Author Topic: Bethel Girls Academy - ABUSE  (Read 5163 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Watchaduen

  • Posts: 128
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BethelAcademyAbuse/
Bethel Girls Academy - ABUSE
« on: May 20, 2004, 05:24:00 PM »
Looks like another Bethel Academy school (all owned and operated by the Fountains) has more abuse allegations.

Sheriff says girls moved from Bethel Home in Petal

The Associated Press

PETAL ? About 40 teenage girls have been removed from a privately run, at-risk home in Petal and the case was turned over to the Forrest County Youth Court.

The girls were transferred Wednesday night from the Bethel Home to an undisclosed location for their safety, said Sheriff Billy McGee.
State Department of Human Services spokesman Rick Whitlow said Thursday the agency would have no comment.

?We?re referring all inquiries to the youth court in the county,? Whitlow said.

Under Mississippi law, Youth Court proceedings are confidential.

Sheriff Billy McGee said several state agencies ? including DHS, the attorney general? office and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality ? were at the privately owned facility for teenage girls for most of the day Wednesday.

?Apparently, the state received some complaints regarding some sort of mistreatment of the girls,? McGee said. ?I really don?t know what those complaints are, we were just called in to provide security and to transport the girls to a different location.?

The sheriff said that the parents of the girls were being notified to come and pick up their children.

?Until they are picked up from that location, they are under the custody of DHS,? he said. ?Overall, there are about 30-40 kids involved.?

McGee said the Bethel Home is located in Petal, near the Jones County line. He said the facility was operated by a church but he was not sure which one.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
heryle - My son was TORTURED and ABUSED at Bethel Boys Academy aka Eagle Point Christian Academy, aka Pine View Academy, Lucedale, MS.

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
Bethel Girls Academy - ABUSE
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2004, 06:45:00 PM »
link to a news site?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
Bethel Girls Academy - ABUSE
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2004, 07:00:00 PM »
Wow, did you read that post on the Hard Truth forum written by a 34 year old mother and former resident of Bethel?  Still waters run deep with survivors of abuse, who many years after the fact, are still trying to make sense of it all and in their own way, tell their story so that others may be spared the same fate.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Watchaduen

  • Posts: 128
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BethelAcademyAbuse/
Bethel Girls Academy - ABUSE
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2004, 11:54:00 PM »
That hardtruth forum is FULL of former victims of Bethel's tortures.  The Fountains owned and operated it then and still do.  And look, they are still abusing and torturing children for a profit.  I posted my story there along with many other victims.  If you read all of them you will see some are now adults and some are victims just getting out of that Hell hole.  They cannot believe that the Fountains were abusing children all those years ago and still getting away with it.  I truly have to thank the internet for helping me to find so many of today's victims of Bethel.  We are going to sue them with the biggest lawsuit they have ever seen.  Bethel's doors will finally shut.  Maybe some of these victims will finally have closure.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
heryle - My son was TORTURED and ABUSED at Bethel Boys Academy aka Eagle Point Christian Academy, aka Pine View Academy, Lucedale, MS.

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Watchaduen

  • Posts: 128
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BethelAcademyAbuse/
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
heryle - My son was TORTURED and ABUSED at Bethel Boys Academy aka Eagle Point Christian Academy, aka Pine View Academy, Lucedale, MS.

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
Bethel Girls Academy - ABUSE
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2004, 12:51:00 PM »
Does anyone have any new info on what is going on? My daughter was one of the ones abused. I know DHS photographed her injuries and took her testimony. Also, has anyone contacted a lawyer to represent us and help ensure the school is closed and the perpetrators punished? I would be interested in talking to anyone involved in this incident.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Watchaduen

  • Posts: 128
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BethelAcademyAbuse/
Bethel Girls Academy - ABUSE
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2004, 04:47:00 PM »
There is already a HUGE lawsuit in process.  This started last year when the boys' compound was raided.  In one month's time the State of MS. had 25 ready, willing (complete with medical documentation) victims ready to testify to close Bethel on Aug. 26th.  Two days before the boys were supposed to be back down there all the victims rec'd a call from the Investigator that the State made yet another sneaky deal with Bethel to remain open.  Obviously the abuse never stopped.   I knew that.  Please contact me about the lawsuit.  Would love to have you join.
[email protected].  Can fill you on the details later.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
heryle - My son was TORTURED and ABUSED at Bethel Boys Academy aka Eagle Point Christian Academy, aka Pine View Academy, Lucedale, MS.

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
Bethel Girls Academy - ABUSE
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2004, 11:51:00 PM »
Quote
Posted May 27, 2004 3:50 PM.

Bethel Academy students irate over Bibles

Several teenagers say they are upset because they were not allowed to bring their Bibles when state officials removed them from Bethel Girls Academy in Petal last week.

