To: The Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General of the United States, Department of Justice, and The Incoming Attorney General of the United States
End Discrimination Against Disabled Children And Related Problems At The $12 Billion Hershey Charity
Please use your authority to end discrimination by the Milton Hershey School against children facing depression and other disabilities.
Please also end Hershey systemic abuses of needy children, by compelling governance and leadership reform of this mismanaged charity.
Please also end Hershey systemic abuses of needy children, by compelling governance and leadership reform of this mismanaged charity.
Why is this important?
Pennsylvania state officials have looked away while needy children are gravely harmed by the Milton Hershey School, a $12 billion charity located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Hershey provides K-12 children with residential education and is funded by the Hershey Company. The charity’s wealth assures it indulgence from state authorities coveting Hershey patronage, no matter how many children are harmed.
The worst Hershey misconduct is against children suffering from depression, such as 14-year old Abbie Bartels, who was expelled by Hershey in a heartbreaking manner, including being barred from her graduation ceremony. A week later, Abbie took her own life. A CNN report about Abbie can be viewed here: http://goo.gl/6ZCHKY
Approximately one hundred or more children like Abbie were similarly expelled by Hershey, reportedly to protect its pristine “image.”
Hershey also refuses to enroll children with other disabilities—for instance, children who are visually or hearing impaired, or who need crutches or wheelchairs. It is as though Hershey leaders were caught in a policy time warp.
This happens because the Hershey system is rigged against needy children. For instance, there are no child welfare professionals on Hershey’s self-selecting board—one that pays its “nonprofit” board members millions in “fees,” and recently squandered $25 million on a luxury golf course where board members liked to play.
Hershey administrators also have questionable records and pursue indefensible policies that harm children like Abbie.
It is time for this to change and for needy children to get a fair shake.
Since Pennsylvania officials refuse to end Hershey discrimination and change a system that cheats poor children, we respectfully ask Federal authorities to take these actions.
For more information please visit: www.protecthersheychildren.org.
The worst Hershey misconduct is against children suffering from depression, such as 14-year old Abbie Bartels, who was expelled by Hershey in a heartbreaking manner, including being barred from her graduation ceremony. A week later, Abbie took her own life. A CNN report about Abbie can be viewed here: http://goo.gl/6ZCHKY
Approximately one hundred or more children like Abbie were similarly expelled by Hershey, reportedly to protect its pristine “image.”
Hershey also refuses to enroll children with other disabilities—for instance, children who are visually or hearing impaired, or who need crutches or wheelchairs. It is as though Hershey leaders were caught in a policy time warp.
This happens because the Hershey system is rigged against needy children. For instance, there are no child welfare professionals on Hershey’s self-selecting board—one that pays its “nonprofit” board members millions in “fees,” and recently squandered $25 million on a luxury golf course where board members liked to play.
Hershey administrators also have questionable records and pursue indefensible policies that harm children like Abbie.
It is time for this to change and for needy children to get a fair shake.
Since Pennsylvania officials refuse to end Hershey discrimination and change a system that cheats poor children, we respectfully ask Federal authorities to take these actions.
For more information please visit: www.protecthersheychildren.org.