Three fires at the controversial Elan School have been ruled arson.
The Maine fire marshal’s office said Monday that arson is suspected in three different fires at the Poland campus since Nov. 17, 2024.
The first fire destroyed a building at the Elan School, and authorities later said they couldn’t determine the cause of the blaze.
Two more fires happened on March 1 and 7. The March 7 fire destroyed another building on the property.
Psychiatrist Dr. Gerald Davidson and businessman Joseph Ricci opened the Elan School in 1970. Staff there used humiliation as a therapeutic tool to treat children with emotional, behavioral and substance use problems.
Accusations of physical and emotional abuse dogged the school.
Despite numerous investigations, the school didn’t close until 2011 because of declining enrollment and financial trouble.
Anyone with information about these fires can contact the state fire marshal’s office at 207-624-7076, ext. 9.
