Alleged mistreatment at YMCA summer camp leads to staffing changes

Parents of campers say kids shot with water pellets, forced to participate in “boot camp”

TRYON—Alleged misconduct at a Polk YMCA summer camp has led to complaints from parents and changes to staffing.

At least one parent has pulled their child out of the summer camp held at Tryon Elementary School after learning that camp counselors were forcing campers to take part in a strenuous boot camp and shooting them with water pellet guns.

According to Atticus Fehl, the district executive director of the YMCA of Greater Spartanburg, which organizes the camp, the camp’s site director of the Polk YMCA at TES has been replaced, and other staffing changes have also been made.

A mother of one five-year-old camper sent a letter to camp management last week citing concerning issues, stating that her daughter had been shot with an Orbeez gun, a type of water bead pellet gun that resembles a real firearm.

“(My daughter) said a counselor came into her classroom and yelled, ‘Everyone lay down; if you get up, I will shoot you,’” said the mother, who asked to remain anonymous. “This was apparently not an isolated event.”

The mother also shared that her daughter was forced to participate in “boot camp” exercises, which included dozens of jumping jacks, push-ups, burpees, wall-sits, squats, bear crawls and more.

“Not even a grown adult could handle (these boot camp exercises),” said the mother. “Let alone a five-year-old.” The mother also alleges that the camp counselors, most of whom are teenagers, were listening to inappropriate music during camp and eating ice cream in front of the kids while teasing campers that they couldn’t have any.

A father also told WLOS News 13 on Friday that his child had been shot with the water-pellet guns as well, and told the news outlet that the exercises kids were doing were too intense.

“The first thing that she brought to our attention was coming home from camp one day complaining about how she was so sore that she was literally in tears,” he said. “(There were an) insane amount of workouts and pushups and jumping jacks and all these different things they were being forced to do.”

The father said he was concerned after hearing this and learned about the Orbeez guns after talking to other parents whose kids were going to this camp.

The Tryon Police Department was notified about the incidents. They have said that they are not actively investigating the camp and that any issues need to be taken up with the YMCA.

“ We were recently made aware of an alleged incident involving counselors using Orbeez guns at camp,” the YMCA said in a statement to parents. “While no campers were harmed by the water pellet guns, they should not have been brought on site. Following our investigation into these allegations, there have been staffing changes at YMCA camp at Tryon Elementary School.”

Several parents have defended the camp, saying the water pellet gun incident was an isolated event that was handled appropriately and that they are glad their kids are participating in fitness routines.

“So far, my camper has shared with me an overall positive experience this summer at camp–he is a return camper,” said one parent.

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