Netflix fans review bomb “abusive” schools shown in The Program

The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping is a gripping yet angering watch, so much so that a number of viewers are review-bombing the still-active troubled teen schools shown in the Netflix documentary series, slamming them for being “abusive” towards students. 

Netflix’s latest true crime saga is currently riding high on the streamer’s Top 10 chart, centering on filmmaker Katherine Kubler and a group of her former Ivy Ridge classmates as they unpack the abuse that unfolded at the WWASP-affiliated school. 

As the docuseries unfolds, we learn that their experiences are emblematic of the troubled teen industry as a whole. Although WWASP (World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools) is no longer operating, there are still numerous facilities for wayward youths across the US. 

Following the release of The Program, and the subsequent backlash to students’ parents, viewers are now turning their attention to the “abusive” schools shown at the end of the Netflix doc that are still active today.

Netflix fans review bomb “abusive” schools shown in The Program

The final sequence of The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping shows that troubled teen programs such as the Utah-based Eagle Ranch Academy and WinGate Wilderness Therapy are still in operation. And they’re now being review-bombed by viewers of the Netflix docuseries, with accusations of “child abuse.”

Taking to Eagle Ranch Academy’s Yelp, one wrote: “This place will torture and attempt to brainwash your children. They employ under-qualified staff to ‘care’ for your kids. This school is affiliated with sister programs across the country that have all been shut down as a result of child abuse, many of them didn’t even have accreditation in their state and they handed out pointless ‘diplomas’ that aren’t even recognized by the state. 

“Do your research. There’s hard evidence of the trauma these schools inflict on their ‘students’. Be better than the previous generation of parents, get your kids the actual help they need.”

Over on WinGate’s Trustpilot, another said: “The documentary The Program available on Netflix shares the explicit act run specifically in this academy. In part 3 of the documentary WinGate is shown. No child should undergo the abuse that is carried out under this company.”

WinGate’s Yelp is much the same, with one writing following the release of The Program: “Honestly and truly I believe these places should not exist. The abuse and mistreatment of kids who really behave badly typically as a cry for help are pushed away by being sent to these places. 

“These places are terrible and abusive and mistreat kids. If you really want to help your kid don’t send them here because they will get some form of trauma or PTSD. You may think these places are helping your kid – trust me they are NOT.”

Many of the reviews posted before the Netflix documentary are similar, including feedback from parents who claim these institutions traumatized their children. “Trusted this program and hoped for the absolute best, but it ended in learning about the abuse and trauma that they put our children through,” wrote one about WinGate in 2023. 

WinGate/Netflix

A former student commented in 2022: “They made us smile in pictures while we were covered in feces, dirt and throw up and if we refused, our therapist would tell us that we would have to stay out there longer. If we couldn’t start a fire we would starve. 

“Oftentimes kids would ‘double dragon’ (throwing up and diarrhea) as we called it due to disgusting drinking water and malnutrition. If you were injured you wouldn’t seek proper care. This is a universal experience at least in their adolescence program. Please be careful where you send your children. Especially in Utah, the laws are messed up.”

Alongside the institutions, the organizers are facing backlash from The Program viewers. That includes Narvin Lichfield, the brother of WWASP founder Robert “Bob” Lichfield, after he shared a lengthy response refuting many of the claims made against him. 

To find out more about The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping – which is streaming on Netflix now – check out our breakdown of the ending. And for more true crime, here’s our guide to all of the new documentaries hitting streaming this month.