Their Words.
The Truth.

Lifelong effects including PTSD and chronic anxiety.

"I've been diagnosed with PTSD from this place and struggle with nightmares to this day."

"it's been nearly a decade and I am still doing therapy for the trauma just from this establishment alone."

"it took me almost killing myself to get dismissed from the place."

Isolation tactics that destroy family bonds.

"This place has completely broken my relationship with my adoptive parents, so I have no family."

"I will never forgive my family for keeping me there for 18 long months."

"It took me 2 years before I could have normal everyday conversations without crippling anxiety."

Exacerbated issues leading to substance abuse and death.

"since I got out in 2012 6 of the guys have died. One suicide and the rest were overdoses."

"There are at least 4 girls that I went with there that are now dead."

"After she got back she went full throttle into alcohol addiction..."

Coercive practices causing a lasting aversion to faith.

"TC is definitely a big part of the reason I have denounced 'God'... [it] was more than enough fuel to conjure a deep disdain for most religious communities."

"The experience turned my away from Christianity, like many others."

"My experience there was terrible... going to teen challenge made be bitter for years."

High-intensity violence disguised as discipline.

"He was picked up by the neck and butt of his jumpsuit and slammed into the ground by one of our staff."

"I saw a kid get his face rubbed in broken glass, I witnessed staff members throw kids."

"One of the ladies... punched me in the face multiple times."

Grooming and the systemic concealment of predators.

"I watched an intern turned staff member repeatedly groom, sexually abuse, and steal from residents."

"I was sexually assaulted there... and punished for telling someone, called a liar."

"The husband is notorious for looking at the girls in pedophilic ways."

Expired and maggot-infested food used for residents.

"We were fed food with maggots and when we tried to tell our parents they told just told them we were manipulating them."

"The food was expired or moldy. It was disgusting & we weren’t allowed to bring it up or we’d get in trouble."

"I was very sick and didn't eat for 8 days, I was not taken to a hospital."

Regulation of biological functions and enforced silence.

"I was denied the use of the bathroom 3 times... told to continue sitting in my urine for another few hours."

"I personally was on silence for almost 10 months... we wore this bright orange 'safety vest'."

"At least one girl urinated on herself in public... We were sometimes denied showers."

Waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and exposure.

"I was waterboarded, slapped and punched multiple times by staff."

"He took great joy in making us roll through fire ant nests in the middle of the night."

"Another one was duct taped to a chair in his underwear, left outside overnight and sprayed with a water hose."

Exorcisms, deliverences, and medical emergencies characterized as demonic possession.

"He taught that if someone experienced sexual assault, that gates are opened to demonic activity."

"They watched a girl go into epilepsy and claimed it was the demons coming out of her."

"I lost track of how many girls I saw him grab by the shoulders, shake, and hurl towards the floor [to get the demons out."

"We were... forced to dig 6′ x 6′ holes in the ground to 'bury our demons'."

Racial targeting and the prohibition of native languages.

"My parents' English sucks... I was not allowed to speak Chinese back to them... I had my culture ripped away."

"My visitation was threatened because I wore my ethnic hair in more than one braid."

"I remember being targeted because we 'looked exotic'."

Forced identification and conversion therapy tactics.

"They used attack therapy on LGBTQ+ kids and forced them to identify as a girl."

"They gave a girl a book called 'Gay Girl Good God' to try and convert her."

"I was punished to wear ridiculous dresses while being made to pick up goat heads."

Unqualified staff acting as counselors.

"The counselors were just past graduates... they were just junkies that were too incapable of reentering society."

"I asked 'are you even certified?' and she replied 'God certified me to work here.'"

"Promotions are not based on qualifications. They're based on who has brown nosed leadership."

Tangible, long-term physical damage from neglect.

"I now experience chronic pain in my right wrist" [due to an untreated broken arm].

"This lead me and so many other girls to develop an eating disorder."

"I had bronchitis... close to turning into pneumonia before they took me to the doctor."

Unaccredited curriculum resulting in fake degrees.

"none of my credits would transfer, I had to repeat the entire 2 grades."

"I later found out that my 'High School Diploma' is not a real diploma. TC is not a credited school."

"It sidelined my education for years... making it impossible to get into college."