Newly released messages from Jeffrey Epstein’s files have unexpectedly pulled a defunct southwest Missouri boarding school back into public view. Among the August 2018 emails is a reference to Wings of Faith Academy, a now-closed private Christian girls’ school in Stockton that former students say subjected them to physical and psychological abuse. In one brief exchange, an Epstein associate asks his opinion on placement options for a teenage girl and includes the Missouri program on a short list of facilities around the country. That small mention has revived long-running questions about how faith-based residential programs are monitored, especially those that have drawn years of complaints.
In an Aug. 7, 2018 email reviewed by reporters, Ann Rodriquez, identified in the Epstein files as his “island manager,” sent Epstein a list of five residential programs and asked him to weigh in. Wings of Faith Academy was one of the options, according to KSDK. Epstein’s reply was terse: “check them out, with comments etc. lakeland. orlando missour . first ?” That short back and forth appears in the newly public “Epstein files” that journalists have been combing through for weeks.
Wings of Faith, which previously went by names including Refuge of Grace, operated as a small boarding facility for girls near Stockton, and former students have described severe punishment and deprivation inside its walls. Jordan Evans, who says she was brought to Wings of Faith at age 15 in 2016, told reporters she was punished with deprivation and forced to pour alcohol on open wounds, according to Missouri Independent. The girls’ program ran in tandem with a boys’ operation known as Agape Ranch. The academy ultimately shut down in 2022 after a drumbeat of complaints and growing legal pressure.
A Web of Lawsuits and Closures
Programs tied to Agape and its affiliates have racked up a long trail of civil lawsuits and public criticism. Attorneys for former students say their firm has filed dozens of cases involving Agape and related facilities, and a 2022 ruling in Cole County drew special attention when a judge allowed Agape director Bryan Clemensen to stay off Missouri’s child abuse registry, according to KSDK. Survivors and advocates argue that outcomes like that one, case by case, helped the network sidestep broader accountability for years.
Policy Changes Fell Short, Advocates Say
State lawmakers did move to tighten the rules more recently. In 2021, Missouri passed a law that requires certain private residential and treatment programs to register with the state. Advocates say the fix only went so far and that enforcement has been spotty, with key categories of programs still exempt, according to Missouri Independent. Survivors and their attorneys warn that without tougher reporting standards and real oversight, Missouri will remain a go-to destination for out-of-state placements looking to avoid stricter scrutiny elsewhere.
Survivors and Lawyers Turn Up the Pressure
Former students, their lawyers and advocacy groups have been working in tandem to push for reforms and to gain access to records they say are crucial to civil cases. “The troubled teen industry is a hotbed of abuse,” Kansas City attorney Ryan Fraizer told The Independent, citing his firm’s work against the Agape network. Survivors argue that stronger transparency rules, more rigorous staff screening and a clearer route for reporting concerns to child welfare authorities are essential if similar harm is going to be prevented.
The passing reference to Wings of Faith in the Epstein files does not, on its own, establish any criminal link between Epstein and the alleged abuse at the Missouri school. It has, however, given survivors and civil attorneys fresh reason to press officials for records and answers. Reporters continue to sift through the released emails and are seeking comment from state agencies and former program operators as litigation grinds on and calls for reform grow louder.
