stated, "I would respectfully suggest that the Texas Freedom Network's position here is overstated in that it's not unusual at all for the research design of effectiveness studies to look only at graduates; therefore the outcomes of these independent studies do provide a legitimate and dramatic basis for comparison given the results. At the same time, Teen Challenge must be careful to communicate what has actually been measured." Public policy effects In 1995, auditors from the Texas Commission for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (TCADA) demanded that Teen Challenge obtain state licensing and employ state-licensed counselors. As a result, then-Governor George W. Bush publicly defended Teen Challenge and pursued alternative licensing procedures for faith-based organizations. "Teen Challenge should view itself as a pioneer in how Texas approaches faith-based programs. I'll call together people, ask them to make recommendations... licensing standards have to be different from what they are today," Bush said. Controversies The organization has faced accusations regarding severe abuse and ill treatment at its rehabilitation camps throughout the early 2000s and on. The organization allegedly encompasses certain unlicensed religious homes that may operate outside child protection laws due to religious exemptions in the state of Florida. They have also been linked to the controversial practice of conversion therapy. The organization has allegedly contributed to the near-death of Samson Lehman, who was 15 years old at the time. Authorities in Florida have responded to at least 165 allegations of abuse and neglect by the organization from the period of the 2000s-2012 for situations including sex abuse and physical injury. The organization has been involved in at least two lawsuits alleging abuse and neglect by parents of minors involved with the organization. In 2001, John Castellani, the former President of Teen Challenge USA, before a House Government Reform subcommittee examining the efficacy of religious social service providers, said that Teen Challenge does not hire non-Christians as employees. When asked if the group takes non-Christians as clients, he said yes, and boasted that some Jews who finish his Teen Challenge program become "completed Jews." The "completed Jews" phrase has been used by some Christians and Messianic Jews to refer to people who previously followed Judaism and have become believers in Yeshua (Jesus); many Jewish groups consider it offensive because of the implication that those who don't believe in Jesus are "incomplete". Critics of faith-based funding cite this as an example of how religious