Martin Hughes / Mesabi Academy – Buhl Minnesota

The former Martin Hughes School in Buhl, Minnesota, was converted in the late 1990s into Mesabi Academy, a residential treatment and juvenile corrections facility operated by KidsPeace. Mesabi Academy closed in June 2016 after investigative reporting raised allegations of abuse, maltreatment, inadequate supervision and failures to report some incidents to authorities. Hennepin and Ramsey counties subsequently removed youths they had placed at the facility, while the Minnesota Department of Corrections froze new admissions. With placements falling and no new residents being admitted, KidsPeace said the facility could no longer continue operating.

A later state investigation substantiated multiple instances of maltreatment and identified serious problems with supervision and oversight at the facility.