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Subscribe to RSSAfter months of studying the grounds of Florida's largest reform school, a team of anthropologists identify 19 more graves suggesting more boys were allegedly tortured and killed there. WFLA's Yolanda Fernandez reports.
Scientists have found 19 previously unknown grave shafts on the grounds of a notorious Florida reform school, suggesting that many more boys died there amid brutal conditions than had previously been known, the researchers said Monday.
The Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, which was also known as the Florida State Reform School, closed in June 2011 after state investigators and the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division confirmed widespread abuse over many decades.
The state attributed its decision to close the school to budgetary reasons. Yet long before then, the institution had been the target of investigations and lawsuits alleging not only physical and mental abuse but also forced labor, rape and even murder of the young charges sent to its care since it opened in 1900.
The prominent writer Roger Dean Kiser, author of "The White House Boys — An American Tragedy," about the horrors he experienced while incarcerated there in the 1950s as a child, has called the school a "concentration camp for little boys." He wrote that "a devil was hiding behind every tree, every building and even behind every blade of manicured grass."
They're called the White House Boys because much of the abuse occurred in an 11-room building on the school grounds known as the White House, where former students say they were beaten with leather straps. A group of the former students sued the state in 2010, but the case was dismissed because the statute of limitations had expired.
Previous investigations and records had reported that 31 boys were buried on school grounds, and that most of them died in a fire and an influenza outbreak at the school in the early 1900s. But researchers at the University of South Florida, in Tampa, say they now estimate there are at least 50 grave shafts in the area of the school's cemetery and the surrounding woods. Some graves may have been the final resting place for more than one boy, the researchers said in an interim report released Monday.
Records recovered and examined by the researchers indicate that at least 96 boys and two adults died at the school from 1914 to 1973. Most of boys who were committed to the school and died there were African-American.
Read the full report (.pdf — contents may be distressing for some readers)
But that may be only the tip of the iceberg: The researchers didn't have access to student records after 1960, when such documents became subject to privacy laws. Moreover, researchers couldn't test the entire area because of overgrowth and vegetative conditions, they said.
And more chillingly, there may be other, secret graveyards somewhere on the grounds, given the number of still-unaccounted-for cases and the practice of segregating cemeteries during the first half of the last century, Erin Kimmerle, an assistant professor of anthropology at the university, said on a conference call with reporters. It's highly unlikely that white boys were buried with black boys during those decades, but as yet, the researchers haven't found a previously hidden whites-only cemetery.
"I didn't realize going in how much of a story of civil rights it was," Kimmerle said.
The research team used ground-penetrating radar and other methods to map the school's cemetery and chemically analyzed the soil to identify the number of graves.
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"We anticipated finding about 25 to 30 grave shafts," said Christian Wells, an assistant professor of anthropology who led the anthropological work at the site, "but in fact we found a minimum of 50" — all of them on the north side of the campus, called Boot Hill, where African-American boys were segregated.
A full picture of the sheer scale of the abuses remains difficult to paint, because there are significant gaps and discrepancies in the records, "and the cause and manner of death for the majority of cases are unknown," the report said.
"Many questions persist about who is buried at the school and the circumstances surrounding their deaths," the report said. But Kimmerle said the team had determined that at least 20 boys died within the first three months of having been remanded to the school's custody — probably because they were unable to cope with the crowding and the conditions — and that burial locations were unspecified for nearly three times more African-American boys than for white boys.
University of South Florida
Anthropologists from the University of South Florida marked previously undiscovered graves at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Fla., during field work in May 2012.
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And we call ourselves 'civilized'....?
Well, we try. We aren't very successful at living up to the label, apparently.
The prison system in Florida is the same thing, so what has changed.
Why do liberals always have to bring up color?? This was a tragedy and it doesn't matter if the kids were white ,black, yellow or what color! And it has nothing to do with the South,this same thing happened in Northern sates as well. Nini, you have no idea what happened there but right away you assume that it was the wicked white man killing black kids. Why do you have such a guilt complex that you feel white men and the South were/are always to blame for black peoples misery?You really need to read more.
Do the Alabama and Florida history books have the South winning the Civil War?
Winning the Civil War, hell, South Carolina, who started it, hasn't changed in 150 years. Its still the crap state that it was in 1860.
But history tells us it does matter.
The Andersonville School for Boys, so very southern.
It's time for our own version of the Nuremberg Trials, sounds like.
It saddens us to find that we have our own Auscgwitz concentration camps here in the US and even more that they're in the sunshine state. Someone should be held accountable for these grievous acts of murder and torture. Justice in Florida is not only blind, but deaf and mute as well.
“The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.”
― Albert Einstein
@ zari-m
"Back then in Florida it was the reform school killing Black boys, now it is the "stand your ground" law killing Black boys."
Did you even see the pictures of how Zimmerman was beat up by Trayvon Martin before Zimmerman shot him? It would have been "Stand your ground" even if Martin was white-so don't make this what it isn't!
This reform school tragedy points out the need for more oversight of state institutions, a change in the statute of limitations for this type of abuse, and a complete investigation of what was known by authorities and why something wasn't done.
biblegal: I saw the pictures of Zimmerman beat up by a young man trying to defend himself from a potential predator. Then the predator shot him and said, "I was standing my ground."
The SHAME of Florida continues
Where were the families of these young men when being sent there for some petty disobedience issue probably and then being told "Oh I am sorry your son didn't make it he died and was buried out back. I spent a year in reform school in the late 70's and the conditions were not the greatest and there were certain officers who if you got on their bad side wasn't conducive to a pleasant stay but no child died while I was there and shortly after because of some complaints the place changed drastically.
What the fuc age are we living in?
We're barbarians still. That old adage "that Whitey is the devil" just might be true!
