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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 9 april 2019

Actress Allison Mack leaves Brooklyn federal court Monday,
April 8, 2019, in New York. Actress Allison Mack leaves Brooklyn
federal court Monday, April 8, 2019, in New York.
Associated Press
'Smallville' actress

pleads guilty in This March 7, 2019, file photo, shows the Glen Mills Schools in Glen Mills, Pa. Associated Press

sex-trafficking case Oldest U.S. reform school's

NEW YORK (AP) — TV ac- face far less time under license revoked over abuse claims
tress Allison Mack pleaded sentencing guidelines.
guilty Monday to charg- The plea means Mack will
es she was involved in a avoid going to trial with PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Aimee Tysarczyk said in an cal abuse at the school
scheme to turn women into Raniere, wealthy heiress nation's oldest reform emailed statement. Some and alleged that school
sex slaves for the spiritual Clare Bronfman and an- school had its licenses re- business operations, includ- leaders turned a blind eye
leader of a cult-like upstate other member of Raniere's voked Monday amid an in- ing community programs to beatings and failed to
New York group, a devel- inner circle, Kathy Russell. vestigation into allegations and a golf course, remain vet or train counselors.
opment that came on the All have pleaded not guilty of child abuse at the subur- running. The allegations included
same day jury selection be- and denied any wrongdo- ban Philadelphia campus, The school will appeal, she severe beatings for stu-
gan for a federal trial in the ing. and a spokeswoman said said. dents who made minor
case. About two hours after the school will appeal. "In the past 18 months infractions, a staffer break-
Mack, 36, wept as she Mack's guilty plea, po- The decision follows an in- alone, Glen Mills Schools ing a boy's jaw after the
admitted her crimes and tential jurors got their first vestigation published this has been formally visited, student made a joke about
apologized to the women glimpse of the jailed Ra- year by The Philadelphia inspected and reviewed his sister, and other boys
who prosecutors say were niere at a proceeding Inquirer that detailed de- more than 150 times by getting choked for run-
exploited by Keith Raniere where they were instructed cades of alleged abuse different outside entities, ning away. Broken bones,
and the purported self-help on questionnaires to be and cover-ups at the including numerous states serious bruises and threats
group called NXIVM. filled out as a first step in the 193-year-old Glen Mills and counties," she wrote. warning students not to talk
"I believed Keith Raniere's selection process. Opening Schools. "The issues PA DHS inspec- were detailed.
intentions were to help statements are scheduled The Department of Hu- tors discovered were trivial In the past five years, at
people, and I was wrong," for April 29 for a trial that is man Services announced and they found no signs least 13 staffers at Glen
Mack told a Brooklyn judge. expected to last up to six that all 14 licenses issued of long-standing physical Mills have been fired and
Mack - best known for her weeks. to Glen Mills were revoked abuse, per their own docu- dozens more have been
role as a young Superman's The question of who would "following documented in- mentation. We are stunned retrained or reprimanded
close friend on the series be seated at the defense stances of abuse against that PA DHS is taking this over assaults on 15 students
"Smallville" - said that after table that day had re- former students of the resi- action based on media at the school, the newspa-
months of reflection since mained unanswered in the dential school." The depart- reports as opposed to look- per reported. Glen Mills last
her arrest, "I know I can and wake of new allegations ment also cited "gross in- ing at the results of their week announced layoffs
will be a better person." that Raniere exploited a competence, negligence own inspections." of about 250 staff mem-
The actress is to be sen- teenage girl. The accusa- and misconduct in operat- The school has 10 days to bers following the state's
tenced Sept. 11 on two tions gave his co-defen- ing the facility." appeal the license revoca- order that remaining stu-
racketeering counts that dants even further incen- No students remained tion. dents be removed from the
each carry maximum terms tive to seek separate tri- Monday after the state last The Inquirer investigation Delaware County campus
of 20 years in prison. How- als and engage in plea month ordered their remov- published in February de- about 25 miles (40 kilome-
ever, it's likely she would negotiations.q al, Glen Mills spokeswoman scribed a culture of physi- ters) west of Philadelphia.q