Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  09/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Ebner Camps Inc. misrepresented the level of oversight regarding the safety and welfare of the campers in their program. During the time that my son attended their camp he was burned by fireworks, bullied repeatedly with no adult intervention to prevent the bullies from accessing him, and had his bed purposely filled with dirt and rocks. In light of these events and the degree of harm inflicted upon my child, I have determined Ebner Camps Inc. misrepresented their ability to keep my child safe while under their supervision. As such, he was removed from their program and did not attend the remainder of their camp program for which I was billed in advance. My calls to the camp have not been returned and my request for a refund on the sessions and extracurriculars he would not be attending went unacknowledged. Thus, I have filed a dispute over the money Ebner Camps Inc. charged me for in advance for the misrepresentation of the safety and welfare of the children in their care and I am requesting a return of my money for the services they did not provide.

  Business response

  10/09/2023

  I hope this finds you well.  Apologies for the delay in our response.  Attached you will find a few documents which outline our experience with ***** *********, the son of **** *********, at Camp Awosting this summer.  

   

  **** enrolled her son ***** for 8 weeks of residential summer camp at Camp Awosting located at *** **** ** ** ******* ***  This is our all-boys sleepover summer camp on the shores of ****** **** ** ******* **.  Unfortunately, ***** was a behavioral problem at camp this summer and created a number of situations which led to his dismissal from our camp.  This means that ***** was essentially sent home for inappropriate behavior, using racist and profane language and for inappropriately touching another camper by sticking his finger up the rearend side of that campers' shorts.  These behaviors led to many other ripple effect problems with other staff, campers and their parents.

   

  Both **** and ***** ********* signed our Behavior Contract which essentially outlines appropriate behavior at camp.  "Our goal at Awosting and Chinqueka is to promote a safe environment that allows campers to have a summer filled with learning, friends, and fun.  In keeping with our goal, it is expected that each camper understands and agrees to the following:  (Very first bullet...contract included in attachment) I understand that I will be held accountable for my behavior."  

   

  In addition, **** signed our enrollment contract which also states the following:  "No refund will be made for withdrawal or dismissal...The directors reserve the unrestricted right to sever a camper's connection with the camp at any time, with no refund, if a camper's conduct or influence, in the opinion of the director, is determined to be in the best interests of the camp and/or other campers."  **** ********* electronically signed this enrollment application on 9/30/22 when enrolling ***** for the summer of 2023.  

   

  As a result of the lude, rude and disrespectful behavior exhibited by ***** this summer (some of which I personally observed during the 4 Day Senior Camping Trip that I supervised along with the CEO of our company), we had no other choice but to dismiss him from camp early as his awful behavior was negatively impactful to not only his fellow campers, but to our counselor staff as well.

   

  Regarding the narrative supplied by **** *********, which was used as the basis for this complaint, unfortunately we have to disagree with nearly every aspect of the complaint.  We refute the following accusations/accounts:

   

