Virgil Miller Newton

Virgil Miller Newton (September 6, 1938 – August 8, 2025) was an American priest and the Chairman and Director of Christ at the Sea Foundation in Madeira Beach, Florida; a priest in the Antiochian Orthodox Church (but is no longer listed on the AOC website); and the former Director of several rehabilitation centers for youth with drug problems, behavior problems, eating disorders and other compulsive behavior. His rehabilitative methods have been criticized.

Many former patients have sued for abuse.

Newton died on August 8, 2025, at the age of 86. the son of Louisa and Virgil Miller Newton Junior. His father was managing editor of the Tampa Tribune and well known for his fight against secrecy in the government, authoring papers such as “Federal Thought Control a Challenge to American Liberties and Freedom.” His mother taught Sunday School at their local church, Hyde Park Methodist.

During his sophomore year he felt "called to preach the word of God." The Florida Methodist Conference licensed him to preach during his senior year at Sewanee Military Academy. In the summer of 1956, before heading to college he filled in as a student supply pastor in This hometown of Tampa and St Petersburg, FL. From 1956–1957, Newton was appointed state Master Counselor for the Florida chapter of The Order of DeMolay.

In the fall of 1956, he began attending Princeton University. After taking a course in religion, Newton in 1957 was contracted to be the lay pastor for the Emlystown circuit in New Jersey, which consisted of 3 churches. He stayed in New Jersey over the 1957 summer break to continue his preaching circuit. Joanna (born 1959), Miller (born 1960), and Mark (born 1964). He returned to Princeton University and earned his master's degree.

Moving to Indianapolis in late 1963, Newton became the Methodist head pastor of Fletcher Place and subsequently was appointed to the Inter City Association, an organization dedicated to urban poverty issues. During 1964-1965 Newton helped raise money for the black belt region, advocated for an end to token appointments that do not adequately represent the local African American community Newton also created a storefront church he named "Outpost" in which he held informal meetings to encourage neighborhood political empowerment on urban poverty issues. where he had both teaching and administrative duties. for the Democratic nomination for the Florida 5th congressional seat; this was one of three newly created positions. Despite being a prior former president of the Florida Young Democrats he failed to gain the nomination. and Clerk to the County Commission. Newton modernized and reorganized the office and in 1974 was reelected to serve out the remaining 2 years of the position. During his term he dealt with several conflicts and in 1975 faced a stripping of power after the County Commission felt he had dabble in policy-making. Newton chose in 1976 not to stand for reelection for the clerk position, After a fierce campaign involving a lawsuit and ethics complaint filed against his opponent JoAnne Saunders, Newton lost the nomination a second time. In 1977, Newton went to work for Gary Smith and Associates and later that year, suffered the loss of his father.

In 1979, Newton was named the Executive Director of the Florida Alcohol Coalition. His youngest son Mark developed a drug problem and on September 26, was enrolled in Straight, Inc. a drug rehabilitation program. At the time, Newton was Executive Director of the Florida Association of Alcohol Treatment Programs. The experience with Mark profoundly affected Newton.

Straight program (1980–1983) Four months after enrolling his son, Newton joined Straight, Inc. St Petersburg as Assistant Director. The Straight program was founded in 1976 by wealthy real estate developers Mel Sembler and Joseph Zappala. The average stay was twenty months long, and its corporate goals were "to admit 14 clients per month". Most clients paid an average of $14,000 for the treatment.

In 1980 Newton attended a workshop on alcoholism at the Johnson Institute in Minneapolis. It was during this time he also switched his doctoral focus to teen drug abuse. In a 1989 interview with ABC Television, Florida state prosecutor David Levin characterized it as "....a sort of private jail, utilizing techniques such as torture and punishment which even a convicted criminal would not be subject to."

In 1992 three of Newton's peer counselors were convicted of assault at KIDS of North Jersey. The presiding Secaucus Municipal Judge, Emil DelBaglivo, called KIDS a "highly questionable" program. He said something was "radically wrong" if the program director would condone "almost unbelievable" conduct.

In 1996, the Federal Government lodged claims against Newton and KIDS for billing the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program for treatment by physicians when the physicians signing the forms had not provided services. Newton did not admit wrongdoing, but agreed to pay back $45,000 for 245 claims.