The John Dewey Academy is a private, coeducational college preparatory therapeutic boarding school in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, formerly housed in Searles Castle.

[3] CCP's critics refer to it as "attack therapy" and point to its consistent use in institutions that have been shut down for abuse, such as Synanon, CEDU, and the Elan School.

[4][5] A 2011 blog post from the John Dewey Academy addressed and criticized the closure of the Elan School, attributing its allegations and subsequent closure to "the corrosive influence of the rumor mill as well as misconceptions about programs fostered by gossip and false information" before promoting the academy itself as an option for those who were looking to attend a school like Elan.

These studies primarily consist of Bratter providing predominantly anecdotal evidence of the academy's successes and asserting that "the John Dewey Academy’s treatment results are the best of any residential program that provides intensive therapeutic and education for alienated adolescents who require residential placement.

[7] In March 2021, the Berkshire Eagle came out with an exposé about the abuse at the John Dewey Academy titled "Former students of Great Barrington prep school describe it as 'torture chamber'"[8] In response, the school closed in 2022, with Baum stating "“Reboot, revise, re-staff — everything’s on the table.”[1]