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You can follow case updates here:
https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/28929446/Taylor_v_Kuchar
My name is Bryan Kuchar and I am a medical assistant living in Atlanta, GA. I have always been a HUGE Britney Spears supporter and fan since the beginning. When she was admitted into the mental health facility in early 2019 and stated in court May 10th, that she was sent there against her will, it broke my heart.
On May 21, 2019, I purchased the domain LouMTaylor.com for a streamlined source of informative articles already available online on the topic of Lou Taylor. On June 1st I was contacted by Jake Carl Schmidt a private investigator who pretended to be Sam Lutfi. I never had prior contact with Sam.
On Monday, June 3rd, 2019 I received a cease and desist letter from Lou Taylor's personal counsel Sidley Austin. On Wednesday, June 5th, after several harassing emails I decided to unpublished the site.
After closing my website, LouMTaylor.com someone else had created LouMTaylor.net . On July 1st, 2019 Lou Taylor filed a frivolous lawsuit against me. The claims in the lawsuit are unjust and just show that Britney Spears' team will stop at nothing to silence those who report on their activities.
You can view this story and complaint here in detail: here 
This is a strike against me personally, but really the entire #FreeBritney movement. 
I have retained a a high profile lawyer and have spent a total of $10,000. I do not have the $2,000 readily available to pay him for the discovery that was just filed. Please help me any way you can!
Thank you B Army!
A Timeline of Lou M Taylor and Britney Spears' Conservatorship (Courtesy of an unknown BreatheHeavy.com member)
‘Timeline’ is referring to these two sources (https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/anytruth-to-the-rumor-that-certain-celebs-are-used-as-payment-in-entertainment-deals-part11.941582/page-4 ) and (https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/1499208/britneyspears-vs-britney-spears ).
• Not Directly Related, But Interesting Tidbit on the Spears’
June 7, 2006
"Britney Spears is fed up with Kevin Federline lies and is now turning to her family and her faith, a published report claims this week. And Brit reportedly has bailed on Kaballah and is turning towards the Christian faith for guidance. Us Weekly is calling it 'The Final Days' and reports Brit's family is putting on the pressure. "Apparently, they've even hired a Christian life coach to help make that decision," Us Weekly's Katrina Szich revealed to Extra TV."
(From annexed timeline, couldn’t find original source)
• First Known Introduction to the Spears World
August 5, 2006
Lou M. Taylor, the President of Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group, is by now representing Jamie Lynn Spears. Jamie Lynn appears at the time in the TV show "Zoey 101."
Lou says, "I am a strong woman, I am a boss, I am a woman in a man's business, I am married to a Godly man and Pastor, I am a submissive wife."
According to Taylor's current bio, "I focus on making a difference in our business by operating a life management model that includes a cohesive working relationship with each member of a client’s team to ensure maximum professional support and counsel."
(From annexed timeline, couldn’t find original source)
• Lynne’s Christian Imprint-Published Book
October 29, 2007
"We asked Lynne Spears about the supposed tell-all for which she reportedly has a book deal and she told us it's not true! We spoke to Britney's pal Sam Lutfi later (off camera) and he told us Lynne does in fact have a deal with a Christian imprint, but for a book based on her spiritual journals that will have NOTHING to do with spilling any beans about her daughter's private life!"
(From annexed timeline, couldn’t find original source)
• Taylor’s Response to Dr. Phil’s Visit to Britney
January 9, 2008
Television personality Dr. Phil McGraw is invited into Britney's hospital room by her family. Britney reportedly walks out when he enters the room, and checks out of the hospital.
When Dr. Phil speaks out to the media about an upcoming show on the subject, family spokesman Lou Taylor tells the media that, "The family, basically, extended an invitation of trust for him to come in as a resource to support them, not to go out and make public statements."
(https://www.today.com/video/spears-spokesperson-rips-dr-phil-44657219796 )
• Lynne’s Book is Finally Released
January 10, 2008
Lou Taylor, a business manager for Lynne and Jamie Spears said that the family felt Dr. Phil McGraw talking to the media was a breach of trust, after he visited Britney at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Now Britney’ manager Sam Lutfi has confirmed an Entertainment Tonight report that Jamie, Lynne and Bryan Spears had come up with the idea to appear on Dr Phil’s TV show to discuss Britney’s recent troubles.
