Dakar, Senegal — at American Dara Academy, Senegal, it marketed itself as an affordable boarding school for families in the United States where their children could study the Quran alongside the American curriculum. Parents and families – many of whom are of West African descent – ​​sent their children to the school, believing it would provide a rigorous and affordable religious education.

But according to an official close to the case,

the school is being investigated for alleged physical abuse.

Hundreds of students have withdrawn from the academy and one of the two campuses – where most of the alleged abuse took place – is now closed.

In accounts shared with The Associated Press, students alleged that supervisors repeatedly beat disobedient students in the so-called “magic room”. Schoolchildren said they were sometimes ordered to remove their underwear or remain naked and were asked to sit with their arms outstretched while holding heavy rocks. If rocks fell, the damage increased further.

Senegalese officials confirmed to the AP that an investigation is ongoing. The country’s gendarmerie, its child protection services and the Justice Ministry are involved in the investigation, according to an official close to the case.

In late January, the school’s director and three administrators were arrested, according to parents and a person with direct knowledge of the arrests and investigation. He said the director was released and placed under house arrest.

Senegal’s child protective services, known by its French acronym AEMO, did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for the Gendarmerie, Ibrahima Ndiaye, confirmed that the force had been informed about the abuses but said the investigation was now with the Justice Ministry.

The arrested school director and administrators told the AP they could not talk about the case due to the ongoing investigation. Exact charges have not been announced.

Justice Ministry spokeswoman Aminata Diagne said of the ongoing investigation into the abuse, “The children are in the care of the authorities, and charges will be filed against whoever is found responsible.”

The American Daraa Academy enrols 311 students across two campuses in Senegal – including 120 US citizens. Most of the students were children of West African descent born in the United States, with some from European countries such as France, the United Kingdom, and Belgium. Only a few were from West Africa.

According to a January 12 written complaint sent to Senegalese authorities by the US Embassy in Dakar, several American students reported severe corporal punishment. According to the letter, the minors accused the school’s director, who is a dual American-Guinean citizen, and three other administrators of being responsible for the abuse.

The AP spoke to dozens of parents and officials involved in the case to verify the authenticity of the complaint letter and its claims about abuse. The parents and officials who agreed to be interviewed did so without worrying about their children’s safety because they were not allowed to speak on the issue.

In their accounts, the students reported that administrators beat them with sticks on their legs, backs and private parts, forcing them to maintain a tense posture.

Some students said that steel rods were sometimes used on areas that did not leave visible marks. He said that many times the blows also fell on his head.

It is unclear whether any injuries required hospitalisation, but some students have reported getting marks on multiple parts of their bodies.

According to the embassy complaint letter and a person familiar with the matter, the students were warned by their abusers not to speak to U.S. embassy officials or police; otherwise, their parents in the United States could be arrested and deported by immigration authorities.

The ministry and other related agencies have released few details about the case or possible charges.

Some parents told the AP they chose the American Dara Academy for its combination of religious education and an American curriculum at a relatively low cost of about $300 a month, including tuition, housing and meals.

The school ran two campuses, one in the capital, Dakar, and the other in Toubab Diallah, a coastal village 55 kilometres (34 mi) from the capital.

Before its closure, the high school campus in Taubab Diylaw – where most of the alleged abuse took place – consisted largely of a construction site with trailers, no running water, frequent power outages and makeshift zinc toilets. However, an official with direct knowledge of the investigation reported that the facility was teaching students.

After the embassy contacted the families, about two-thirds of the students—about 250 children, including about 100 Americans—withdrew from the school and returned to their home countries, according to parents and a person familiar with the investigation. The Dakar campus, in better condition, received the remaining students.

Dozens of parents spoke to the AP, many of whom reported receiving contact from the US Embassy regarding the alleged abuse. None said their children told them about the abuse.

One parent, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect their child’s privacy, said they have taken their children back and are waiting to be brought back to the US. He claimed that his children were not among those who reported experiencing abuse.

“When I went to school for the first time, I stayed with them for a week,” the parent said. “I really thought I was leaving them in a safe place.”

In Senegal, corporal punishment in homes is legal under the country’s family law, which gives the “right to correction” to those with parental authority, although criminal laws punish violence that causes serious injuries.

While corporal punishment is prohibited in schools for children under 14, the law does not explicitly extend to children outside that age range, private schools, or religious schools, where the “right to reform” may still potentially apply.

The United Nations and the Children’s Rights Organization report that corporal punishment continues in practice.

It is unclear whether prosecutors will file charges or if further action is being considered.

Right now, the investigation is ongoing, and the children who once filled its dorms have dispersed—some back home, others still in school and waiting for answers.

The school building in Dakar is under tight security and police are guarding the place.

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Associated Press writer Babacar Dion in Dakar, Senegal, contributed to this report.