Kids forced to dig graves, eat vomit at NY boarding school
A former student sued a defunct New York boarding school for $10 million, alleging systematic abuse, forced labor, and sexual exploitation by wealthy owners who used local influence to silence complaints.
The Family Foundation School, a now-defunct institution in the tiny village of Hancock located about an hour east of Binghamton, charged families $80,000 annually while subjecting troubled children to horrific treatment, according to New York Post.
Court documents filed in Brooklyn Federal Court detail shocking allegations of abuse. Students were allegedly encased in rolled-up rugs bound with duct tape, forced to consume their own vomit, made to dig their own graves and lie in them, and imprisoned in closets without food, water, or bathroom access for days at a time.
Michael and Cindy Argiros, who owned and operated the school while maintaining several properties and businesses throughout the community, allegedly exploited children for personal financial gain, according to the lawsuit.
Upon arrival at the facility, pupils were allegedly subjected to strip searches and forced into what court papers describe as sexualized group sessions with teachers. Students were then required to perform slave labor that directly benefited the Argiros family estate.
The forced labor allegedly included digging excavation trenches on the family property, shoveling snow to maintain their estate, cleaning waste from pig pens and farm animal enclosures, performing construction work on the family’s private residence, cooking meals, and cleaning their house.
The plaintiff, whose identity remains sealed by court permission, attended the school from 2000 to 2003. He splits his time between his mother’s home in Demarest, New Jersey, and his father’s residence on Roosevelt Island.
While enrolled, the victim was placed under the supervision of music teacher Paul Geer, who allegedly forced him to join the chorus program, as New York Post reports. The abuse escalated during a chorus trip to Toronto, where Geer sexually assaulted the student, according to court filings.
When the victim reported the sexual abuse to Michael Argiros, he was allegedly ignored and instead placed on work sanction as punishment. The former student later testified against Geer at a 2024 federal criminal trial.
Geer was convicted of sexually abusing children and received a 27-year federal prison sentence in September.
The lawsuit alleges that local authorities in Hancock failed to investigate or act on abuse reports due to the influence wielded by the Argiros family in the community. Named defendants include the Argiros family, the village of Hancock, local police, and other parties.
Court papers claim the school operated using former alcoholics and self-identified sex addicts who lacked professional licensing, clinical training, or educational credentials. The institution allegedly recruited children through fraudulent means and convinced families to sign over legal guardianship of their children to the Argiros.
Students who attempted to flee the facility were allegedly pursued and forcibly returned using K9 dogs, the victim stated in his filing.
Michael Argiros reportedly claimed in depositions that he was unaware of any abuse reports during his time running the school. Neither Argiros nor his legal representatives responded to requests for comment. Village and police officials similarly failed to return messages seeking comment.
With information from New York Post