The family changed their minds after the media storm surrounding McGraw’s visit to Spears in the hospital.
A source confirmed to ET that Lou Taylor is not a spokesperson for the family and that McGraw was indeed invited by the family.
They said that Britney was receptive to his visit and thought he was “really cool”.
The troubled star also reportedly took his phone number and said she may call him in
the future.
(https://www.nme.com/news/music/britney-spears-174-1340764 )
• Lynne’s Book is Finally Released
September 17, 2008
Lynne Spears releases her book, "Through the Storm." The book was originally titled, "Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World," and was announced the day before Jamie Lynn Spears announced she was pregnant.
Lynne Spears thanks Lou Taylor on page 208 for, "believing I had a story to tell," and for "making it happen."
NOTES: In the book, she details the hard time that was Bryan and Britney’s childhood; Jamie’s erratic behavior, alcoholism, cheating, verbal abuse and financial woes. She blames her parenting for her daughters’ woes at the time and relates the abuse Britney suffered at the hands of Sam Lutfi. According to the book, Lutfi would drug Britney, verbally abuse her and use psychological terror on her. It is implied Lou Taylor is related to the previously mentioned Christian imprint.
(From annexed timeline, couldn’t find original source)
• Representing both Jamie Lynn and Lynne
October 16, 2008
The National Enquirer claims that, "A woman identifying herself as Lou M. Taylor told us: "I represent Jamie Lynn and Lynne Spears, and if you want to make a deal with Casey, go through me."
(From annexed timeline, couldn’t find original source)
• Taylor Imposed the Conservatorship on Britney (and Tried on Lindsay Too)
September 1, 2010
Britney’s former publicist/spokesperson, Lou M. Taylor of Tri Star Sports & Entertainment in Tennessee, is working with Lindsay Lohan since her jail sentence, according to X17online.com. A source says:
“Lou totally brainwashed Jamie. She convinced him a conservatorship was the only way to go and of course he went along with it when he heard about the financial control it would give him. But Lou didn’t have Jamie in mind as the conservator at the beginning. She considered suggesting Larry Rudolph, but she was afraid he would abuse the power. With Jamie, Lou thought she would have someone who was naive enough that she could continue to influence him and, therefore, continue to have a direct influence on Britney’s life and career for years to come.”
After Lindsay Lohan was jailed in August 2010, Lou M Taylor posted Lindsay’s $10,000 bond through wire transfer. It was after this that Lindsay was seen with, you guessed it… Adam Leber & Larry Rudolph, Britney’s current managers.
“Lou has suggested to Dina [Lohan] that they seek conservatorship over Lindsay’s estate. Of course, Lindsay doesn’t really have any assets to speak of so it would really be for the sole purpose of controlling her future earnings. The problem is, neither Dina nor Michael would ever be granted a conservatorship by a judge so Lou went searching for someone else to fill that role: someone with whom she could partner in a business sense, someone she trusts. This time she thinks Larry Rudolph may be the answer. Lou now realizes choosing Brit’s dad as conservator may not have been the best idea. He got power hungry and decided he didn’t need Lou anymore. So this time, Lou thinks Larry might be willing to work her way on this and be a figurehead in Lindsay’s career while Lou works behind-the-scenes.”
(https://www.breatheheavy.com/recent-britney-lindsay-parallels/ and timeline too)
• Michael Lohan Weighs in on Britney’s Team LiLo Shenanigans
September 28, 2010
“I’ve learned of a plot to put Lindsay under a conservatorship, […], it’s disturbing… the co-conservators would be Dina and Lindsay’s business manager, Lou Taylor.”
Lou and Dina are trying to throw Lindsay in a rehab right now and get her out of the picture so they can get a conservatorship without her knowing,” Michael Lohan, Lindsay’s father, told RadarOnline.com.
“They would control literally everything Lindsay does, what projects she has coming up, her finances and the people she sees-and that includes keeping me out of her life.”
“I hope Lindsay hears this and realizes what they’re trying to do.”
“A lot of the controversy in Lindsay’s life wouldn’t be there if Lou Taylor and Larry Rudolph weren’t part of the equation.”
