Survivors of 'cult-like' school for troubled teens slam 'lies' of Mormon camp boss Narvin Lichfield after he denies claims of heinous abuse exposed by Netflix documentary

Survivors of a 'cult-like' program for troubled teens have slammed a Mormon camp boss after he denied allegations of abuse at his facilities exposed by a new documentary.

Narvin Lichfield was lampooned in the Netflix docuseries 'The Program' as a clownish but menacing figure who profited from the mistreatment of teenagers sent to his camps from 1998 to 2009.

The show focuses on the 'dehumanizing' of adolescents sent to The Academy at Ivy Ridge in Ogdensburg, New York, set up by Narvin's older brother, Robert Lichfield.

It was part of a sprawling empire of teen 'treatment centers' run by the family, which included two affiliate camps set up in South Carolina and Costa Rica by Narvin. 

Both have been beset by abuse allegations.

Narvin, 63, who lives in Lehi, Utah, is portrayed as the family's 'weak link' in the documentary, which mocks his propensity for cringeworthy dancing and karaoke nights that he proudly displays on social media.

He is described as the 'punchline' to a joke. His own son, Nathaniel, even calls him an 'asshole'.

Last week, Narvin, a dedicated member of the Church of the Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon church, denied abuse had taken place at either of his camps and said he had never worked at Ivy Ridge.

The camps are not affiliated to the Mormon church itself. 

In a post on Facebook, where he has changed his name to Marvin, he said his camps did 'only good' for the teens who attended and accused survivors featured on the documentary as having a 'personal vendetta' against him.

He even sought to dismiss the testimony of his son by outing his mental health issues.

But two women who attended Carolina Springs Academy (CSA), which Narvin set up in 1998, have condemned his rebuttal as 'a lie'.

Krista Belcher, who was enrolled at CSA in 2001 aged 12, claimed life there was 'just as bad' as at Ivy Ridge, which has been accused of treating children 'like prisoners'.

'It was horrible,' she said. 'Everything was the same [as at Ivy Ridge]. The rules, corrections, seminars, silence, solitary confinement.'

Krista, who now lives in Baltimore, Maryland, said she was stripped of everything she owned upon arrival at the academy, where harsh discipline and codes of silence soon made her suicidal.

She claimed she was subjected to what camp leaders called 'observational placement', but effectively amounted to solitary confinement, in which she was made to sit in a 8x8 white wooden box with her hands behind her back.

Krista claims she witnessed countless girls be physically restrained by male staff, who prevented any contact with the outside world.

The 35-year-old, who now works in marketing, described her three years at the camp as a 'living nightmare' and still struggles with the trauma.

She said she was 'not surprised' by Narvin's denial, but added that it was 'extremely validating for all this to finally come out'.

Of his portrayal by Netflix, she said: 'I think he looks like an idiot.'

But Margaret Padgett, 37, who was enrolled at CSA and Ivy Ridge as a teenager, said it was galling to see Narvin drinking in bars and singing karaoke, 'living his best life'.

'Meanwhile, I'm sitting here still having panic attacks and nightmares, taking medication for PTSD and anxiety, things I did not have prior to the program,' she said, adding that she attempted to take her own life during her 20 months in 'treatment'.

It appears Narvin is still in the business. His Facebook profile says he is a consultant for a firm called Teen Recovery, based in Greenville, South Carolina.

Krista said it would be 'insane' if he was still in the teen treatment industry.

Margaret, however, said Narvin is 'good at making people believe him'.

'I guess he's charismatic,' she added.

Narvin's son, Nathaniel, described him in the Netflix documentary as 'a man with two faces'; 'a funny guy' and 'charming person' who had a 'much darker side'.

The Lichfield empire was managed by the umbrella group World Wide Association of Speciality Programs (and Schools) WWASP, which had a number of spin-offs across the US and Latin America.

The Netflix series focuses on allegations of abuse at Ivy Ridge. 

Staff there are accused of being on a 'power trip' and unleashing several methods of punishment including 'physical restraints, solitary confinement, food depravation'.

The documentary also claimed there were incidents of predatory sexual abuse but that no formal complaints were never filed.

In 2005, the school was ordered by the State of New York to pay civil penalties of $250,000 to the Attorney General's office for issuing 113 unauthorized high school diplomas.

It was further ordered to make partial refunds to parents, cease issuing diplomas, and stop marketing itself as an accredited school.

The Academy applied for permission to issue diplomas but this was denied in 2006 with the New York State Department of Education determining in its rejection letter that it was primarily a behavior-modification facility and not a boarding school.

The dire publicity saw enrollment numbers dwindle and The Academy eventually shut down in 2009.

Narvin's South Carolina facility was blighted by issues until it had its license revoked in 2009.

In 2003, state officials banned him from the center due to allegations of abuse at his Costa Rica camp, Dundee Ranch.

Dundee Ranch was shut down by child welfare authorities that year. Narvin was arrested but later cleared of charges against him.

He had intended to reopen CSA as a Christian boarding school, but struggled to find investors.

Nathaniel told Netflix that the Lichfield family grew up in 'dirt poverty', but that the boarding schools, which charged parents up to $4,000 a month, allowed his father and uncle to live a lavish lifestyle previously unimaginable.

'The programs were a means to an end for him [Narvin],' he said. 'That end being lots and lots of money.'

In his response to the Netflix documentary on Facebook, Narvin said he was 'falsely accused' in 2003 and later found innocent over allegations of abuse at his Costa Rica academy.

'To my knowledge, this is the only legal accusation by any student directed against my person,' he said, adding there had never been a proven case of abuse at either of his schools.

Narvin said he 'never worked' at Ivy Ridge and had 'nothing to do with its operation'.

He added: As far as the Netflix documentary using my own estranged son Nathan, to claim that I somehow abused kids in my care; I would ask the Netflix documentary the following questions …did you vet or do any background checks on my son Nathan? Are you aware that he is on full disability for mental health issues?'