“The 1970 Hearing”

is advised. In nineteen seventy, the Anawaki Foundation, as it was known at the time, was being investigated to see if it was fit to hold a license as a child carrying facility in the State of Georgia, the biggest concern being if it's executive, Lewis Petter, was quote a

person of stable and sound judgment. In this episode, you will hear excerpts from the nineteen seventy hearing by the Georgia Department of Family and Children's Services regarding whether or not to revoke the Anawaki Treatment Center's license, performed here by voice actors. John H. Hinchi, Assistant Attorney General representing the State of Georgia, began questioning former counselor Roger Drew Rosel. What was Dr Petter's position while you were at an Awaki.

He was a general director over the entire camp. Did he supervise your activities as a group leader on occasion, Yes, what do you mean on occasion? I saw very little of Dr Petter in so far as instructing me as a group leader. There were times when we had problems, if we had specific problems, or sometimes if he wanted to sit in on a group meeting, he would do that. Uh, this wasn't on a very regular basis. Did you discuss your activities on a regular basis with Dr Petter? The

problems Dr Petter was really more than anybody else. If we had a particular problem or something out of the ordinary, we would usually end up going to Dr Petter. What sort of problems are you referring to? When I can think of problems with kids? Uh, sexual problems, they were all most always. Did you discuss any sexual problems with boys under your supervision with Dr Petter? Yes, Sir, I did.

Would you relate those conversations with Dr Petter? On one occasion, I went to Dr Petter and told him that had come to me told me that he was having sexual intercourse with He told me that this behavior had gone on. Who told you? Counselor Roger Rosel was referring to two of the boys from in Awaki who were having sexual relations.

Their names have been redacted from this document for their protection, told me that he had been sexually involved with that At first, he had been doing it just in order to have sex. Then he told me that he liked and he wanted to have sex because he liked him.

I went to Mr Petter and told him that he had come to me, and I didn't know what to tell because this was the first time I think that I had been confronted directly with one of the boys telling me that they were actually involved sexually with another boy there in the camp. Mr Petter told me not to discourage this behavior. Told me not to discourage what kind of behavior, Not to discourage their sexual behavior, but to tell them they shouldn't be promiscuous about it. To

encourage this relationship. Mr Petter told me to encourage this relationship. Over the past several weeks, we have received number of very serious allegations concerning both the facility out there in a number of individuals involved with him. It was just a form of their therapy. They were told to do it, and at the time he was fourteen and a half fifteen years old, they didn't know any better. I asked him, why are you letting this happen? Why are you covering

up for Louis Patter. He had no answer to that question involved having paid little such districle and the contrary of what they should. I'm disturbable the fact of something that is still going on. And anyway, I'm Josh Stain and this is Camp Hell an Awake. In our last episode, we heard from the foreign patient of an Awake who had succumbed to Lewis Petter's manipulation and abuse. Now Roger Roselle's testimony had begun to unravel Petter's pseudo psychological theory

regarding sexual practices. Rozel claimed that Petter had been encouraging sexual relations between the boys on campus as well as with counselors. Assistant Attorney General John Hinchy continued his questioning of the former counselor. Did you have any other conversations with Dr Petter about this particular theory of his. It wasn't too long before I left an Awake. Mr Petter was talking to me in the office of the camp. I've been thinking about leaving. Mr Petter told me that

I was suffering from homosexual fear. And I asked him what this was. He told me that I was afraid that I was a homosexual, but that I could work this out. He told me that I needed to work this out. Could you tell us about that in detail? Well, in the same conversation, Mr. Petter told me that he would be willing to work it through, that he had to find out that he could trust me. And at the same time, he brought up the point that I

had been in the police department. Roselle had formerly worked for the Atlanta Police, where he left after admitting to filing a false police report, a stain on his professional career. Apparently Petter knew this and made sure that rosel knew it. He told me that he was aware of this the entire time I had been employed by him, and asked me if I knew that he was aware of this. I told him I was. Then he said, see, you can trust me. I knew this all along, and yet

