Dozens of Ivy Ridge survivors gathered before city hall in Ogdensburg to peacefully protest in an effort to raise awareness about the institution and similar schools still operating throughout the U.S. today.

The event was planned following the nationwide response to the successful Netflix documentary series “The Program: Cults, Cons and Kidnappings,” which detailed child abuse perpetrated at the facility between 2001 and 2009.

Terry Marino’s son Anthony attended Ivy Ridge 2003 - 2004. He committed suicide 18 years later. “I firmly believe had he not attended Ivy Ridge, he would still be with me today,” said Marino.

Also present was Danielle Zambrano, from New Jersey, said while she attended Ivy Ridge from 2004 - 2005, she never left the facility. It was “surreal” to see an actual community nearby.

A woman named Sue tearfully spoke about how she never realized what her daughter, Alisha who attended Academy at Ivy Ridge from 2003-2004, experienced during her time there.

State Assemblyman Scott Gray was also present at the event. Gray early requested the state attorney general’s office open an investigation into the events that occurred there.

In response to allegations made in the documentary, the St. Lawrence County District Attorney’s Office, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office and State Police opened an investigation.

Survivors were also encouraged to come forward and speak directly to the agencies if they were able to.

Few details have been released since the investigation began, but fencing has been placed around the property in recent weeks after people were reportedly trespassing there following the release of the documentary.

Although rumors have also surfaced of a federal investigation, North Country This Week has not been able to confirm the claims.

Since the documentary aired former employees of the academy have faced public scrutiny. In recent weeks it was announced that a number of former Ivy Ridge employees working at the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center have been placed on administrative leave.

St. Lawrence County Republican Elections Commissioner Tom Nichols has also come under fire for his former employment as a marketing and public relations official at the now defunct academy. In the documentary Nichols was confronted by a group of survivors.

To date, no one has been publicly charged since the release of the documentary.