Judge rules Bethel mistreated 15
The Baton Rouge Advocate/AP
LUCEDALE, Miss. (AP) -- A youth court judge has concluded hearings on 16 residents of the Bethel Home the Children in Lucedale, ruling that 11 children had been abused, three abused and neglected, and one neglected.
Those 15 children were turned over to the custody of the state Department of Public Welfare. The remaining child was released to the custody of parents.
The 16 children were among 72 removed from the home by welfare officials and state police in June under orders from Youth Court Judge Robert Oswald, who ruled then that a 14-year-old runaway had been physically abused and neglected.
State Welfare Commissioner Thomas Brittain said he thought Oswald's handling of the cases was "fair and just for the children."
The two-day hearings that concluded Thursday before Oswald concerned discipline and care at the 10-year-old institution. The home's founder, the Rev. Herman Fountain, has said he relies on physical punishment such as licks with a switch or exercise to control and reform children.
State officials say some of the practices constitute abuse and children have been medically neglected while at Bethel. While youth court hearings are normally closed to the news media, Oswald opened the hearings on the condition that the children not be identified.
With the exception of those whose hearings were held this week, most of the other children were released to their parents or guardians.
An unknown number of residents fled when officials arrived at the home on June 10. While Fountain has told the news media he had about 120 children at the home -- most from out of state -- he has refused to comply with an order by Oswald to give the court a list of their names.
About 50 children haven't been accounted for.
Oswald's rulings of abuse and neglect at Bethel were the latest blows in a war between Fountain and the court.
Fountain claims the First Amendment, regarding separation of church and state, shields Bethel from state intervention.
Meanwhile, Brittian has used the case in a drive to convince the Legislature to require the registration or licensing of religious boarding homes.
Mississippi is one of five states that have no such law.
Some legislators have said they will propose new laws -- possibly this summer if Gov. Ray Mabus calls a special session.
Fountain said he has about 15 children at Bethel, a fraction of the peak enrollment of 150. Fountain and two of his assistants are being fined $500 each per day for refusing to answer questions in court.
Two other former Bethel residents who testified Thursday were asked about educational instruction. One 16-year-old said he had three books -- "Gulliver's Travels," "Huckleberry Finn" and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" -- confiscated from him when he arrived at Bethel in March.
Another former resident, now 18, said in hearings this week that he "did not really" learn anything at Bethel, and that he was called "punk" and "faggot" by adults.