Miracle Children chronicles fabricated claims at T.M. Landry prep school

Reporters Katie Benner and Erica L. Green have published Miracle Children, a book-length account of T.M. Landry College Preparatory Academy in Louisiana, which they say repeatedly falsified its successes in sending mostly Black, working-class students to elite colleges. The authors, who first reported the story for The New York Times in 2018, write that the school fabricated transcripts and invented stories of deprivation and neglect attributed to founders Tracey and Michael Landry.

The book centers on Michael Landry, described by multiple students, according to the authors, as a charismatic grifter and a violent, serial abuser, and outlines how viral acceptance videos, media demand for uplifting tales and admissions pressure created a market for such stories.

Benner and Green detail how the unaccredited academy issued diplomas that did not meet Louisiana standards, lacked a standard curriculum, certified teachers or regular tests, and relied on free time, YouTube, online classes and intensive ACT prep.

Key Topics

Culture, T.m. Landry, Miracle Children, Michael Landry, Katie Benner, Erica L. Green