Report describes horrific treatment, deaths at reform school

Researchers studying dozens of graves and deaths at a now closed Florida reform school describe a long history of horrific treatment of the boys.

A report released by University of South Florida researchers this week identifies two more of the people buried in the graves at the former Arthur G. Dozier school in Marianna. Some of the graves were unmarked and others were marked only with an iron cross.

It also describes more details of the deaths of some of the boys buried at the school and gives accounts of severe beatings. It mentions a 6-year-old who died after being sent to work as a houseboy and the mysterious shooting death of a boy who ran away from the school.

The report notes that the school often didn’t report deaths.

Republished with permission of the Associated Press.