Petition updateHold John Volken Academy Accountable: Abuse & Discrimination in Disguise of TreatmentThe Silence is Deafening, For Years Some of Us Have Asked...Does Anyone Care?
Clelia Jane SheppardCape Charles, VA, United States
May 4, 2026

It’s honestly wild to me how organizations that present themselves as non-profits supporting survivors of cults, coercive control, and abusive environments often show little to no interest in helping in simple, meaningful ways...especially when it costs them nothing.


Even reaching out to larger systems like human rights channels has led to the same silence.


I know a lot of you have asked how you can support me in this, including those advocating for U.S and Canadian survivors (U.S. front is largely ignored)...this is one way that truly matters:


Please help by reaching out!


Contact organizations, advocates, anyone in a position to amplify this situation. 


Ask them to publicly support the petition...an endorsement, a statement, even just lending their voice.


Credibility/Corroboration of patterns is powerful testimony and just what we need to show this isn't an isolated incident but a pattern. It sometimes feels like the people you would expect to care, actually don't give af.


Thank you to everyone who’s been standing with everyone through this including by signing the petition/sharing! Means a lot.  

 

Just have to reiterate: 

 

The snobbery and stonewalling from so many organizations over the years has been astounding. What hurts most isn’t just the lack of action...it’s the silence from those who could help but choose not to.

 

Even a small show of support would mean something. It could make a real difference for the countless people who were hazed in the middle of the night, sexually abused, left without money or a way to leave, cut off from the outside world, and psychologically harmed simply for struggling with mental health or addiction.

 

These crimes being acknowledged matters more than people realize.

 

Also worth noting...yes, the facility in Canada was shut down after media coverage. But in reality, they appear to have simply rebranded and relocated about 50 miles away to Langley, continuing the same practices under slightly different terminology. I’ve even received photos from people spotting their work trucks on the highway. I’ve shared more about this in recent petition updates.

 

And here’s the part that can’t be overlooked: shutting down a facility doesn’t equal justice. No one was compensated for their labor. No one was individually acknowledged or supported for the abuse and mistreatment they endured.

 

Closing a location is just Step 1—Part A at best.  If operations continue under a new name, then nothing meaningful has actually changed.

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