  • Firework burn - We do not allow fireworks on any camp property and NO fireworks were present at Camp Awosting.  In speaking with our administrative leadership at Camp Awosting, no reports were made, nor were incidents of "horseplay" noted involving fireworks.  If a camper brought fireworks of any kind to camp, this would violate our contracts and safety protocols and as such, they would be dismissed from camp.  Fireworks are never allowed at camp.  A review of our Health Center notes prepared by our onsite camp nursing staff, show no notes have been made in our reporting software involving ***** *********.  If ***** burned himself by any means, our nursing staff would have treated him, made an entry into this log and would have contacted his mother informing her of what had transpired and what level of treatment was administered.  No such notes exist.
  • In addition, the Chairman of our Board of Directors (2^nd largest shareholder and former CEO of our company who is now retired) lives immediately next to Camp Awosting as his property shares a border with camp in which he can see our Dining Hall, Campfire Arena, Junior Showers, Ceramics Cabin and staff cabin.  His name is Oscar "Buzz" Ebner.  He also supervises camp from his property and often reports unusual or out of the ordinary camper and or staff activity to Camp Awosting leadership...and myself.  Buzz did not ever hear any type of firework noise nor firework smoke over the entirety of the summer camping season.
  • The only notes entered into the "health" section in our camper management system involve information provided by **** ********* which is a standard practice we ask of all parents to provide health-related information.  In an effort to protect the health information of ***** *********, this information will not be supplied unless formally requested by the state for our company to be released.  However, decompensating indicators of his behavior can result in impulsiveness, difficulty listening, difficulty following directions correctly, in ability to repeat directions back.  Anxiety can present as fear, rigidity, difficulty being flexible or unwillingness to follow immediate directions.  Also noted are dietary restrictions which were maintained and supported by our nursing staff and our head chef who coordinate/discuss food sensitivities, allergies and restrictions on a daily basis.   
  • Supervision - We employ roughly 60 camp counselors and 10 administrative/facility staff at Camp Awosting.  We had roughly 130 campers attending Camp while ***** was present.  As you can see, we have roughly a 2:1 supervision ratio.  A minimum of two counselors are assigned to every cabin and a minimum of two counselors supervise each program and activity.  Staffing amounts very from activity to activity.  For example, we have 5 lifeguards on the waterfront, but only need 2 for arts and crafts.  We have administration patrolling camp grounds every hour during the evening and have counselors who are assigned evening and day patrol on a rotating basis every day.   
  • Bullying - Our camp has a zero tolerance of bullying or any other destructive, abusive or intimidating behavior.  Bullying is required to be reported immediately and without delay.  We are also mandatory reporters and have a prescribed duty and responsibility to report any such behavior to the state.  Bullying of any severity leads to immediate dismissal of the camper perpetrating such awful behavior.  Our administrative staff at Camp Awosting are completely unaware of any bullying involving ***** ********* as being bullied.  Campers who act as bullies are typically not allowed to return to camp in the future and are dismissed from camp.  There are no reports of rocks or sand/dirt being purposely covering or filling *****'s bed.  Cabin counselors would have needed to report that activity, especially if bullying may be involved.  
  • Removal of ***** from Camp Awosting - **** ********* did not remove ***** from camp for safety reasons.  Our Administrative team at Camp Awosting removed ***** from camp by dismissing him as a result of his awful behavior.  Attached in the packet you will find the handwritten notes from counselors who observed and witnessed *****'s inappropriate behavior.  Typed notes are also included in the enclosed packet for your review.  ***** will not be allowed to return to Camp Awosting as a result of the behavior he exhibited this past summer.  This is why tuition was not refunded.  
  • Payment of Tuition - **** ********* sent the same narrative to other organizations and disputed the charges on her credit card.  We have sent the same information to these organizations and the credit card company. To date they have agreed with our position of not making the refund of tuition payments as a result of the egregious behavior of her son and furthermore, **** and ***** had signed/acknowledged the Behavior Contract (which is why we have them) and the enrollment application.

  This is truly an unfortunate situation which we wished did not happen.  However, it did happen, and people need to be held accountable for their poor choices and bad behavior.  The *********'s acknowledged this accountability when signing the Enrollment Application and Behavior Contract.  We wish the family well but will not grant them the refund they are requesting.  Should you have any questions or need further clarification on any part of this response, please do not hesitate to contact me directly as my information is included below.  Happy to address any questions you may have.  

   

  Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for your time and consideration!  

   

      

  Kindest regards,

   

  David L. O*****

  Vice President &

  General Manager,

  Ebner Camps, Inc.

  *** ***** **** ** ********** ** ***** ******  ******************** *******  ************ *****  ************

  Customer response

  10/09/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Hello Mr. **********
  
  Thank you for reaching out. Unfortunately, Ebner Camp's response is at best an incorrect account of events (perhaps due to poor record-keeping) and at worst a deliberate attempt to mislead other parties and obfuscate the actual issues at hand. First and foremost, I am deeply offended that Ebner Camps is attempting to tell me that I did not remove my son for safety concerns. That is absolutely the reason I removed my son, as I felt his safety was compromised if he remained there any longer. I had previously asked to speak with someone who was in charge of the camp and was told nobody was available, and I had requested a phone call to address my concerns and I still have not, to date, ever received this call. I had also requested to speak with someone regarding a refund of the sessions my son would not be attending, and I was told nobody was available, again. If not for concerns about my son's safety, I would not have removed him from camp until these issues had been resolved.
  
  Firework burn - This is a documented incident that occurred on a camp trip where the campers were given money to go shopping, unsupervised, for a number of hours. This is when the fireworks were purchased, and when they were thrown at a number of other campers including my son. I spoke with Kris Ebner M***** at the time and she told me that she had taken the fireworks away from the child(ren) who had purchased them and was "unaware" the type of firework that had been thrown at my son could result in a burn, but clearly was aware of the issue now that he had been burned. He continued to receive treatment for this burn while he was at camp and after they returned from the camp trip, which Ebner Camps should have record of in their Health Center notes if they kept records properly.
  