And dont give me that shame of Florida crap. Florida is still a great state....a second home to me. And what about the jones beach murders?
Oh, my bleeding heart, The shame of New York....my other home. I just cant win here>
You might have made some sense until you used "Whitey". Evil comes in all colors, and we don't know the color or the evil doers here.
From the article:
So, these kids were basically MURDERED....I just read about a former police officer sentenced to life in prison for a murder he committed in 1957.
Same rules should apply in this matter as well. There should be NO statue of limitation where CHILDREN are KILLED and TORTURED.
These young men won't get any justice and the perps will get off scott free. Such a tragedy.
God will judge those responceable for this and they won't have some smooth talking lawyer to get them off with a slap on the wrist either.
Amen!
what took so long to close the school and how did this last so long with no one doing something about it arrest all that are stilling living and let them answer for what they did sounds like willowbrook in staten island and it also went on in up state ny fact my dad was subject to much of the same may in rip close all these places now
I read the book The White House Boys and it is absolutely heart wrenching. Those boys were beaten to within one inch of their lives and the abusers got away with it scott free. Most of the abusers are dead now except for one who believe it or not still lives in Florida.
The dead abusers' bodies should be dug up, beaten and placed on a bonfire.
Imagine the horrors from 1900 to 2011, thats 111 years of abuse in some form or fashion considering the fine standards upheld at this instution that no doubt had made a name from within. In other words, this is how we have ran our instution since 1900, its a tradition and that will continue. When someone said, "Just the tip of the iceberg", I'd say you got that correct and each one of those graves should be accounted for in some way or another. You can not destroy death records, but the sad thing is, most records never existed to start with. I'm sure late night burials occured without the children knowing, but they noticed them disappearing. So, having to live knowing that you could be the next to disappear is a huge fear factor if you do not comply. God will sort out these folks who committed these crimes one day and I am sure some have already arrived. Federal investigation? Spending how ever much money it takes for justice is fine with me instead of giving it to failing corperations or bailing out the other 49%. This nation is traveling to hell in a hand basket at warp speed. Where will we be in a few more years...crumbling before our eyes. The chickens are coming home to roost soon...very soon indeed.
Sounds a bit like the Magdalene Laundries, except for boys.
And perhaps fewer graves.
yes, this happened to children, as some of the most evil adults are hired over children , boys and girls too.
these children have no good guidance at all, from adults. as girls to, some had done no crimes at all, some of these girls now women, still alive today, that i know the state , forced them to abort their babies if they were pregnant, and they did not want to abort the babies, and more .
it does not do any good to report what happens to children, some even molested and raped by adults, hired to be over them. some even become judges over children, but who cares right? if anyone did care this and more would not happen to children if they hired and cared who they hired over children, those in power , i am sure get letters often, they might listen , knowing what is going on, but do nothing, as they would prefer these stories iof what goes on in state operated places over children would just go away, to much to think about when they have their parties with those some just as warped minded as the ones that do what was done to these children, maybe some more places in all states should dig ground up even where girls were forced to have abortions in the 50's and even later.
words are cheap, as this is a shame what happened , actions speak louder than words,
it will take a forensic anthropologist to exhume the graves and inspect the remains to determine the cause of death of each. some may have died as a result of illness, remember, no anti-biotics until WWII was half over, and early Florida was rife with Malaria, Yellow Fever and other swamp born diseases. An influensa outbreak in 1916-17 killed more soldiers in WWI than bullets. Measles, mumps, whooping cough, accounted for more deaths especiaally is the young. So yeah, wait to make your judgements until all the facts are in. you Yankee do gooders are always trying to put the South down for some perceived fault, when in most cases it was an act of God,
This place was a horror. The things i heard about it growing up would scare the bejeezus out of you. Dozier (aka DYS) is about 45 miles from here.
And every single year, we criticize the Chinese for human right problems a few times. Can we expect them to ever take us seriously?
Let's not judge all Americans by a few insane people that did this.
A FEW insane people? That's a laugh. At least 50 people died just in this one reform school! Also, Quitmo? Renditions? Drone executions? Capital punishment?
An I'm not judging all Americans at all. Many Americans are critical of ourselves as a nation. But just let us not pretend we can stand on moral highgrounds when it comes to some (clearly not all) other countries' behaviors.
There should be a special hell for those who tortured these boys. Any punishment less than burning in hell would not be enough punishment.
whilr it is true that adults have a lousy record in some cases of being in authority over children,(priests, boy scouts, girl scouts, football coaches), it is not true of all adults, else there would be no parents at all. what actully happened at the reform school hs yet to be determined. sceience has yet to determine the causes of the deaths. it may take years to find out what happened to grave #16, whether abuse or disease. so before a rush to judgement, lets get all the facts
I just ran across this article and before reading it I anticipated that religion was involved somehow and sure enough I confirmed that on page 54 or so of the report. I am sick and tired of religious freaks running our schools and institutions. I do not not implore violence but people like this and Jerry Sandusky should be killed without fanfare.
Sad News, if all true......However, Is it not about time to end all the "Racially divisive News"??? Enough!! Every time I read something (many situations) it's all about Race! This country has become more racially polarized, during Mr. Obama's tenure, than I can recall during any other time this past 75 years! We, truly, live in a very sad and fractured nation at this time.....
You didn't make it clear what you think is causing this racial polarization DURING Obama's tenure (and there'll be 4 more years of Obama's tenure!), but I bet a different answer will come out of a conservative and a liberal. Just saying it's time to end all "racially divisive news" is like wanting to be an ostrich. Not reporting these news will not make them go away. Only education and a more definitive declaration on the separation of state and church with accompanying harsher laws, can help. Many of these perpetrators hide behind religions.
There is no statue of limitations on murder. get on with a federal investigation!