The Birmingham NewsUpdate: 11 boys returned to families as abuse investigation continuesPublished: Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 10:15 PM · Updated: Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 10:23 PM
Staci B. BrooksONEONTA -- Eleven juveniles who had been at a faith-based home for troubled boys were returned to their parents and guardians today while a probe continued into charges of abuse at the facility.
The boys, who had lived at Reclamation Ranch Ministries' Lighthouse Academy in western Blount County, were the subject of a hearing before Circuit Judge Steve King to determine if they should stay in the custody of the Department of Human Resources. The boys, who hailed from places including California, Kentucky and an Amish community in Ohio, were released by the court throughout the day to parents, relatives or other adults.
Some of the boys said their time at the academy had changed them for the better. But some foster parents, with whom DHR had placed some of the boys after removing them from Lighthouse Academy on Saturday, said the facility seemed unduly harsh.
According to Reclamation Ranch's Web site, Lighthouse "is a minimum one-year program that incorporates Bible teaching, character training and respect for family." The site also calls the abuse allegations "false and misleading."
The 11 boys, all younger than 18, as well as some 18-year-olds living at the academy, had been placed by DHR in other residential settings after authorities removed them from the academy early Saturday morning. Sheriff's deputies and Alabama Bureau of Investigation agents were acting on a complaint of "severe abuse, beating and torture" of a 17-year-old at the facility, according to the Blount County District Attorney's Office.
The day began with a crowd of 150 to 200 gathering in front of the courthouse, a number of whom waved and blew kisses at Pastor Jack Patterson, the founder/director of Reclamation Ranch who was watching from a second-floor window. The Rev. Charlie Andrews, a pastor from West Jefferson, said the gathering was to support Lighthouse, and those who had had children there. After Andrews said a short prayer, most of those on hand left.
Other than saying "God bless you," Patterson would not comment.
Some former academy residents interviewed after the hearing had good things to say about their time at Lighthouse.
"They changed my life," said 18-year-old Roman Lupekah, who said he had spent a year there. "They restored my relationship with my family, with my sister, got me saved, you know."
But Kenneth and Jean Johnson, area foster parents who had housed three academy boys at DHR's request, said they were troubled by what the youths had told them, which included eating outdated cereal and not receiving contributions that churches and other groups had provided for them.
"They had to have permission to go to the bathroom, had to have permission to get a glass a water," Kenneth Johnson said. "They had to have permission to go to bed -- you name it. And they would let them call home one time a month... and talk for four minutes, and that was it."
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