  Supervision and Bullying - Ebner Camps has been aware my son is autistic and was first made aware of this before he was enrolled in their camp two years ago. While this is protected health information, I am voluntarily disclosing this as it is materially important to both the misrepresentations Ebner Camps made to me as well as their subsequent accusations directed toward my son. Ebner Camps repeatedly assured me that they have enrolled children who are on the autism spectrum in the past and that they understand and are capable of caring for those with neurodivergences. The extent of their ability to care for children on the autism spectrum is demonstrably untrue, and my son's safety has repeatedly been compromised because their staff is not properly trained to understand and recognize how to socially cue children with autism. The issue of proper supervision has been repeatedly brought up to Ebner Camps, including times last year that my son was literally lifted and thrown outside from an above-ground-level cabin when no staff was present to intervene. It is also important to note that at the time, they also blamed my son for attempting to return to the cabin when he was invited back by a different camper. Again, any kind of basic supervision could have prevented this from occurring or escalating to the point my child was physically assaulted. Ebner Camps fails to address the numerous instances of bullying my child has suffered at the hands of other campers, but rather resorts to restating their camp policy that they apply or ignore at their own discretion. There have been times my son was bullied and was told to try to ignore the children bullying him because they would be leaving by the end of the week. Had Ebner Camps not reassured me this year that they had less campers in attendance and they would be supervising how other campers treated him more closely, my son would not have gone back. This clearly was a misstatement of the level of supervision the campers are under, as proper supervision would also not have allowed other campers both the time and opportunity to do things such as filling my son's bed with dirt and rocks, among other issues. Again, the camper who did this was not sent home as my son was told he would be leaving at the end of the week so they should just make an effort to get along.
  
  Removal of *********** from Camp - I removed my son for safety reasons. Any dispute, including financial, would otherwise have been resolved before I removed him. I repeatedly requested additional information on the allegations and accusations the camp called me with, but I have to date still received no information on their version of events whatsoever. However, my son reported the only thing he is aware of that he did wrong was he was informed he should not have continued an ongoing joke other campers had started which involved calling each other "Daddy". He admitted he has no clue what it was supposed to mean and did not understand why it could be considered sexual innuendo at all. Contextually, he was with incoming new campers who were not around when the previous campers who had started the joke left camp. Again, as a child with autism, he is prone to repeating things he hears and does not understand social situations such as the fact that incoming campers would not be privy to this kind of joke the previous campers were making. He otherwise does not and has never cursed or said anything racially motivated whatsoever. It is important to note that I pointed out to the staff when we arrived that there was a swastika drawn on the cabin my son was placed in, and they did nothing whatsoever to remove this. Having no idea what else was said by other campers in that cabin, I have no way of knowing what my son could possibly have been exposed to or repeated but I do know that he would never intentionally say anything hurtful, racist, sexist, or otherwise inappropriate. Any staff member appropriately supervising these campers should have easily recognized where this "Daddy" joke originated from and understood why my son would have been echoing and mimicking the behavior rather than attributing it to him.
  
  Payment of Tuition - I did in fact dispute the charges on my credit card for the same reason. It is imperative to note that I only disputed the amount I was charged for when my son did not attend, whereas I could rightfully have disputed the full amount due to the myriad circumstances described above and more. However, I was only requesting back my money for the time my son did not attend camp, as I recognize the camp had costs associated with my son being present during the time he was there despite sustaining permanent injuries as well as trauma from the bullying. The narrative Ebner Camps is attempting to paint here is misleading as well since the credit card company allowed the charges to stand solely because Ebner Camps misrepresented to them that *********** was provided with the opportunity to attend those sessions and it was my choice to not send him.
  
  This is a truly unfortunate situation, and one which I agree all parties wish had not happened. However, the facts remain that my son did not attend any additional sessions. The paperwork the camp is referring to is required for any session a camper attends, meaning a camper who signed up to attend one session signed the same paperwork as a camper who signed up to attend all six weeks. It is misleading, immoral, and unethical to take someone's money up front for six weeks after assuring them their child would be taken care of, then arbitrarily deciding to keep all the money regardless of whether the family continues to send their child or not. If Ebner Camps still wishes to maintain their accusations against my son, that is incredibly unfortunate and falls dangerously into the territory of illegal discrimination due to disability. I am hoping to resolve this amicably as I have only requested a refund for the money paid toward sessions my son did not attend. However, if this continues to be an issue that requires escalation, Ebner Camps will also be held liable for costs of litigation, his burn injuries, the bullying he faced, and in light of their admissions of discrimination against him due to his disability, violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The only defense for their attempt to keep almost $7,000 paid up front in good faith is purely an exploitative cash grab and their statement of accountability is laughable considering they refuse to hold themselves accountable for anything other than invoicing families a year in advance for services they never provided.
  
  Ebner Camps has had numerous civil complaints filed against them in court before, so this is also clearly not an isolated incident with the company, either. I am hoping to resolve this amicably to avoid prolonging my need to have any further contact with their business. I am due a return of my money that was taken for services never provided, and any continued refusal to return my money constitutes nothing more than greed. This is an unfortuate situation, but one that can be remedied quite simply by refunding money for services that Ebner Camps never provided. Regardless of their continually changing narrative, it remains a fact that they are keeping money I paid them for sessions of camp my son did not attend. I stand by every issue accounted herein regardless of whether Ebner Camps is willing to take responsibility for their actions and inactions in providing care to my minor child. If an amicable solution can not be reached, it is imperative for the general public to be informed of how Ebner Camps conducts their business and how much money they are grifting from families for services they never provided, which is why this has been reported and will continue to be escalated further and much more publicly if needed.
  
  Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any further assistance.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *********

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