“They are both one-hit wonders with Britney Spears, and they are not going to do the same to my daughter.”
(https://radaronline.com/exclusives/2010/09/exclusive-dina-trying-establishconservatorship-over-lindsay-claims-estranged-dad/ )
• Lou Taylor is Officially Part of Britney’s Team
March 25, 2011
Britney also thanks Lou M Taylor in her Femme Fatale booklet.
“Professional thank yous go out to Ken Hertz, Seth Lichtenstein and Tom Hansen for making sure everything is legal and to Lou Taylor, Robin Greenhill and Tri Star for counting my pennies.”
(Britney Spears Femme Fetal CD )
• Brand Sense Sues Britney the Estate, Jamie Spears and Lou Taylor
March 30, 2011
Britney, her father Jamie Spears, and Lou M. Taylor are named in a $10-million lawsuit with Brand Sense, LLC.
"In the sensational suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Britney and her father Jamie are accused of being "sneaky and underhanded" in their clandestine moves to cut Brand Sense Partner, LLC., out of a licensing agreement."
“Defendants ‘Tri-Star Sports & Entertainment Group, Inc.’ (Tri-Star) and its principal, Lou M Taylor, who are referred to as representatives of Britney in the January 1, 2010 Elizabeth Arden agreement, knew of the existence of the contracts between Brand Sense and Britney, and intentionally acted to interfere with & disrupt those agreements. They induced Defendants into entering into the “new” Elizabeth Arden agreement, thereby causing Defendants to breach their contractual obligations to Brand Sense.
By their ‘new’ agreement, Defendants circumvented and repudiated the very agreement they had affirmed and represented to Brand Sense to be in effect. Defendants’ scheme was to induce Brand Sense to step out of the accounting/payment process, so they could covertly enter into, and get paid under, a ‘new’ agreement with Elizabeth Arden; and Brand Sense would not know the difference.”
(https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/britney-spears-sued-for-10-millionover-perfume-line-232021/ )
• Brand Sense Demands Britney to be Deposed to Prove C-Ship is a Sham
July 1, 2011
"A licensing company that is suing Britney Spears for breach of contract, is demanding that a judge order the pop star to be deposed... "Brand Sense intends to seek immediate relief from the probate court's order. The notion that Britney Spears is mentally or emotionally unfit to testify under oath is a sham. Ms. Spears currently has the mental, emotional and physical capacity to endure the strain of a months-long international concert tour, make numerous public appearances, engage in interviews with the media, participate in numerous promotional campaigns for her various business enterprises, and maintain custody of her children."
A hearing has been set for July 11, 2011 to determine if Britney will be ordered to be
deposed."
(https://www.bet.com/news/celebrities/2011/07/03/licensing-company-demands-thatbritney-spears-be-deposed.html )
• Husband Rob Taylor:
He’s a pastor and they have a church, Calvary Brentwood. “We moved to Florida and shortly after, Lou’s mom passed away. Lou would cry herself to sleep each night. So one night she told me that God wanted her to “come find Him in His church” and she asked me if I would go to a church with her? My response, “Not me, but you go.” Even now, I regret not being more compassionate to my wife when she needed me most. I agreed to accompany her to a church service when a few of our friends invited us to attend an Easter service their church was coordinating. It was that day, my life was changed. At the age of 26, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.
In 2000, life became more hectic than ever. Lou and I would see one another as we crawled into bed each night. We both knew we were in desperate need of “us” time. We went on vacation and enjoyed some great quality time. It was on this trip that God spoke very clearly to me during one of our morning devotions. We were reading Isaiah 42, when verse six caught my attention – “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand.” It was this verse that God used to call me to full-time ministry as pastor of Calvary Chapel Brentwood.
It was then time for our move to Tennessee, where we currently reside. Each day I am thankful for the ways God uses Lou and me to encourage believers to walk with God and engage their faith.”
(https://calvarybrentwood.org/rob-taylor/ )
• Relationship with Mercy Ministries/Multiplied
2009
“Senior Pastor Rob Taylor of Calvary Chapel Brentwood and his wife Lou Taylor have been faithful monthly supporters of Mercy Ministries for years personally, through their church, and through Lou’s business. As CEO of TriStar Sports and Entertainment Group, Lou has spent over 20 years managing the careers and finances of numerous professional athletes and celebrities. Lou is also the author of “The Becoming Devotional Bible.” Lou has devoted time and energy to promoting Mercy Ministries to her clients and using her influence to spread awareness about the ministry.
