1l.07.

1996
25.06.1996 Times/City Local State 4 Date",25.06.1996;

- 14:40 - mccarter
turned

Home director

to face judge
Page=4;

Reverend

Source", Times/City;

Scct'on-LocalState:

Home director

to face judge

Reverend turned away welfare workers, inspectors

By CURTIS HEYEN The Times children to explain why he ARCADIA - A Bienville district judge wants.the director of a home for wayward will not let the state fire marshal's office inspecthisfaciliry.

Agents went to ~J~2 _8_~.tJ.t\tr:1YHome for Girls and Boys on Friday only to be turned away by the Rev. Mack Ford. That same morning, Ford turned away investigators with the state child welfare service who came to interview about 80 of the i\,;l.l!.).()J's 200 students about allegations of child abuse and neglect, "It's a conspiracy," the fundamentalist Baptist minister said. "They (Ire after my hide. Momma gotten to the place where we just can't fight them anymore." Ford has been ordered to appear in Bienville against the stare tire marshal's office. District Court at 9:30 a.rn, Thursday
to justify

and I have

his actions

"The fire marshal has reason to believe that the premises fire safety hazards," says a petition filed by that office.

which house minor children and adults may present office in 10

The home, about four miles south of Arcadia, has not he en inspected by the state fire marshal's years. Current policy requires inspections of private and public ~~:l1\.l{Jbat least once a year.

Meanwhile, state child welfare workers have not returned to the .sc;hc>.Q.1 since Ford told them to get buses and haul all 200 students back to their offices to be interviewed. "I am not certain where we are going from here," said Judy Wright, state Department spokeswoman. of Social Services

State child welfare workers have made a preliminary investigation of allegations that a child received severe whippings to the extent that it bruised his eye. That child "had puncture wounds that resulted in impetigo and he had head injuries from having his head beat against the wall," court records say. Mug of Ford

Copyright 1996 The Times Shreveport

Book=B; From=Staff; ~fl&u.r:1i.s. Heyen; Person=Mack_ford; Company.,~JcvLQ~lbJillLhome; Municipality=ArcadiaJBienville; State= Louisiana; Mainkey=Education/Private School; Subkey Family/Child_Abuse; Aspect= Times; Aspect-Cltv: Aspect-LocaiState: Aspect-B: Aspect-Stat': Asoect-curus Heyen; Aspect-Mack joro: Aspecl=NQ'N bethany home; Aspect-Arcacra: Aspect-Bienville: Aspect-Loulslana: Aspect= Education; Aspect= Private SC~1QQI; Aspect-Family: Aspect-Chitd Abuse:

11.07./996

14:41 mccarter

28.06.1996 Times/City Local State 3 Source= Times/City; Date=28.06.1996;

Fire marshal will inspect children's

Page=3;

facility

Section= Local_State;

Fire marshal

will inspect

children's

facility

Arcadia home fails to deliver 85 students to be interviewed by state child welfare workers.
By CURTIS H EYEiS The Times ARCADIA - The director of a home for wayward (hildren has reached an agreement with one state office that wants access to his Arcadia facility but remains on the outs with another. The Rev. Mack Ford on Thursday consented to letting the state fire marshal's office inspect New Hcthimv Home for Boys and Girls in mid-July. Both parties still must agree upon the inspection date. "I am glad we could work everything "Without out," said Ford's attorney, Billy Harper.

prejudice or bias," Ford said. office inspect the home, but only if the inspection annually by personnel with the state fire marshal's is conducted office in by

Ford agreed to let the state fire marshal's inspectors from Baton Rouge. Thereafter, inspections Shreveport. will be conducted

New Fkthany Home for Girls and Boys has not been inspected by the state fire marshal's office in at least 10 years. State policy requires inspections of private and public ~<;hQ<;ili:. at least once a year. The state fire marshal's inspection is one of two the gjmill is facing.

Earlier in the day, Ford failed to deliver 85 of his 200 students to state child welfare workers to be interviewed about allegations of child abuse and neglect. By court order, Ford was to have brought the 85 children to Arcadia High School by 8:30 a.m. However, Ford also had a hearing to attend in Bienville District Court in Arcadia at 9:30 a.m. The fundamentalist Baptist minister said he could not be in two places at one time. Ford had been ordered into court Thursday to explain why he would not let agents with the state fire marshal's office inspect his residential school June 21.

Graphic:
Locator map or &!l! Bethao\' School near Arcadia

Copyright 1996 The Times Shreveport

Book=B; From=Staff; Byline:::Curlis Heyen; Person-Mack jord: Organiza'ion",~home; Municipality=ArcadialBienville; State=Louisiana; Mainkey=Education/Private School; Aspect= Times; Aspect=City; Aspect-Local Btate: Aspect-B. Aspect-Stan: Aspect-Curtls Heyen; Asoect=Mack ford; Aspect=!':lQy.Lb.C.tb.a_r1.~home; Aspect-Arcadia: Aspect-Bienvule: Aspect-Louisiana: