a relationship in no time with somebody over minuscule stuff because you can’t hurt me if I can’t deal with you anymore.” | | 33:06 | B | “She is the only family I've ever known. Her and her kids and her mom are by far my biggest supporters...” | | 39:15 | B | “Every time you go through it again, it’s like you’re there. Like I’ll have crazy dreams tonight…” | | 44:27 | B | “This will not ever stop unless there is some sort of agreed upon federal oversight … Tens of thousands of kids today are in these programs.” |

Timeline of Important Segments

• 00:00–06:23: Overview of youth transport, "troubled teen" industry context, and introduction to Ed’s story.
• 06:23–09:29: Ed’s family background and the lead-up to his abduction.
• 09:29–13:36: The night Ed is forcibly transported; his attempted escape.
• 15:10–18:34: Arrival at Ivy Ridge and initial abusive treatment.
• 17:34–28:38: Inside Ivy Ridge: daily violence, educational sham, medical neglect, and emotional toll.
• 28:38–32:51: Release, discovery of fake diploma, lasting familial rifts, and emotional aftermath.
• 32:51–44:27: Healing through advocacy and community, impact of recent documentary, and interaction with former staff.
• 44:27–45:28: Legal obstacles, need for systemic change.
• 45:55–46:28: Sneak peek at the next survivor story.

Memorable Moments

• Ed’s description of running from his captors in the night, "like a frickin’ horror movie," serves as a powerful metaphor for the terror so many survivors experienced.
• The revelation about the fraudulent diploma encapsulates the depth of betrayal and the lifelong consequences these institutions impose.
• Ed’s advocacy work and recent efforts to close a similar facility (Aurora Center for Healing) demonstrate both his ongoing trauma and remarkable resilience.

Closing Reflection

This episode exposes the darkness at the heart of the troubled teen industry through Ed's lived experience. His story is one of loss—of trust, of safety, of family ties—but also of unrelenting courage in speaking out and fostering change. The episode not only sheds light on individual trauma but also issues a challenge to society to demand justice, oversight, and compassion for all survivors.