New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez said evidence proves the allegations of abuse from current and former students at a program for troubled youth are true, NorthJersey.com reported.
Martinez issued the statement on Monday while defending the state's handling of the investigation into Tierra Blance High Country Youth Program, which was criticized by the organization's lawyer after an Amber Alert was issued for nine boys at the camp.
The manhunt began after police arrived at the youth program's complex and discovered nine boys were missing, along with the camp's director, following allegations of abuse published in the Albuquerque Journal.
In the newspaper's report, teenagers in the program claimed to be beaten by a former staff member and forced to wear shackles and handcuffs for minor violations of the rules.
The alert was cancelled on Sunday after the boys were found and returned to their parents or placed in custody of the state. Martinez said they are in the middle of speaking with students and are also pursuing program director Scott Chandler, who denies any wrongdoing.
Pete Domenici Jr., an attorney for Tierra Blanca, claimed in a statement that the boys were "on a previously scheduled activity away from the ranch for several days. They are safe and have already been picked up by their parents, or their parents are en route to pick them up."
Domenici also said the state had blown the incident out of proportion and criticized them for not agreeing to an emergency hearing regarding a lawsuit filed by the youth camp earlier this week, which claimed the police did not properly perform their investigation.
Scott and Collette Chandler have run the camp for 20 years. On the camp's website, they claim "the staff seeks to provide a safe and caring environment within which the youth can flourish. A careful balance between love, discipline and structure."
