Boarding Schools Fleeing Abuse Claims in Other States Find Haven in Missouri

Aaron Rother was 16 when the leader of Agape Boarding School announced that the school was moving again, to its third state in a little more than a year. In the mid-1990s, the school left Washington and California for the East, toward a place with “good Christian people,” no government scrutiny, and leaders free to run the school as they saw fit. Rother, whose father had enrolled him at Agape in Othello, Washington, said the move felt like going to “the Promised Land.” When the school arrived in Missouri, he said, its leaders told students they had found “THE place,” and that “the state followed God’s law.”

That message has drawn schools to Missouri for decades. A nearly 40-year-old state law allows faith-based residential facilities to operate without a license, scrutiny, or interference from the state. The Star found that at least seven schools moved to Missouri after being investigated or shut down in other states for abuse or neglect, and four more started in Missouri after being inspired by some of those that relocated.

One of these schools, Master’s Ranch Christian Academy, had operated a facility in southern Missouri for more than a decade before opening a new location in the Pacific Northwest last year. That Washington location closed this year amid a sheriff’s investigation that included allegations that boys were physically restrained and shot with paintballs. Some students were sent to Missouri. While the Washington location was under investigation, Master’s Ranch owner David Bosley opened another facility in southern Missouri, this one for girls.

The state keeps no records on these unlicensed boarding schools. It does not know their names, locations, number, or how many students they house. The Star identified at least 13 in southern Missouri alone. Three were started by former Agape staff, and a fourth, Wings of Faith Girls Academy, reportedly was encouraged to come to Missouri by Agape owner James Clemensen.

Of those 13 schools, five, including Agape, have at least one substantiated report of abuse or neglect from the Missouri Department of Social Services, according to The Star’s ongoing investigation. Master’s Ranch has two substantiated reports of neglect. Circle of Hope Girls Ranch has four, including two for sexual abuse, one for neglect, and one for physical abuse and neglect. Even after reports are substantiated, the state has no authority over how these schools operate. Protecting children who cannot protect themselves is the responsibility at stake when oversight stops at the state line (Proverbs 31:8-9).

Other states have responded differently. Alabama has tightened its rules in recent years, while Missouri has not. The Star found that when Alabama made changes in 2017, one school quickly packed up and moved to southwest Missouri, opening under a new name. That school later moved to another state.

A review by the National Conference of State Legislatures found that at least six states exempt faith-based residential child care facilities from licensing. Several of those states still require unlicensed schools to register with the state, undergo inspections, or meet certain child welfare, health, and safety requirements. Missouri is one of two states, with South Carolina, that require no additional regulations or licensing to operate these boarding schools, according to the NCSL review.

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