I still let you work here. Now you need to let me trust you, and you have to prove it that I can trust you. At this time, I said, all right, I'll prove it, and he shut the blinds in the room and the curtain and I went over and hugged him. You went over and what and he hugged me. He tried to kiss me, but I turned my head, or it appeared to me that he was going to kiss me. Is this the only time that something like that happened? No, sir. Another time we had

gone to Franklin, North Carolina to a gym show. One of the boys was with us, and on the return trip he was asleep in the back seat. Well before the return trip we had stopped to eat something there in Franklin. He kept suggesting that we stay in the motel there and I said, no, we can go ahead and make the trip back tonight. On the way back, while the boy was asleep in the back, Mr Petter put his hand on my neck and rubbed my neck. Later he dropped his hand on my leg close to

my groin and rubbed my leg there. The boy awoke about that time, and did Petter do anything when he woke up, He moved his hand. Charles Edwards cross examination that followed attempted to further smear Roselle's reputation by grilling him about using illicit drugs, specifically marijuana. Rosel said he had never used any legal drug before in his life. Edwards leaves Rosel with a final remembrance of his failed police career. When you went down to the police department.

You took an oath, didn't you, Yes, sir? I did? You took an oath to uphold the law and do your duty? Isn't that right? Yes, sir? You violated that oath, didn't you, Yes, sir. Attorney for the state, John Hinchy requested to ask a few more questions. Did Dr Petter know about this police report before you came to work at Unawaki? Did not tell Dr Petter myself, but Dr Petter did tell me later on that he was aware of it and had been aware of it since the

time of my employment. Did he ever say anything to you about this report? It was during the time when I wanted to leave the camp. I had signed an agreement that said that if I left the camp at any time within two years, I would have to pay a certain amount of money for training I received. I

was going to leave anyway. Mr Petter told me that if I left the camp that he would have to inform any employers that might seek him as a reference of my problems, and that this would include the police department. Mr Petter said that I had done this as a result of homosexual fear, and told me that if I would bring him in writing a letter from a psychologist or a psychiatrist saying that I was under treatment for

homosexual fear, that he would let it go. According to rosel Petter extended power over his staff, just as he did the patients at Awake. If anyone chose to leave, they could be indebted to him financially, and Petter would be sure to have something to hold over their head.

Not only did Roselle alleged that Petter was using the false police report as leverage, but that he even had the gall to request a written letter from a psychologist admitting and writing that Roselle was guilty of the exact prognosis Petter claimed for all of the crimes which Louis Petter was accused of. He had a backup plan and seemed willing to use anything he could against anyone who

claimed otherwise. In its case against an Awake, the state had interviewed students who claimed to have been abused by Petter and a staff member who testified to witnessing this type of behavior as well as being personally threatened. The next witness would be another unnamed patient who alleged he was included in Petter's inner circle, the small group of patients who would stay at Petter's house on the weekend,

basically living with their abuser. Are you acquainted with Dr Lewis Petter, the respondent in this proceeding, Yes, I am. Have you ever engaged in sexual activities while at an awaking yes? Did you have any sexual relations with Dr Petter while you were there? Yes? Yes I did? And when was the first occasion? Paulson must have been six or seven months after I was there. Can you describe

that occasion and what happened first? Started off came in, You know, I was at the camp and it was said that I could go to Dr Petter's house and that there was a girl there that I could date that night with and Mr Petter's daughter, which was Rita. So while I was in there taking a shower, this was when I was first confronted with it. I was kind of played around with that was the first thing. And what happened on medication. I was in there at the sink and Mr Pettick came in and started fumbling

around with me. You just started rubbing me all over and things of this nature, and just kind of laughing and smiling. Did he say anything? He said, you're a good boy, and things like this. Did you try to run away? I was more or less frozen. This is right when I get out the shower and I was shaving, I put down my shorts and just walked out. Can you describe what happened on the second occasion? I couldn't exactly list them in in a complete order or anything.

There are many occasions. I can explain occasions to you. How many occasions it must have been ten, eleven, twelve on up there. What did Petter do on these numerous occasions that you just mentioned, pash, debating, fondling, I guess you would say, kissing, this stuff. Did he ask you voluntarily to do this with him? He always approached me like you've been rejecting me for a week or two, and I like to know why, and things like this.