Amidst their busy schedule of writing, speaking, and Lou still find time to stop by from time to time to encourage our residents and staff in our Nashville home. Rob has given his testimony of how he came to know and serve God. A few years after Rob and Lou got married, Rob decided to stop living for himself and completely gave his life to God. After winning a battle with cancer, Rob followed God’s leading to Nashville,
Tennessee, where God called him to pastor a church. Being a pastor was something Rob had feared all his life. He thought he was “a nobody” and could never stand up and teach the Word of God. But as his life testifies, “You may be a nobody, but God is a somebody.”
On numerous occasions, Lou has reminded the residents that it only takes one person being obedient to God to make a huge difference in the lives of others. She encourages the girls by telling them that each of their lives is significant to God, and He can use each one of them to do great things and to impact the world.
Thank you Pastor Rob and Lou for consistently pouring your time and energy into Mercy Ministries! We appreciate both of you along with your monthly partnership and commitment to bring awareness to our ministry!”
NOTES: Niki Taylor is described as being in the broken picture in the linked page; she was a model represented by Tri Star. Mercy Ministries notes her as a supporter. There was a MM article on Lou Taylor in 2012 too, little reminder to check it out again
(http://www.mercyministriesnews.com/2009/03/calvary-chapel-pastors-rob-andlou.html )
• Linking Lou Taylor, Britney Spears, Influence on Financial Conservatorship and Mercy Ministries
July 22, 2011
Britney’s charity, The Britney Spears Foundation, is broke[…] According to the most recent federal tax filings, Britney’s parents and co-conservator Andrew Wallet have pretty much “zeroed out the effort.” The Britney Spears Foundation as of this spring now claims $17 in total assets.
In December, Britney sent $50,000 to Mercy Ministries of Nashville, which helps young women with pregnancy issues, drugs or other problems get back on their feet. She also donated $42,000 to rehab Cri Help in California.
(https://www.breatheheavy.com/rip-the-britney-spears-foundation/ )
• So, What’s Up with Mercy Ministries
Things are reportedly so bad that there are groups of Mercy Ministries survivors.
According to Wikipedia, it’s an “international, Christian and charitable organization
that offers a six-month residential program for young women aged between 13 and 32
who struggle with various ‘life controlling’ issues such as eating disorders, depression,
self-harm, abuse issues, and drug and alcohol addictions […] [They have] a pro-life
stance in their faith-based approach, and as such, extend their program to offer women
with unplanned pregnancies with alternatives to abortion, as well as treat women who
identify as lesbian or who have sexual identity issues. In 2010, Mercy extended their
program to work with victims of sex trafficking.
Since early 2008, Mercy Multiplied have attracted considerable media attention in
Australia, followed by the United States and the United Kingdom, drawing criticism of
their employment of unqualified staff, overall medical negligence, and the use of
demonic deliverance in their approach to treatment.”
I’d like to highlight an excerpt of a survivor story, with interesting highlights:
‘Upon entering, Ferris was forced to give up her doctor's prescribed nutritional
guidelines. Stripped of the tools she'd previously relied on, Ferris struggled to restrain
herself during her first week when Mercy hosted an all-you-can-eat buffet for the Super
Bowl. In place of her dietary how-to, Ferris' counselor—a woman she'd later find out
had no experience with eating disorders—suggested an alternative to the scientific care
that helped control her urges.
‘She told me to let the Lord determine my meal plan,’ she says. ‘Which was hard the
night we only had jalapeno poppers for dinner.’
For treatment, Mercy gave Ferris a binder called Restoring the Foundations (RTF), a
scripture-based doctrine associated with charismatic Pentecostalism. Her first
assignment was to write down the sins of any relatives or ancestors. According to RTF,
a lapse in conduct, such as premarital sex, could invite in an evil spirit that might curse
a bloodline for generations.
The final step was to cast out the demons, a process that sometimes involved the bedrock of charismatic Pentecostalism: speaking in tongues.
John Altum remembers the day his daughter told him about the tongues. He enrolled her at Mercy right after the Australian story broke. She told him about some weird gibberish her housemates were speaking when they got excited. She was hoping it might happen to her one day.
‘She talked about 'getting her tongues' like it was her period,’ he says.
Ferris was a smart 22-year-old, a rehab veteran with most of an English literature degree. This tactic—call it the exorcist method—was new. So was the secrecy.
Unlike other recovery centers, Mercy didn't allow the girls to tell each other why they enrolled. Some girls told anyway, and Ferris discovered that Mercy was a one-size-fitsall treatment program, asserting that the evil forces that kept her chained to a treadmill were no different than the ones that caused housemates to turn their arms into railroad tracks. In Mercy's eyes, a demon was a demon, no matter what you were suffering from. Ferris recalls one girl who was almost like a zombie.
‘She was completely out of it,’ she says. ‘She was fine if she was sitting in one place, but the minute we had to get up and move somewhere, you'd have to hold her hand and lead her.’
According to Mercy brass, the girl's soul was broken into pieces, an explanation Ferris interpreted to mean schizophrenia. One morning she saw the girl standing next to the second-floor railing. Ferris ducked into the kitchen, then heard a crunch like a car crash. The girl had jumped onto the stone foyer below.
As paramedics took the girl away, Alcorn provided damage control. She'd raced down to the home from her nearby condo to gather everyone upstairs. No one was to speak of what happened, she ordered. If anyone on the outside found out, the Devil could use it to keep her from helping more girls.
That weekend, during the hour reserved for the girls to call home, Alcorn stationed a counselor nearby to ensure her order was kept.
Rebecca was at Mercy during the same time. She says that Alcorn played favorites, indulging obedient staffers with trips to a resort in Florida and firing those who contradicted her. The joke among the girls was that there was no point in learning an assistant's name. They'd always leave after a few weeks of abuse.
‘They advertise an unconditional love,’ says Rebecca, ‘but Nancy is the most conditional person I've ever met.’
And the favoritism didn't end with the staff. Rebecca was close with Jenny, the first Australian girl flown to Nashville. At the time, Alcorn was hoping to open a home in that country, so it was important that everything went smoothly. Rebecca and Jenny were allowed special privileges.
On Sundays in the fall, they had an open invite to watch Titans games with Alcorn. When she dropped them off back at the home, Alcorn encouraged them to lie about where they'd been so that the other girls wouldn't get jealous. Rebecca was also one of the few people entrusted with the care of Alcorn's two shelties.
‘She loved those dogs more than anyone else,’ she says.
But the extra duty came with a hazard. One day Alcorn called Rebecca, furious that she'd forgotten to ask an important question of the vet caring for one of her dogs.
‘If God can't trust you with this,’ she screamed, ‘then you don't deserve to go to school.’
Alcorn had promised to send a recommendation letter along with Rebecca' application
to a Bible college. Now that Rebecca had failed her, Alcorn reneged on her
commitment.
Disappointing Alcorn meant swift consequences. But sometimes punishment meant
more than just a lost piece of paper. Christy was the second Australian girl flown to Nashville. Struggles with anorexia had left her so weak doctors warned her heart might give out during the long flight over.
Months after coming to Mercy, Christy was still dangerously underweight and looked
nothing like the picture of success Alcorn hoped would help her open the new home
Down Under. Christy's parents were concerned over her lack of progress. Alcorn came
up with a temporary solution.
She told the girl she'd have to fatten up or leave. Then Alcorn put her in the care of a
trusted friend for two weeks around Christmas. There she devised a strict diet of thrice
daily ice-cream-and-protein milkshakes. The results were immediate: Christy returned
to Mercy 20 pounds heavier. Her gain may have been short-lived—within months she
was back to a sickly 70 pounds—but it was enough for her parents. They received a
smiling photo of their daughter, post-milkshake diet, courtesy of Alcorn.
‘I'm just amazed she didn't die,’ says Rebecca. But being too skinny was a minor sin in the Mercy catalog. Looking lesbian was a major crime. Alcorn admonished girls for wearing their hair short, despite keeping her owns locks in a shoulder-length bob. If girls got too close they were forced to sign a separation
contract that prevented them from being alone together. Mercy didn't advertise itself as
a gay-repair ministry, but some girls enrolled to be cured of their "disease."
