Court hears details of Wyoming Boys' School routine

Witnesses in Casper described a strict daily routine at the Wyoming Boys' School during a federal trial this week. The testimony focused on how staff managed the boys who lived at the facility near Worland. The court is currently hearing the case of Blaise Chivers-King, a former resident who says staff violated his rights.

Stuart Grassian, a psychiatrist from Massachusetts, reviewed documents and video from the school. He told the court that the environment relied on total control. Grassian based part of his opinion on a 2023 report from the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators. That group visited the school for one day after Chivers-King had already left.

Chivers-King lived at the school from 2020 to 2022. He described his arrival to the jury. Staff told him to keep his eyes down and shaved his head during intake. Chivers-King said he felt like a hopeless sheep. A defense attorney noted that some sports teams and the military also cut hair.

During the school day, staff used an intercom to remind boys they were at the Wyoming Boys' School. Chivers-King said he could not talk to other boys during meals. When he finished eating, he pushed back his chair, placed his hands on his knees, and said done, sir. He then looked down.

The school detains boys between the ages of 12 and 21. It sits on 38 acres and is overseen by the Wyoming Department of Family Services. Chivers-King is one of six former residents suing the facility. He claims staff used excessive force and kept him in isolation without proper due process.

Dale Weber, the school superintendent, acknowledged the strict rules. He said staff watched boys walking in single-file lines from the dorms to the school. Risk management officers rode on four wheelers during these walks. Weber said staff tried to stop boys from communicating, even nonverbally. He noted that boys often talked on the sidelines during a softball game about attacking a staff member with a bat.

Weber took over as superintendent in March 2022. He replaced Gary Gilmore, who retired. Gilmore had previously served as interim superintendent during a medical leave. Weber described Gilmore's management style as very authoritarian. Weber said he did not feel he had the authority to challenge Gilmore's decisions.

Attorneys showed the jury logbook entries from Chivers-King's time in detention. The logs show he spent most days in a cinderblock room for less than an hour with other people. Staff only let him out to shower. The logs did not show that he received school or reading assignments on most days. Weber said he expected staff to talk to Chivers-King through the door during checks every 15 minutes. He believed staff were in and out of the room, even if the logs did not show it.

Staff required two consecutive days of good behavior before releasing a boy from detention. Chivers-King was 15 when he first arrived. Weber called him a pretty big and strong kid. He said Chivers-King was unpredictable and volatile. The next trial involving former residents is scheduled to start on December 7.