This was the way it would first begin. And then he would say something like, well, why don't we just go in here in the bathroom. It's something of this nature. Another approach was, you know you have a homosexual problem that you need to work through. The only way you can work through this is having one masculine image around you all the time. This patient's experience reflects much of

what we heard in the first testimony. By this account, Petter was convinced that nothing would come of his behavior, so blatant has to even partaken this abuse in his own home with his wife and daughters in the next room. Did you ever tell anyone else at the camp about these incidents with Dr Petter? No? I didn't. Did you ever try to put a stop to them? I was always more or less just I would do my best

to reject them. What would you do? I go around like at the camp or something of someone said Doc was on the campus, I would leave or something like that. During this time I was living with them, I kept more or less to myself or Wayne Petter, who was there. Wayne was Louis Petter's adopted son. I just do my best to reject it. Then, if I was up watching a late show or something, everybody else would go to bed, you know, and then Mrr Petter and I would be

in there. I started to go to bed, and he would start his routine over again, where generally did these incidents occur with Dr Petter in his office? Yes, one occasion was in was in his office. That was the only one in his office. The rest of these were at his home. Some members of the hearing panel had questions about this part of the testimony. How old were you during this time? I was about fourteen when I when I first went out there, I'm nineteen. Now. How

long did you live there? About two years? Did you think that moving in the house Lewis Petter would make it more convenient for him to do these things? I figured, you know that maybe how it's wrong, Maybe it was nothing I was. I was so confused, and I admit I was emotionally upset quite a bit. I just I wanted a family situation. That was the best way and the only way I knew to get one. You put up with it just to get to live there, That's right.

One issue that came up in this hearing was that this patient had signed two separate affidavits in regards to Dr Petter. When did you sign the first one? I signed the first one for him. I don't know exactly what data was, but it was in Mr Edward's office. Do you remember the circumstances when you signed this affidavit. Yes, the way I gather it is that Roger In and Bob Akistino were filing suit on him, a million dollars suit.

How did you find out about that? Was told this by whom by Dr Petter and by the whole Petter family at the time I was living there, that and in all some sort of homosexual acts that they were going to try to prove that he had participated in. And so Colonel Parker and members of the board, several of them came out to the administration building and awake, and Dr Petter was going to discuss this with them. So I was on campus and knew that they were

going to be out there in the whole. While I was going up there, he told me if I wanted to help him out, the best thing I could do was they asked any questions about, say that I participating in masturbating with him, say five or six times, something like this. The patient is referring to another boy from an awake his name also redacted for protection. The patient claims Petter again shifted the blame for his actions to another student onto someone else. Have you ever participated in

masturbating with No, I have not go on. So he said they were going to try to wreck his home, his family and Antawaki itself. Who was Bob Dugustino Roger in this is way? He had told me. So he said, you go in there. You know they're gonna call you in and they're gonna ask you questions. And he said that placed this in my answers when asked about that, was that was the main thing. Did he offer you any favor or payment of money for doing this? No? All he said was, you know, if things work out right,

you'll still be able to go to college. You'll still have a home anytime you want it, have a home with home him. Did you sign the affidavits? Yes? I did. Did you sign any other affidavits? Yes. Right after that, it was on November the six, I got to thinking about the whole situation, you know, I mean, really just how wrong it was because I never had any sexual acts or anybody else anyone out there on the campus as far as that was concerned. So I started feeling

guilty about it. So if there was gonna be a suit, I figured, heck, why not tell the truth. At first, I just want to stay out of it. But then I had already gotten in it. So I signed affidavit for Bob Dextino. Did you sign any later affidavits? Yes? After that I resigned one for Dr Pettick. Why did you do that? Because I started being pressured by my peers and things like that. When all this mess started up about the court stuff, I was completely rejected and

thrown aside head. It just really upset me. So then I resigned for Dr petterck. Where did you do that? It was in the Sheriff's office of Douglas Field that I signed it, wrote it out, dictated it, and then O'Barry wrote it out and and I signed it. Was it the truth? I'm referring to the third affidavit you signed and Sheriff Abercrombie's office. No, what is the truth?

Would you tell us now? The truth? As far as this whole thing goes, I know you know I've done homosexual acts with Dr Petter and I know of him doing them. There are people on both sides that I care about. Ends just it confused, mixed up thing. I really just don't want to have any more to do with it because there's too many people getting hurt in it. And there's too many of my friends and things of this nature that just getting all torn up with it. Why did you decide to tell us the truth? Because

I wanted it to be the end of it. I'm tired of hearing about it. M State Attorney John Hinchy had laid out the testimonies of multiple patients of an Awaki who alleged that they were the victims of Louis Petter's abuse, both mental and physical. Hinchi showed Petter's efforts to cover himself with false affidavits from current patients and pointed to Petter's arrogance in the face of being questioned. Anawaki had attempted to discredit its former patients, using the

knowledge gleaned from their own medical records against them. Now it was time for Charles Edwards to do damage control on Inawak's behalf. What transpired is a series of testimonies from friends of Lewis Petter, who, in their eyes, could do no wrong. The following is just one example of a friend of Petters who was willing to vouch for his character. Would you state your name for the hearing committee, please, Sir John J. Purple Jr. Do you know Dr Pettter? Yes, sir?

