Mel Sembler





The Life and Times of a United States Ambassador


What can I say about Mel Sembler...Current Ambassador to Italy, former Ambassador to Australia, financial supporter of the Bush clan, big-time land developer in Florida, Georgia and Alabama, Graduate of Northwestern University in Chicago, founder of a nationwide cult that brainwashed and abused children for nearly 20 years...

I know. People who facilitate child abuse aren't supposed to represent the United States. And our presidents would never associate themselves with someone who knew about child abuse, and did nothing to stop it.

Well, in our world, those things don't happen. But life is VERY different when you're wealthy AND well-connected.


Welcome to Mel Sembler's World!



Following a stint in the Army and after getting into shopping center development, Mel Sembler and his wife Betty arrived in Florida in 1968. Within the next several years, they placed one of their sons in a controversial "drug treatment program" called The Seed. Using isolation, food deprivation, extreme confrontation with screaming and cursing, it's no wonder that in 1975 the United States Senate compared the program's methods to the North Korean brainwashing of American POW's.


"In some instances they were locked in rooms by themselves and denied food for days. They also reported that they were made to sit in chairs without speaking while listening to others berate them for hours...I recently interviewed a child that would be diagnosed as an emotionally unstable personality with paranoid overtones. The use of the above noted practices with his kind of child could easily result in a precipitation of major mental disturbance. Fortunately this child was able to run from the Seed before very much damage had been done to her psychologically. She did manifest some confusion and paranoid ideation which she felt was a result of the manner in which she was treated by the Seed personnel. I have also interviewed children who made suicide attempts following their running from the Seed. Overwhelming feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and despair were in evidence."

[Jeffrey J. Elenewski, Ph.D., clinical psychologist - This letter was included in the 1974 Senate report on the Seed.]


Fortunately, The Seed stopped "treating" juveniles later that year. I'd like to say the whole story stops there, but that wouldn't be honest.

Within 6 months, Mel and Betty Sembler - along with other Seed parents - formed Straight, Inc. For the next 16 years, Straight, Inc. branches opened all over the country, having kids sit on one another to keep them from leaving, locking kids in bedrooms at night, refusing to let them speak to their parents - and battling state health officials from Florida to California.

1976:

With Mel Sembler as Chairman of the Board, Straight, Inc. was officially incorporated and was soon warehousing hundreds of kids - literally. The first facility, the Morgan Yacht building in St. Petersburg, really was a warehouse. That would become a trademark of Straight.

1977:

Helen Petermann was voted in as an executive staff member, never mind the fact that she was a high school drop-out. The fact that she, too, was a Seed parent was good enough. Hiring unqualified personnel was another Straight trademark.

A young man left Straight, went to authorities and reported being beaten at the St. Petersburg warehouse. He hasn't been seen or heard from since.


"It [Straight] has many of the poor points of The Seed and few of the good points. If I had to recommend one [program], I'd recommend The Seed."

[Theodore Anderson, one of a half dozen board members who resigned within the first 16 months of Straight's founding.]


1978:

Florida's Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS) sent THIS LETTER to Mel Sembler, warning him about forcibly keeping clients in Straight against their will.

1979:
Mel Sembler began "supporting" former CIA director and future president, George H.W. Bush.



Mel Sembler's world CONTINUED into the 80's.



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