History of Thayer Learning Center
Thayer Learning Center is located in Kidder, Missouri - population 271.
At the present time, the state of Missouri does not regulate or license private juvenile facilities in any way.
Thayer operates 2 programs from the same facility - a year-round "boarding school" and a short-term boot camp commonly called TLC Boot Camp.
The facility is owned/operated by John and Willa Bundy.
In November 2004, 15 year-old Roberto Reyes died at Thayer Learning Center.
The medical examiner listed the cause of death as rhabdomyolysis - a condition where muscle tissue dies and disolves releasing toxins into the bloodstream. The kidneys then fail, and without medical attention, victims die a slow, tortuous death.
An investigation by the Missouri Department of Social Services determined that Roberto showed signs of severe illness for several days, but was ignored and possibly abused by staff members.
A wrongful death lawsuit filed by Roberto's parents was settled out of court for a little over $1 million.
Neither of the Bundy's have any credentials or certifications that we are aware of.
John Bundy is thought to be a former employee of Teen Help/WWASPS (World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools). Click here to visit the ISAC website for more information about Teen Help and WWASPS
Willa Bundy is the former owner/director of Linden House, a WWASPS-affiliated boarding school specifically for pregnant teens that is no longer operating.
John Bundy also owns Parent Help/Parent Help Center, which advertises on the internet and refers parents to Thayer Learning Center.
Parents admitting their child to Thayer via Parent Help and looking for paid teen escorts are referred to Teen Transport, LLC.
This company may be owned by John Bundy.
2 of the Bundy's children, Isaac and Allison, are principals of Teen Transport, LLC.
Former students, parents of former students, and employees have made the following allegations against Thayer Learning Center and its staff:
- A *Hindu child was forced to eat meat, then vomited.
She was then forced to eat her own vomit. - Boys are forced to share razors instead of being given the ones purchased by parents.
- Some children spend 30 days or more in solitary confinement.
- An emergency room physician prescribed bedrest and antibiotics for a child with an ear infection.
Back at Thayer Learning Center, the child was forced to exercise and sleep on the concrete floor.
Thayer staff members told the parents that there was "a little bit of drainage" coming from the child's ear, when in fact, the child's ear was bleeding. - Two children were reportedly "restrained" with zip-ties around their ankles and wrists.
One child was attached to a file cabinet. - Male children have been stripped to their underwear, "hog-tied," and sprayed with a hose.
- Children are forced to "re-write" letters to parents, until the letters contain nothing negative about the program.
- Athlete's foot and other fungal infections are widespread and go untreated.
- Willa Bundy reportedly denied medical care for a child who had the flu and was constantly vomiting.
According to former staff members, Willa Bundy diagnosed the vomiting as "a ploy to go home." - When asbestos was found in an old building on the Thayer compound, the Bundys refused to hire trained asbestos removal contractors.
Instead, students were forced to remove the hazardous removal and instructed to put the asbestos in a pile outside.
Thayer was fined by the Department of Natural Resources for the improper disposal. - A child reportedly arrived at Thayer in a nearly comatose condition. The teen transport personnel stated that they had administered prescription
muscle relaxants to the child to prevent "problems" during transport.
Willa Bundy was informed of the child's condition and denied requests for medical attention. She reportedly instructed staff members to put the child in bed until the medication wore off. - After several children collapsed from heat exhaustion and dehydration, the "drill sergeants" at Thayer began forcing children to drink large quantities of water.
- Requests to use the bathroom are subsequently denied leaving teens with no option except to urinate on themselves.
- During a one year period, group therapy occurred just once - at 10 PM and was led by Willa Bundy.
- One child refused to exercise and was allegedly pulled around by the hair, arm and clothing by John Bundy.
- All calls from children to parents are monitored and children are punished for saying anything against the program.
- John Bundy allegedly forced female students to exercise outside in the snow without shoes.
- One child was allegedly roped to a 4 wheel all terrain vehicle (ATV) and instructed to "keep up."
- Willa and John Bundy are reportedly gone for extended periods of time and leave their children in charge of the facility.
- A male staff member distributed illegal drugs to at least one female student.
- As punishment, two children were reportedly bound together with duct-tape and left that way overnight.
- Before announced visits by the Department of Social Services, Willa Bundy allegedly takes "problem" students out for ice cream or to Wal-Mart.
- In one building on the property, 26 female children share 1 bathroom and are given just 30 seconds to get ready for bed at night.
- There are frequent outbreaks of head lice.
- Part of the "fitness training" at Thayer reportedly involves students being forced to run while carrying 5-gallon buckets full of sand.
- Students are awakened in the middle of the night and forced to exercise.
- Children who are not physically fit are required to perform strenuous activities, including 6-mile runs.
- Students have suffered serious injuries and were denied medical attention.
- Parents were not notified of their child's condition.
- The facility reportedly has no certified teachers. Classes are "taught" via videotape.
- Level 1 boot camp students sleep on a concrete floor in a basement.
- Children are awakened at 2 am, forced to roll in the mud, excercise for 2 hours, then return to bed.
- Willa Bundy reportedly carries a gun.
- Children are told it is their "fault" when employees quit and are punished with extra exercise periods.
* Why Hindus do not eat meat
When the child could not keep pace with the vehicle and fell to the ground, he was dragged behind it.