How long have you known him? Since nineteen one? Can you state what his character is in the community in which he lives in works? In my experience, it's been above reproach. I've had dealings with him professionally. Are you familiar with the charges that have been brought against Dr Petti concerning homosexual activities? I know nothing about specific charges.

I just know in the general sense. And do you know him well enough that if you had a teenage son who was emotionally disturbed, even though charges like these had been made, would you have any hesitation of still sending that son to the center out there for treatment? I would have no hesitation whatsoever. That is all State Attorney John HINCHI began his cross examination. If the charges against Dr Petter were true, would your opinion of him change?

I can't see how they could be true. I have never had any reason to believe I understand, But if they were proven true, would your opinion of him change?

Let's back up a minute. I'm not familiar with the charges the charging question that this hearing is and I quote and awake, he maybe in violation of the minimum requirement applicable to child carrying institutions, requiring that the executive in every instance be a person of state able sound judgment whose integrity is above reproach, and that Louis J. Petter, executive director, is reported to have had immral ellicit relationships consisting of homosexual acts with one or more of the

boys who have been patients or students of this child caring institution, and has further condoned the practices of homosexual acts between other boys at this institution. Now, if this charge were proven true, would your opinion of Dr Petter change? Or in the alternative, would you send your son to Anna Wake he with Dr Petter as the director. I would be quite surprised if this could be proven true. I still believe that Lewis Petter could help my son,

even if such charges could be substantiated. Even if the charges could be substantiated and be proven true, you think he could help your son. Yes, even if Petter had been practicing sexual acts with the children at Anawaki, this man claimed he would still put his own son in Petter's control. Many of in Aweki's witnesses would be asked the same series of questions, each corroborating Petter's remarkable character.

One thing that seemed clear from this series of testimonies is petters strong ties to the community in Douglasville and his assurance to keep himself in a good light to the people that mattered. Edwards next witness would be sure to make an impression on the panel. From the Department of Family and Children's Services, Petter's old friend, Jim Parham. Parham had served as the director of de Facts from

nineteen sixty three to nineteen sixty seven. Would you state your name for the hearing committee, Thomas M. Jim Parham. What kind of work are you in or profession? Well, I'm a social worker. I'm a professional social worker by training, and I'm a correction specialist in the Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. I'm also an assistant professor in the School of Social Work and School of Sociology. Now,

in the nineteen fifties, where were you employed. I was employed at the Fulton County Juvenile Court up until nineteen fifty seven, and then I worked with Mr Petter at the Savannah Chatham County Juvenile Domestic Relations Court till fifty nine and subsequently at other places. Is that where you first became acquainted with Dr Petter? Yes, In the late forties, he was a probation officer and subsequently a psychologist at

the juvenile Court. I was a detention home attendant at night while I was at Emory, and when I graduated from Memory, I took a job as a probation officer. He and I worked together quite frequently from fifty one until fifty five, at which time I went off to graduate school on leave of absence. When I returned, he was negotiating for a job to set up the first combined juvenile domestic court in Georgia. He asked me if I would be interested it and going along with him.

I did go, and we worked together for two years and setting up that court. And did you work closely

with him and see him almost daily? During that period of time from fifty one until we went off to school in fifty five, we were together daily well except for weekends, and and many time on weekends because we were interested in our jobs, and we had a good many of the more difficult assignments, and we undertook camping trips and cave exploring trips and interesting things to do, because we found that a lot of the kids that we were interested in trying to help didn't fit in

very well to any of the existing organizations. For instance, if they would go to Boys Club or the Why or something like that, well, quite frankly, they were so aggressive they got turned away, or either they were so withdrawn they wouldn't be accepted. So we found that this was helpful. That kind of experience gave these kids something interesting to do, something they could go back to their group and talk about something of interest. We took scores

