Click on the video player to the right to watch the report D.J. Pooler knew life at Victory Forge Military Academy would be tough. His family needed it to be.
D.J.'s mother sent him to the Port St. Lucie military academy in February of 2007. She pulled him out ten months later, after D.J. told her stories about what went on inside.
The Department of Children and Families is now investigating a claim of child abuse at the academy. D.J. says he witnessed other incidents during his time at the school.
Two fellow students once got in a fight and a drill instructor separated them.
"The drill instructor actually went over started kneeing him in the head and punching him while he was on the ground, up in the fetal position," says Pooler. "And then he walked past me and said, you're next."
Another time, a student stole food.
"For like three days straight, we woke up, we exercised until lunchtime. after that, after lunch we exercised until dinnertime and after that we exercised until bedtime," says the teen.
D.J.'s mother paid almost $28,000 to send him to the academy. She says they wanted another $11,000 when he left.
She says they refused to release D.J.'s high school credits, so the 17-year old is still considered a Freshman by the state of Florida.
He says Victory Forge did straighten him out, though their methods needed work.
"They always say they tear you down and build you back up," says D.J. "I never really saw the building back up. It was always just tearing down."
The academy's commanding officer told us he believes the DCF investigation stems from the school's use of leg restraints to keep students from running away. Colonel Alan Weierman says the Department of Juvenile Justice uses the same methods.
