BonaFide, you said: Then a few weeks later came the announcement, that the Branch Bethel Family was going to be reduced from 45 to 28. Many Bethelites were reassigned as special pioneers, some as circuit overseers. This was way before the US Bethel reductions. So that was a major shock.
Your account rings so true of the man. Calculating is a good description. At the branch during his visit you saw one side, the kindly Jaracz. The results of his visit exemplify the other more sinister person. He used you all. He gained your confidence by appearing so spiritual, but he was not what he appeared to be. He came to your branch for a totally different reason than the staff thought.
Certainly, corporate leaders have a right to reduce staff. After all, WT is nothing but a huge business corporation masquerading as a religion. But to do it in such a devious way tells us lots about his character. And to hear that the work load increased for the remaining workers was downright chilling because we know the decision to do this came from him. He cared nothing for the well-being of the staff, only saving money or for whatever other reasons they are downsizing. Ted Jaracz fits the profile and description of a sociopath/psychopath. Your story validates my observations and experiences. Thank you.
Yada Yada 2, you asked,
1. Does this mean those men did not want the 'two-witness' rule to apply to child abuse allegations?
2. Were they opposed to the legalistic, harsh policy on child abuse? 3. Do you know of any current GB members who would like changes to certain policies?
1. I can't answer that question because the topic never came up. I didn't even know they were applying the 'two-witness' rule in child abuse accusations. As a woman who had no insight into what took place in a judicial hearing or read the "Flock" book at that time, how would I even suspect such a thing? The topic of conversation between Harry and me was about molesters holding positions of authority and how can this be stopped. He was in contact with Sydlik and Swingle about the child abuse situation, not me. I had one conversation about it with Sydlik a few days befor I left Bethel and we had a bit of an argument, but I won. I figured since I was leaving, I'd say what I had on my mind and get away with it because he couldn't dismiss me from Bethel at that point. Dan and I were both Polish and our limited friendship originally came about from this commonality. (I'm ashamed to say Jaracz is Polish too.) During that last conversation we had together, we talked about molesters holding positions of authority. Nothing came up about the two-witness policy. I wonder now if any of these sympathetic men even knew how big a deal this was in a judicial setting in child abuse cases. Of course they read the "Flock" book, and Sydlic was an active elder in a congregation, but unless your involved in a situation, instructions are just words.
2. I don't think that any of the men thought the policies were legalistic or harsh. I never heard Harry critical of the policies already in place. If there were problems, he blamed the elders for not handling child abuse situations correctly or for not doing what they were told by the Society. That's why he told me, "The Society is going to let them dangle in the wind" if elders don't follow their instructions. And those instructions came from the Legal Dept. and that's why elders were told to call that department as soon as an accusation of molestation was made. Apparently many of them were not doing that back then.
I do know Harry believed they needed to do something to keep molesters from holding supervisory positions. That's why he was so happy with the January 1, 1997 Watchtower policy statement that said no known molester would hold a position in the cong., and he took credit for that achievement in a letter to me. We never discussed mandated reporting laws either. Back then I was way over my head when talking with him about this topic. I didn't know much about legality issues. I just knew men in authority were molesting children and the Society had to do something about it. After I left Bethel, I started to deeply research the subject and send into the Writing Dept. what I found. Still I didn't know about the two-witness rule. Not until I talked to former elders and victims who enlightened me how it was applied in a judicial setting and after I read Joe's "Flock" book. Then I was stunned and determined to do something about it.
3. No, I don't know much of anything about the current GB members other than about Jaracz and Barr. I do know they all are company men, the newer guys hand-picked by Jaracz. Most likely these men believe if the company says we have the best child abuse policies, that's the way it is, unless they read the court records we made public.Greetings WAC and Big Tex. Glad you joined the discussion.
One thing I want to make clear is this: What made this situation so unique was the sympathy for the victims that Harry and others in the department were showing. No one that I can remember expressed unhappiness about policies. The big thing to those in Writing, who were involved, was that elders were mistreating victims when they came forward with their accusations. In addition, that some elders were molesters. These men on the Writing staff were upset about it. The Oct. 8, 1991 Awake! expressed sympathy for victims and was such an encouragement to them.
No one expected what happened after the publishing of that magazine. Jaracz hated it and his Service Dept. hated it. I didn't know why; only could speculate at the time. But it became obvious to me later that Service didn't want to acknowledge that there were molesters who were leaders because they were responsible for carrying out all organizational procedure and it looked bad for them to have put in supervisary positions molesters. It looked like they were asleep at the wheel; that they weren't protecting children. Men in Service blamed the victims. Said they were lying; that this was just a passing fad.
Writing had nothing to do with running the organization. This was Service's domain. Can you imagine the war that was erupting between the two departments? Also, Writing Correspondence was involved too. That was J.R. Brown's department, but under Lloyd's control. They were receiving many, many letters from victims after the publishing of that Awake!. So Lloyd Barry had to get involved with Service about the situation. Service was run by Jaracz. Jaracz and Barry were not friends, more like 'friendly' enemies. What a mess! That Awake! opened a Pandora's Box and all kinds of evils flew out that had been hidden under the lid or below the surface for years. The court records reveal those evils.
From my point of view, it was JW victims of child sexual abuse who were responsible for getting Harry and others so involved and the organization in deep dodo. Harry Peloyan went into battle because of them. One time Harry had tears in his eyes when he gave me a letter to read from someone who was very close to him and his wife. They had no idea what her father had done to her as a child until she sent him a copy of the letter she wrote to her father when he was going to marry a woman with two young daughters.
For too many years the Service Dept. had not been listening to victims' complaining calls and letters. Society’s lawyers were hushing up victims with secret payoffs in settlements authorized by the GB, spearheaded by the "Boss" who the others acquiesced to because of his argument that we can't allow these things to bring reproach upon God's organization.
After many secret settlements were made, as I know they were, why no one suggested opening an investigation to look into what was going on in the congregations, is beyond me. This tells us a lot about how the "slave" does not provide food (or direction) at the proper time!