Life, when lived for God and others is a beautiful and productive thing.
I was involved at Bethel Academy from March to December of 03. During that time I saw a lot of things that troubled me. I became a nasty dirty word to some who thought Herman was paying me big bucks. I started his computer Training Program from scratch and then built his web site, beginning at 12.00 per hour (who hoo I was getting RICH, NOT!), then was busted down on trumped up charges and breach of my employment agreement to 9.00 per hour during the last 3 months.
I went there with pure motives, I left 9 months later, mentally caned and beaten, depressed and seriously considering suicide several times, but I did leave with my beliefs that God was good and people in trouble need help intact.
During this time and on into 04, the abuse, the deep depression and basic loss of confidence and motivation lead to financial problems so severe we lost our home and were within days of being homeless. God once again undertook to help us (my wife and I) dig out of the pit we had fallen in.
The abuse I suffered at Bethel myself alone, more than ANYBODY in the audience of this forum or anywhere else can even comprehend, makes me know of a certainty they abused and injured children both physically and mentally.
I defended Herman until I saw the real man he was. I do not know if he has repented of his sins, if not he as carried his abusive nature right down the road to City of Refuge Rehab he now is said to run.
I finid it an irony that the families they fleeced and laughed at have now won a 1 million $$ juggement against the Fountain Machine. I also find it ironic thier name has changed yet again for I think the 4th time since I was there, and it seems WWASPS, the teen help organization out of Utah is solely running Bethel now. Out of the frying pan into the fire? Could it be John Boy and Billy along with the other Hermanites have had to sell the place to satisfy this righteous judgement a judge gave the abused parents and kids?
It would appear the Fountain dynasty has crumbled. Bubba, Hermans son that had Bethel Girls had to close it down over two years ago because the state took all his girls. Why? Allegations of Abuse!
Now it appears that Bethel is no more (correct me if I am wrong), WWASPS has it (frying pan to fire) and all the Fountains (Except Herman) may have actually had to get real jobs. Oh what a pity they could not continue getting 25,000+ a year out of parents to do little more for the kids than beat the heck out of them and feed them gulag grub. Not to mention the mediocre facilities, the school they attended on site and the dorms that they lived in. The cafeteria, if you want to call it that, had water running in the fireplace and into the room every time it rained. Is this a 25K per year program? Cobwebs in the dorms? It it worth 25K for that? Not to mention the mental and physical abuse either tendered by Bethel employees or over looked by employees when it was cadet on cadet beatings or abuse.
I am not bitter, but rather am wounded still so deeply that the thought of Herman makes me shake like a reed in the wind. This is a man that had a 16-17 year old minor cadet assistant to me wear a tape recorder to gain recordings of conversations myself and the young man had to formulate a smear program against me and fire me. My mistake was telling the truth. This is NOT what Herman would ever allow. His way, or the highway. While putting you out he always made sure to destroy and threaten you (as he did me, with lawyer letters threatening me with a suit if I told my story)
I ran into him out near the state line at a bank a little over a year ago and it still took me several days to recover from just seeing him and having him speak to me.
I am happy for the parents getting thier day in court and a measure of justice.
I pray Herman will repent, confess his chronic pattern of abuse against parents and cadets, then apologize to parents, children and employees he has damaged and marked for life.
Contact me if you like through my Employment Advisor and friend Rod Namdoog at
rodnamdoog@yahoo.com if you want to discuss more specifics.