?It made me feel very bad because it was one of my rights to have it with me,? said LeAnna Edgell, who was one of 38 girls removed from the Bethel home May 19 by officials with the Mississippi Department of Human Services.

?The Bible has helped me a lot over the past couple of months and I wanted to have it with me,? Edgell said.


This is just another attack on religious freedom by the librall judge McPhail. He is the same judge that persecuted Brother Wills years ago here in Hattiesburg.

I know Bubba Fountain and he would never harm any of those girls. He is a true servant of the Lord! It is so easy nowadays for any snot nosed kid to yell "RAPE" every time they don't want to submit to authority.

The state needs to stay out of the affairs of the church!!!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
Bethel Girls Academy - ABUSE
« Reply #10 on: May 28, 2004, 02:16:00 PM »
Tried to e-mail you Cheryle, but AOL says you are not a valid address.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Watchaduen

  • Posts: 128
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BethelAcademyAbuse/
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
heryle - My son was TORTURED and ABUSED at Bethel Boys Academy aka Eagle Point Christian Academy, aka Pine View Academy, Lucedale, MS.

Offline Watchaduen

  • Posts: 128
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BethelAcademyAbuse/
Bethel Girls Academy - ABUSE
« Reply #12 on: June 04, 2004, 11:26:00 AM »
Bethel hearing delayed

By Antoinette Konz


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
A hearing before a Forrest County Youth Court judge on the removal of 38 girls from a Petal school for troubled teenagers has been postponed after an attorney for several parents said he had received new information in the case.

"Based on that information, we decided to ask for a continuance. I filed the motion this (Wednesday) morning," said Michael Reed, a Hattiesburg attorney representing three parents of students who attended Bethel. "I do not know at this point when the hearing will be continued."

The hearing, which stems from a multi-agency investigation of the Bethel Girls Academy which began May 19 was to have been before Judge Michael McPhail.

Reed would not comment on the nature of the information he received. He did say, however, that some parents of the girls have been notified about some of the allegations of abuse at the Bethel home, but he would not elaborate.

"I am unable to comment on the information at this time," he said. "I will be speaking with the parents later on today."

Reed had asked for the hearing last week on behalf of parents David Bakker of Chicago, Matthew Brown of Dallas and Jason and Lori Salo of Tacoma, Wash. The parents had said they wanted to ask the judge to reconsider removing the teenagers from the youth home.

Paul Walley, a Richton attorney representing Bethel Girls Academy and its director, Herman Fountain Jr., could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Walley and Fountain have denied any allegation of wrongdoing at the school.

Bakker, whose 12-year-old daughter was one of the girls removed from Bethel, said Wednesday that he had received some documents pertaining to the home's operation over the weekend. He did not elaborate.

"As far as the items I have received, I am not so sure about how credible or reliable they are. I still have a lot of questions," Bakker said. "I just don't know what to think right now."

Officials from the state Department of Human Services and the Attorney General's office were involved in the probe. Rick Whitlow, spokesperson with DHS, said Wednesday that his agency would not comment on the Bethel investigation.

The agency has refused to provide information on whether the facility was licensed, if it had been inspected and what the agency's policies and procedures are when it comes to monitoring facilities such as Bethel.

The Hattiesburg American filed a Public Records Act request on May 25 seeking the information. DHS has 14 business days from the filing date to respond.

Forrest County District Attorney Jon Mark Weathers said Tuesday that he has received two packets containing information about the investigation of the Bethel home. He would not elaborate on the contents.

"Based on what I have seen, it merits further investigation," he said. "But I have certainly not made the conclusion that there was any violation of criminal law that took place at Bethel.

"Right now, we just need to go a little further in the investigation and try to determine the facts and the motivation of those who have made these allegations," Weathers said.

A meeting with a representative from the state Attorney General's office and Weathers is scheduled to take place on Friday, he said
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
heryle - My son was TORTURED and ABUSED at Bethel Boys Academy aka Eagle Point Christian Academy, aka Pine View Academy, Lucedale, MS.

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
Bethel Girls Academy - ABUSE
« Reply #13 on: June 04, 2004, 02:00:00 PM »
What's wrong with these parents advocating to keep their children IN this program?  Do they not believe where there is smoke ... there is fire?  

 :???:
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Watchaduen

  • Posts: 128
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BethelAcademyAbuse/
Bethel Girls Academy - ABUSE
« Reply #14 on: June 29, 2004, 06:24:00 PM »
Rumor has it that Bethel now has two former students.  Trying to find out now if it was two of the 38 removed or not.  Right after the raid, some of the parents were outraged that their daughters had been removed.  Not worried sick because their daughter had been removed due to allegations of abuse.  Those same parents immediately began pushing to have their daughter's retured.  Makes me ill.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
heryle - My son was TORTURED and ABUSED at Bethel Boys Academy aka Eagle Point Christian Academy, aka Pine View Academy, Lucedale, MS.