of youngsters. I wouldn't begin to think how many, but we took scores off among camping trips where we were together for extended periods of time, two or three days at a time while we were together, just constantly, I stated, at his house, whenever I went there for a while we were together, I would say, if not practically all the time, from what you've said, you've known Dr Petta

about twenty years, then is that right? At least twenty during that time, have you ever seen any indication of any misconduct or improper sex conduct on the part of Dr Petta in any way? No, has any of the children that have worked with him, or whom you may know that have known him, reported any incident of improper

conduct on the part of Dr Petter to you. No, No, And I would think if there had been any kind of incident, you know, it would have been impossible for that not to have come to my attention because of the way we worked many times with this same child. I would have him as a probation officer or a probation counselor Lewis would be psychological testing or some sort of psychological counseling, and it would have been I think highly likely if such had occurred, that it would have

been brought to my attention. And it never was and never has been. And you say you visited in his home many times. Have you ever seen, in connection with these visits in his home any indication of domestic strife or problems between he and Mrs Petta? I would say it was almost uniquely clear of such. In fact, probably less than any family I've ever known. A number of these boys lived in their home, haven't they? And is that part of some of the therapy for them? Well?

I would think that Louis Petter goes further in his efforts to help people than most anybody in the business. I know he is willing to go further and to extend himself and his family. They have been that way. I think they are unique in that respect. Also, do you have any idea of how many boys you and Dr Petter took on these trips over the years. I sat scores of them. I'm sure it would add up

to perhaps more than a hundred. In the event you had a teenage boy who had emotional problems and you are familiar with the charges against Dr Petter, would you have any hesitation in sending that type of youngster over to an awaking No. I wouldn't have any hesitation. I would think any professional in the business would want these

charges cleared, and personally I would have no objection. I certainly would consider the charges untrue, but I would think that any professional in the business would want these kinds of charges erased, would want to see them cleared before he made recommendations. Now, this type of thing is not an uncommon charge where people who work with children, especially

emotionally disturbed people, is it. No, It happens frequently for all of us who are familiar with institutions of this sort where children are kept where they are kept voluntarily or involuntarily. Anytime you have a large congregation or aggregation of people with personality problems, you are much more likely to have events of this type. Charges of this type. They are frequent, you know, for those of us who have had experience with them to realize that great care

and great caution should be taken in handling them. They certainly can't be ignored. But the fact that there are discontented people that are trying to be helped, that they are likely to be unhappy for various reasons, they do have problems. This has to be considered. I think when such charges are made. Harm had made his argument clear. The children and anawaki were troubled, unhappy people. They had a reason to make claims against the head of the

place they were forced to be. Quite simply, he said, they couldn't be trusted. Have you found in working with children and young people that on occasions where they are disturbed and unstable they turn against the person who was trying to help. It's not uncommon at all because such

people that many times have strong dependency complexes. They invest a good bit of themselves in someone who comes into contact with them and attempts to help them, and they want many more times than it is possible for any human to give. But it's not uncommon, particularly with delinquent kids, that they will turn against the person who is trying to help them. They will do something that will cause some disruption of the problem or some disruption of their

court status, and this kind of thing. They will do this quite frequently. Playing right off of the testimony which had just taken place, an Awaki attorney, Charles Edwards, called back to the stand the patient who had spoken a few days earlier against Petter, the one who stated he had been a part of his inner circle. After some events transpired over the weekend, the boy had a serious change of mind and yet again signed another affidavit in

Petter's favor and decided to completely recant his testimony. Now you remember testifying here before a few days ago, right now, Actually, had there been any sexual acts between you and Dr Petter? No, there there has not. In fact, I stretched you to a great extent there. I mean it was like you know, boys out on campus, like you come up to eat at the lodge or something. You know, you put your arms around them because you liked them and things like that.

It was the same way with Dr Petter, And I believe I stated before the fact of him being a father to me, that was the truth. And when I first decided to leave there, it was more or less just kind of a thing to get out on my own. When you lived in Dr Petter's house, was there anything improper up there in the house? Oh no, sir, At no time was there none such going on? Is like that? Now? I will refer you to the statement that you gave Sheriff Abercumber. Was it true? Yes, it was that they

had threatened Dagostino had threatened you. Is that right? That is correct? With police action, that is right. If you didn't give him the statement, that's correct. And what you are testifying to now about any improper conduct on the part of Dr Petter is not true. Is that right? Correct? It is a completely false statement. And there has never been any improper conduct or sexual acts between you and Dr Petter since you have known him, Is that right?