One day a big donor took a tour of Mercy and thought one of the girls seeking to be
"fixed" was a boy. Alcorn was so embarrassed she bought the girl a new wardrobe. By
the end of the afternoon, she guaranteed there would be no more confusion thanks to
the girl's new shirt: ‘I Heart Boys.’”
Another story from one of the sources listed below – I’d like to draw attention to the
highlights and what we’ve been discussing at hand so far:
“It has been just over 5 years since I left the Mercy Ministries program. I had my 23rd
birthday there in the kitchen of the Monroe, Luisiana home. When I first arrived, I
found the Mercy staff to be caring and compassionate. The home was clean and well
decorated, and the sleeping and bathing facilities were comfortable. I was placed in
what is refered to as the maternity room, ideally a three-bed room isolated on one side
of the house for pregnant gals. Oddly enough, I found that all new girls were placed in
this room for a probationary period of up to three weeks so they could be observed
before moved to the general population dorm. I am a social girl and quickly made
friends with all of my Mercy housemates. This was discouraged, and caused me a great
deal of grief.
A Mercy girl is expected to behave cordially and respectfully amoung her fellow
residents, but is not allowed to share any personal information with the others. We were
told that any sharing of personal information, reasons we were seeking treatment, or
what we were “working on” in our daily individual treatment programs was strictly
forbidden. As a naturally curious gal in a new surrounding, I broke this rule about 800
times. I had quite a bit in common with most of the girls, I was seeking help for an
eating disorder, cutting, and suicidal tendencies. I unpurposely brought out the
“rebellious side” of many of my roomies, and was immediately pin-pointed as a trouble
maker.
Every month or so we would be corralled into the meeting/classroom area for a
graduation ceremony in which one of our housemates would be prayed over, give her
testimony, and receive the highly coveted “Mercy Ring” often with her family members
present. Then with little time to say goodbye to their friends, they were escorted out
directly after the ceremony. This was what we were all working for, the final affirmation
that we had “won” our battle with our afflictions and were on our way to living an
upstanding and productive life. I didn’t make it to my graduation.
About four weeks into the program I became acutely aware of the Mercy Ministry
programs flaws. The control levels were fanatical. Every moment of our days were
scheduled and nothing was done without immediate supervision. Twice a day we were
gathered into the classroom area as a group where we “performed” a praise and
worship service followed by two hours of video instruction by either Joyce Meyer or
Joel Osteen. Praise and worship was a joke, the more emotional and charismatic the
better. Our leaders would dance and hop and shake, screaming and “talking in
tongues” and more than encouraged us to do the same. If you were not jumping and
muttering than you were taken aside and reprimanded for not participating. We never
watched any other speakers with the exception of Nancy Alcorn, and our own house
leaders.
After these classes, we would meet each day with our supposedly liscenced therapist
for one on one work. My therapist was two years older than myself and spent our
sessions rephrasing my words and telling me that I was being afflicted by satan and
until I could break free I would continue on my path of self destruction. I was given
homework in the form of handouts and books selected from the house library–all Joyce
Meyer, Nancy Alcorn, and Joel Osteen. They were obsessed with “demonic forces on
Earth”. One day they even went through the entire house anointing doorways to cast
satan out of the house. They carried little bottles of oil and slathered it in a cross shape
at the top of each door. This was initiated because one of the leaders was finding it
difficult to pray inside the house. Miraclously she was once again unfeddered after the
anointings.
My trouble truly began with a few core friendships. Bored with the constant
indoctrination of the “Holy Trio” of video instructors, I took to writing amusing short
stories in my notebook during class. My roomies couldn’t get enough of my interactive
devotional stories, so I kept them coming. One night at bedtime a leader walked in just
as I ended my story and was about to lead my friends in prayer. She freaked out and
told us that we were never allowed to pray on our own or with others without having a
leader participate. When I asked why, I was told that we never knew where satan was
lurking and he may lead us in leading others astray with false prayers or worship. As
always, it was pointless to argue, and arguing only led to discipline including but not
limited to being singled out in front of the whole house for insubordination, multiple
extra chores, restrictions and other devices. Right or wrong, their word was law. They
controlled what we ate, when we slept, what amount of physical activity we were
allowed, what music and media we were exposed to and even down to the letter we
wrote and the relatives we talked to.
