THE HISTORY OF BETHEL BOYS ACADE

COALITION AGAINST INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD ABUSE
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June 1988	Bethel Children's Home in Lucedale, Mississippi. Welfare officials raided and took custody of 72 children found to have been abused and neglected; many testified to excessive beatings and boot-camp type regimens.
April 1989	Reports of child abuse prompted the removal of two minors from Bethel Children's Home in Lucedale, Ms. A 15 year old from Alabama and 12 year old from New York were removed following reports of abuse by a runaway. REV. HERMAN FOUNTAIN in contempt of court, and colleagues have $300,000 in unpaid penalties, face a jury trial for assaulting police officers. The state requires no licensing for religious homes. However, the legislature passed a bill, in effect July 1, requiring 24-hour child-care homes to submit monthly lists of names and places of origin for each child and staff member, and educational information. (Mobile Register).
May 1989	REV. HERMAN FOUNTAIN was sentenced to 1 year in jail and 4 years' probation for striking a Mississippi state trooper. Fountain, 39, operates the notorious Bethel Children's Home in Lucedale, MS, which has refused to turn over records on children in its custody, many of whom have run away and reported gross maltreatment. (Montgomery Advertiser).
January 1990	Judge ordered Bethel Children's Home closed
1994	Bethel Children's Home reopened as Bethel Boys Academy.
July 2002	Former Bethel Boys Academy student Joseph G. Paolillo and his father, Joseph P. Paolillo, filed a $5 million federal lawsuit against the Bethel Academy alleging the child was abused and neglected in 1998. The lawsuit alleges Joseph G. Paolillo he was beaten until he became unconscious after he broke his arm and was subjected to verbal abuse including racial slurs. It also alleges he had bone protruding through his left arm but was denied medical care until two weeks later.
July 2003	Attorney General Mike Moore wants to shut down Bethel Boys Academy and keep administrators from operating any other type of children's home. "The children have suffered physical injury and mental anguish and humiliation as a result of the defendants' negligent failure to protect the health, safety and welfare of the children," the office alleges in court papers filed July 2, 2003. (Clarion-Ledger).
August 2004	Bethel Boys Academy reveals that it is operating under the WWASP umbrella: The August 2004 WWASP Source Magazine featured an article from John D. Fountain, Director of Bethel Boys Academy, introducing Bethel Boys Academy. (December 26, 2001) Lou Kilzer, a staff reporter for the Rocky Mountain News, writes of a girl and other children being pulled from a program in Mexico called High Impact, and alleges deplorable conditions and is closely associated with the WWASP. Chris Goodwin, of California, led the charge to close High Impact in Mexico after his son was transferred there from another WWASP program in 2001. His son was locked in a dog cage for a week at a time, hog-tied in the sun for three days, had his teeth knocked through his lips by a staffer who smashed his face repeatedly into the ground and was forced to walk around the compound's perimeter track wearing flannel underwear and a sweat suit.
October 2004	Department of Health (DHS) officials and the George County Sheriff's Department investigated a complaint at the Bethel Boys Academy. Sheriff Garry Welford said a complaint was made to the state by a child and interviews were conducted with the 102 boys at the home. (Hattiesburg American).
November 2004	PARENTS SUE BETHEL BOYS ACADEMY: Parents of eight former Bethel Boys Academy Cadets filed a federal lawsuit in Mississippi. They are accusing Bethel Boys Academy owners, operators and employees of abusing their sons. (Clarion-Ledger).
April 2005	Riot: Children Injured - Facility closed and reopened (now known as Eagle Point Christian Academy)
April 2005	Mom pulls twins from program
May 2005	Enrollment Down
June 2005	Lawsuit filed in November gets trial date in July 2006

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