That's right? And I haven't even heard of as far as boys or anything or anybody else seeing anything about it. And some of these groups, did you know of Wren and Dagastino discussing sex at any time. Roger Wren at the time, he said, in the group had to have what I think you call it a seance or what it is. The group has to stay in together until they decide to bring up their feelings. And it was about myself and Roger in came in and said, look, you're know, I'm going to tell you what it is.

Reminds you of Dr Petter, so therefore you want to have sex with and that is the way you're going to solve it. And he walked out. Mr Baxley came in there after that. He got really upset about it and he just missed a group and went down there to talk to WN. And that's the last I've heard of it. Have you ever heard Mr Dakastino speak of communistic activities at all of any nature. I have heard

him say that. The people to some of his associates or people that had worked with either thought he was a member of the mafia or either he has some type of comm in this connection. And I inquired about it one time and he never gave me a definite answer. I just came right out and said, are you a member of the mafia? And he didn't either say yes or no. He said, some people believe I am, some don't. That is as far as it went, so I never

asked him any further. Had Petter once again managed to manipulate this patient from his inner circle, The boy redacted everything he had testified, the abuse, the grooming, living with Petter, all of it. Not only that he had shifted the blame to Roger Brenn and Robert Dagastino, stating that it was Wren who had told him his mental problems were sexual in nature, even claiming Dagasina was involved with the mafia. For every testimony, the State of Georgia brought forth an

AWAKEI had their reply ready. Over the course of four days and awake, he brought forth a number of Petter's friends, officials from the state government, higher ups from the Fulton Police Department, many of them an Awaki board members as well, all giving glowing statements on Petter's behalf. Principles from schools in Douglas County testified on the foundation's behalf, again stating that any claims were more than likely falsehoods from scorned patients.

Now it was time for Petter himself to speak Charles Edwards began his examination. Would you state your name, please, Louis Petter? What was your position an Awake? Prior to about a month or six weeks ago? I was the chief administrative officer for an Awaki Residential Treatment Center. What is your position now on the executive secretary to the

Board of Trustees of the Antiwaki Foundation Incorporated. Since the initial claims against Petter had occurred, his rolling in Awaki had already been scaled back, perhaps in an attempt to save face and understate his participation at the treatment center. A replacement director had been brought on. Within a few months of the initial reports filed from Dagostino and Wren. It was shown to the panel that now Petter's role was strictly administrative, helping with the operating board at Inawaki,

who handled its finances and future projects. What do you understand your duties to be. I'm to handle all those matters regarding the foundation, the board's activities. I'm to do the public relations work. I'm to serve in a consulting capacity with parents. I'm to plan the expansion program of the various centers that may be developed by the Foundation

throughout the state. You have been working out there since when the idea of an awake he got started about nineteen sixty and we began to meet and talked many days about the idea of knowing what a youngster needs and then trying to provide the services that are non

existent in the real problem. We were letting a lot of children go by the wayside because of this, and so some thirty five to forty people had part in the setting up of the basic concept around an awake, attorneys, solicitors, you name it, from around the state, superior court, judges and what have you. Finally they came together and tied

up this idea. I had a good position and had always been under civil service and always either worked for the state of the county ever since I graduated from college in ninety seven, I served as a probation officer, and I was the first psychologist attached to any court full time in the history of Georgia. I went from there and set up the first division of psychological services with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. I went from there

on a repetition bit. I was asked not once but a dozen times by the Superior Court judges in the Eastern Judicial your circuit of Georgia to come and set up the first family court in Georgia because they wanted to set precedent. And from there I accepted the challenge to come and set up and awaken. There have been hundreds of children and families brought back together and helped, and if I asked, we could put a thousand people in the hallway. You know that you've heard the charges.