Phone calls were only allowed on weekends, and you were only allowed two 10
minute outgoing phonecalls which had to be from a list of pre-approved contacts. This
was strictly limited to family. You were timed and had to talk on a phone set up in the
hallway next to the house leader’s office so you could be heard. It was terribly
frustrating because if you had a significant other or bestie on the outside you couldn’t
talk to them unless they managed to get a call through during the very busy weekend
phone time, and still you were monitored. Mail was the same, outgoing mail was read
and incoming letters were read and packages opened for you. The leaders decided what
you could or couldn’t have, including screening all photographs and all of your items
were recorded on a belongings list. If it wasn’t on the list, it didn’t leave the program
with you. If you wanted to give an item to a fellow resident, it had to be approved by a
leader and given as a “gift”.
All religious services were mandatory and we sat together as a group every Sunday
at a local church. The service was ridden with faith healings, and dramatic faintings
refered to as being “slain in the Spirit”. When a woman was “slain” a golden sheet was
placed over her for modesty purposes. This was one of the few times a week we were
able to leave the house, second only to once a week exercise at a local gym-provided the
privilage wasn’t taken from you, and the weekly Walmart/Mall trip (also supervised–
with store restrictions and group accountability).They were big on that, you could earn
a lot of brownie points that would make life a lot easier if you tattled on your friends.
They had “in house” pets that always brought the tiniest of scandals to light.
To tell my whole story would take ages, even though I only made it through three
months. During that time I was made to feel guilty about everything, belive without
question everthing I was told by the leaders, and blame others and satan for all of my
problems. I was paraded around in the public eye to draw in more money for the Mercy
“cause”, forced to wear makeup and inspected appearance-wise daily. I saw a lovely
girl struggling with gender issues painted and dolled up in an effort to feminize her and
save her from the firey pits of hell, teased and prodded to be the “woman God intended
her to be”. Grown women reduced to caddy schoolgirls fighting and backbiting to earn
the sparse affection of the house leaders. I witnessed multiple accounts of negative
reinforcement, medication witholding, and other illegal activities.
At the begining of month three, I was brought into the house director’s office and told
that I was to be given probation for being a trouble maker, guilty of the crimes of
leading prayer, creative writing, unruly behavior, insubordination, and many other
horrible sins. My privallages were revoked and my homework load was tripled. I had a
constant shadow following me around and supervising my daily tasks. I was told that
my mother had been contacted and she was extremely disappointed in me. I was not
allowed to talk to her by phone or letter, until I made a public apollogy and was
publically reprimanded for my behavior. Also I was to divuldge any information I had
on a number of housemates concerning a number of incidents or my Mercy days were
over. After many tears and a two-day internal battle my sanity won out and I announced
that I owuld be voluntarily removing myself from the program. I was then kept in a
small bedroom for 2 days until my travel arrangements were taken care of and was not
allowed to speak to any of the other residents as it would upset them. After two days I
was smuggled out of the house and dropped of at a bus station. That was the last I saw
and heard of Mercy.”
[Read up more on creepy personal stories about the abuse these young women go
through and inadequacies of their facilities in:
(http://www.slate.com/articles/life/cover_story/2016/04/at_mercy_multiplied_troubled_ young_women_come_to_believe_their_mental_health.html ) +
(https://rewire.news/article/2012/02/21/dark-side-mercy-ministries/ ) +
(https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/article/13016802/jesus-rx ) and also
(https://thetruthaboutmercy.wordpress.com/ )]
• What Glassdoors’ Reviews Reveal to Us
Glassdoor is a job website that, among its uses, lets you reviews companies you’ve worked/works for. Granted these reviews don’t reflect the workplace environment and that there are some modestly nice and glowing reviews, these reviews bring out some interesting aspects of their workday, all pertinent to everything we’ve discussed so far.
TriStar’s PR Department response to the review above:
(https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Tri-Star-Sports-and-Entertainment-Group-EI_IE1105636.11,50.htm)