The damn lie. Pardon me. Has there ever been sexual relationships of any kind between you and any of these boys that have testified here? Not ever. I deal with psychotic people. I deal with women and girls in my offices as well as boys, and they do nearly anything when they're working through their problems to try to seduce you into whatever they're doing. Anybody that's in the field doing therapy and depth will have to face up to

this sort of thing. In other words, you sort of put yourself on the line any tudy that gets into this work. I've talked to people in family service. There are three women over there right now who would come here and testify. They've been accused by their women clients that they're lesbians. This sort of thing you go down and talk to the probation officers for Fulton County Court,

and they're accused from time to time. Anybody that deals with emotionally disturbed kids that are really involved in the hot turmoil of the thing, I'd be willing to go before any board of psychiatrists, sick psychiatrists, ten I'd be glad to have them sent by the state or anybody else out there to evaluate that program. That is the best damn program to rehabilitate character disorders of any place in the United States. I've got referrals from other places

that have failed, and they've been successful with them. Interesting enough, there wasn't a single parent that withdrew aboard from there facing the accusations, and I made it my personal point to go to most of the parents and tell them. They said, Dr Petter, we are standing with you right to the line. And every parent of the old group when this thing came out knew of these charges. I didn't know who I was really being accused by. I

couldn't find out and couldn't defend myself. And I think it is significant that not a single parent withdrew a single child, and they're right now standing with me behind this, and they want me to sue. As if summating all of Anawaki's previous witnesses testimonies, Petter had made his argument. The State of Georgia needed an awake. They took the kids that nobody else wanted, that couldn't be helped except by them. Every witness who spoke against him couldn't be trusted.

They were psychotic, emotionally disturbed kids who held a grudge against him. He was a man with a history of working for the state, close relationships with many powerful people in government. Surely somebody would have had something to say about this behavior if it was true. Petter was supposedly just more of a figurehead at this point. Anyways, this was Petter's last chance to save himself, and he pulled

out every stop he could. The hearing was then called to a conclusion so the three person panel could discuss the testimony with the rest of the State Board for Children and Youth. A decision was made nearly a month later. The minutes from the October twenty meeting with the State Board of Children and Youth reads as follows. It begins with a member of the panel board, Zack Smith, reporting

on the results of the hearing. Mr Smith reported that the hearing officers recommendations had been mailed to board members prior to the board meeting. He said he thought the hearing was conducted in a satisfactory manner. He said Anna Wake he had been allowed to remain open in administrator had been appointed and the staff of the division will

visit periodically to investigate the situation. Dr Hutcherson said the Services Committee would like to recommend that we accept and approve the action of the Hearing Panel Committee of Anawaki Foundation Incorporating and that we authorized the granting of a license to Annawaki. Mr Smith said Mr Petter has no responsibility for administration and does not work with the boys or staff. He said he did not know what personal contacts he has with the boys outside of the premises.

Dr Hutcherson moved that the Board expressed great appreciation to the Hearing Panel Committee and staff who have dealt with this delicate situation in such a fine way. Antawake would remain open and receive their license as a child caring facility. This license, granted by the State of Georgia, would be

the first step in Antawaki's future plans for expansion. The stipulations of the panel that Louis Petters stand down as director and not have any further contact with his patients had been preempted and put into place before the hearing even began. But now everything hinged on one very important condition. Someone would need to check in on the facility regularly

to see that it operated in the manner prescribed. Only a year after this hearing, another change in the Department of Family and Child Services would affect who that person would be. Louis Petter's old friend, Jim Parham would once again take over as the director of the Department of Family and Child Services, next time on Camp hell Anawaki.

That was the biggest disappointment of our lives. It was emotionally painful to me to see the lack of concern and reaction by the authorities who had the duty to do something about this. If they're going to try and stop you from taking the George bar, they're going to go after you. Hammer and Tom they were accredited as

a hospital that made an Awake a gold mine. They told me you would have to be processed and evaluation, so you would go to a place called the E N O unit, and I felt like I was in jail. I had a long pingernail like shoot my fingernails down to like a saw a pattern. I was trying to scratch through my veins in my arm. I just I literally wanted to die. Camp hell an Awake was created and hosted by Josh Thane, with producer Miranda Hawkins and

executive producers Alex Williams and Matt Frederick. The soundtrack was written and performed by Josh Stane and Adrian Barry. This episode featured the voices of Michael Weaver, Mike Perkins, Robin Bloodworth, Brian Troxel, Nick Tokosky, tofor Pain, Noel Brown, and Jason Francisco Blue. Archival footage provided by ws B and CBS News.

Find us on Instagram at camp hell pod. That's c A M p h E L L p O D. Educate yourself about the issue of child abuse and things that you should look for at the Darkness to Light website D two ll dot org. That's d the number two l dot org. Camp hell Anawaki is a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts,