As I continue again it is important that I again point out, at no time had this kid ever been molested by anyone.
What was not discovered or known for decades was this kid was placed in state custody by the courts beginning in 1972 without him ever once being present in a courtroom, never once having representation or the opportunity to speak on his own behalf. Something that if it were to occur today would bring outrage.
In the fall of 1972 this now 11 year old kid who as pointed out in part one had already experienced more than most in a lifetime, who was openly gay in a period simply unheard of, was placed in the South Carolina Industrial School for Boys (aka The SC School for Boys) on East National Cemetery Rd in Florence SC. In reality the place was mostly seen as a juvenile jail only it was cottage style layout and was not fenced in. His placement according to a 1972 letter from the Kershaw County Family Court Judge to John de la Howe school was due to his father asking the court to find suitable placement for him.
Never shy his arrival was taken in stride. He was assigned to Kershaw Cottage (not anything to do with coming from Kershaw county) which was operated as a separate more intensive behavior modification program than the other six cottages. Kershaw Cottage unlike the others conducted their school classes in quarters on the east end of the cottage which on other cottages served as employee housing. The other cottages actually attended classes in a school located on the west end of the campus like any other school. Kids in Kershaw cottage were subject to a level system and points earned based on behavior, chores done, school performance etc. Those points were good for exchanging for cigarettes, candy etc on a nightly basis. Other residents and cottages had access to a canteen where they made weekly purchases on a schedule.
This kid adjusted well but as had always been his life thus far, if you pissed him off, came at him the wrong way he was quick to become angry and in doing so he suddenly has the insane strength that no one ever came to understand where it came from or how he got it. Literally it would take more than ten grown big men to hold this little skinny kid down at that point. It was about a month after his arrival before he had engaged in sexual contact with another kid in Kershaw cottage. Even though they were caught this kid had earned the respect of staff as always being truthful regardless if it meant he got into trouble himself. He never denied anything he did. What he did not know at the time was the school had a policy where any kid involved in sexual activity with another kid the school sent a letter to the kids parents advising them of the sexual activity. Interestingly it was not his parents who made him aware of the letters.
After a few months the program director a Mr. Stanton had decided that the school was not the right setting for this kid and had placed him for release. Stanton had recommended the kid be considered for a residential foster home type placement in the Greenville area but for whatever reason it never happened and the kid was released and returned to his fathers custody. Sadly as has become the pattern in this kids life he wasn’t going to be home with his father for long.
After returning home to his father he was met with his dad having moved to a house in Bishopville next door to his then girl friend Jenette McCaskill. Jenette had a brother who had moved a trailer onto her property who this 11 year old kid, (who adults had dismissed the fact he literally saw things and thought things as if he were in fact an adult himself and they had been told intellectually he was far advanced than one would think) immediately fell in love with. Nathaniel Brown to this kid was his dream. Every opportunity that came in interacting with Nate & family to allowed this kid to touched or next to him was taken advantage of. A camping trip to the beach with his dad, Jenette, her kids, his sisters, Nate was a dream come true for this kid in his mind. To be clear Nathaniel brown never touched this kid in anyway that was inappropriate.
In this brief time this kid was around he wrote letters to Nate that would make Harlequin Romance Novels blush and yet to this day this kid never had one word about the letters he wrote to Nate mentioned or at least not to him or that he was aware of to anyone else. But at 11 years old you had a kid who knew not only who he was but what he was, he did not hide it nor did he need or demand anyone accept it or approve of it. He simply lived his life for him. As was always the case it turned out this kid would again be expelled from school because the school could not control him. As he stayed at home one day he got bored and decided to walk next door to Jenette’s house (by this time Jenette and his dad had broken up) thinking about a clown suit her son Mitch had. Thinking nothing of it he opened the door walked in and helped himself to the clown suit. No one was home but when Jenette returned home and found out she called the sheriffs dept. The kid was taken into the Lee County Jail and despite never being taken before a judge he was again sent back to the R&E center. This time however he was not immediately sent back to the school for boys but was sent back home. Shortly after returning home Jenette locked herself out of her house with a pressure cooker on the stove, panicked she ran next door asking this almost 12 yr old kid if he can break into her house and open the door before the pressure cooker blew. Little did she realize the kid didn’t break in the first time she left the door open and he simply walked in.
After checking every window and finding the all locked, slowly getting angry that he was not finding an easy way to get into the house, Jenette screamed at him in a way that really pissed him off. Suddenly he simply positioned himself in front of the front door lifted one of his skinny legs and kicked the door so hard if flew open with the entire door frame splintering at the same time. It was more than enough to calm him down but being the smart ass he was he had to point out to Jenette the irony of her accusing him of breaking in and then asking him to break in. That incident however was more than his dad could take and it was his dad who asked the court to send him back to R&E and hopefully the school for boys. His dad got his wish (Important to note this kid does not fault his dad, truth is he was not your normal kid and he was extremely difficult to manage even for the most skilled of parent).
Early summer 1973 the kid would return to R&E at which time he was to work with a USC Psychology major who was doing an internship with the state, Claudia was a sincere genuine individual who truly believed it was her mission in life to help children. There was this bond that developed between Claudia and this kid before he was sent back to Florence which caused her to ask her parents to visit and take him to their home for Thanksgiving etc. She was from Florence.
On his return to the school for boys he was again placed in Kershaw Cottage. The cottage still operated as it had his first visit but it was going to soon change and become like that of the others. Before it did one thing that had been added was the cottage added music class offered the rest of the school to kids in Kershaw. This kid was a natural. The campus was designed with the huge circle entrance with an old brick building in the center which was the dinning hall & kitchen. To the east & west of the dinning hall the drive would go straight down in front of the cottages with a security and infirmary building to the immediate west of dinning hall followed by 3 cottages the drive would then circle around and come back down the back side of the cottages with the school & classrooms on the west end to the right followed by the football field and baseball field with the gym across the back of the kitchen. Behind the kitchen another circular drive went to a single brick flattop building which held four solitary confinement cells in the back with the two sides in the front large open jail bar cells with painted squares on the floor where kids were punished. As you continue east on the back drive next to kitchen is Kershaw Cottage with the laundry across from Kershaw followed by Lee Cottage before coming to the end where old 3 story cottages no longer used still stood. One was used as a rec hall with others used for storage. At the far east end in the front was the offices for the States Mental Retardation agency and a huge church with an amazing old pipe organ.
Music class turned out to be this kids opportunity to shine and find his comfort zone. Mrs. Watson ended up putting together a choir with kids from all the cottages and got the permission of the state to allow them to perform for a local radio station and at a local church in Florence for Christmas. During the months leading to December this kid had been sexually active on several occasions with other kids at the school. Nothing was forced or pressured. But because music class took the kid out of the confinement of the cottage he suddenly realized that while the school was disciplining him for having been sexually active with another kid, the school staff were not only engaging in sexual activity with kids, staff were openly supplying these staff members with the kids they sought.
The kitchen was ran by a man name Wade Smith, an older (to this kid anyone above 25 was older) fat white man who lived in one of the apts at the end of Lee Cottage. There was this kid in Lee Cottage who Smith had a particular liking for and it became clear to this kid Smith was engaged in sexual acts with him. It also became clear the staff in Lee Cottage not only knew Smith was sexually active with this kid, they assisted Smith by always making the kid available to go to the kitchen when Smith requested after everyone else had left. It was years later this kid made contact with a counselor named Simon Lee who ran Lee Cottage and confronted Lee about it. His response was simply “that was decades ago, another time than now.”
As Christmas came and we performed for the radio station this kid was looking forward to maybe going home for Christmas. A counselor he had respected and admired Mr. Schaffer had become ill and recently passed away and it affected him because he was close to those who were genuine and truly cared, which Mr. Schaffer did. The performance at the church had come and for the first time the kid had stage freight before recovering. A couple of days later Claudia’s father showed up at the school and asked if the kid wanted to spend Christmas with Claudia and her family. It was while Claudia’s father was asking this kid about Christmas that another kid walked up telling him about the kid having sex with other boys & told him ask the school because they send letters to his parents every time he does.
As 1974 comes this kid is asked to perform/sing the song Why Me Lord at a memorial in the school chapel for Mr. Shaffer by his wife. Schaffer was one of this kids biggest fans by far. The new year also came with the programs in Kershaw cottage being phased out as Mr. Stanton was leaving and the school had decided the cottage would operate like all the others. With the passing of Mr. Schaffer and other staff leaving the school had to hire replacements. One of those hired was a man named Bronson, a tall muscular built black man who drove a dark green Ford Grand Torino lifted in the back. Bronson was a charming good looking man who had a way of making you immediately take to him and feel comfortable around him.
Bronson was hired just before Kershaw Cottage was transitioning out of its specialized program into the normal school program. In fact it was in the process of transitioning. Bronson took a liking to this kid and this kid took a liking to Bronson. It was maybe a week two at the most after Bronson was hired, he was working afternoon shift which it memory serves correctly was 3-11. Time still had not yet changed to where it stayed daylight past 4:30-5 and the Cottage had returned from dinner already. Showers had begun and TV time was going on. Bronson takes this kid and tells him to go with him. Not knowing where they were going or why this kid went.
Bronson takes the kid out the door on the west end of the cottage which exits the restroom, and literally lifts the kid up into his arms as he walks toward the boiler room which is east of the east end door and normally locked. Bronson opens the boiler room door enters closing the door behind and begins kissing this kid, hugging him and feeling him. The kid does not resist and also kisses this man back. Within a few maybe 5 minutes Bronson lowers this kid to the floor and directs him to perform oral sex on him. The kid does as he is asked and a few minutes later Bronson begins to prepare himself and the kid for anal sex when both heard staff and other kids calling out the kids name, looking for him wondering where he could have gone.
Suddenly Bronson panics and the kid is told to get up and sneak out without being seen exiting the boiler room and to answer the calls for him at the other end of the cottage. Bronson figured by the kid being found everyone would return inside the cottage allowing him to exit the boiler room and reenter the cottage without suspicion. The kid who up to this point had been seen by staff as always being truthful regardless the circumstance or consequence of it suddenly was in a situation he wasn’t sure how to deal with. He did not lie outright to initial questions as to where he was at, he simply didn’t include the part of being outside in the boiler room with a counselor about to engage in anal sex with him. Because of the late hour and showers being behind because everything stopped when this kid was noticed missing the matter was about to be put off til the next day. But that changed when Mr. Bronson returned to the cottage and drew suspicion of long time counselor Mr. Wilson when he claimed he was outside looking for this kid all this time. It didn’t help Bronson that he returned to the cottage with his pants stained from oil. As shift change arrived Bronson left but Mr. Wilson remained after having called Mr. Stanton to express his concerns that something more was there.
After Bronson was confirmed to have left the campus Mr. Wilson decided rather than the kids going to bed he was going to have everyone standing in the dayroom as pressure on this kid to answer as to where he was sooner than later. The kid wasn’t sure he wanted to answer those questions that quickly and after a couple of hours he said, “I will tell you everything but when I do you are not going to believe me, you are going to say I am lying and we will still be here with you asking questions already answered.” The kid then told Mr. Wilson he had been taken outside through the restroom exit by Mr. Bronson who then picked him up and carried him into the boiler room. The boiler room which had a padlock on it and the only keys with maintenance, with steel doors. He then told how Bronson began kissing him and he kissed Bronson back had lowered him to the floor and had him perform oral sex on him. He explained that Bronson was about to enter him in anal sex when they both heard Wilson and other kids calling out for him. That Bronson told him to sneak out without being seen and get to the other end of the cottage before responding to the calls for him.
As this kid expected he was not believed in the slightest. Even with the knowledge all that had to be done was walk outside and see if the boiler room was in fact open no one thought to do it. Instead they continued to question him to say where he was for another couple of hours before finally starting to think maybe something was true about what he was saying. Everyone was sent to bed and Mr. Wilson left to go home. Not one person bothered to walk outside to check the boiler room. The next morning at shift change the day shift noticed the lock on the boiler room had been broken off and was missing. When they were informed of the events the night before and what this kid had claimed the boiler room was inspected where clear foot prints from shoes were let in some oil that had been knocked over. In addition a cigarette butt for a cigarette of the brand Bronson smoked was found inside on the floor. Only way it could have gotten in there was if he was in there.
Bronson was scheduled to work that afternoon but didn’t show up for work. The kid later discovered Bronson didn’t show for work because he had been told not to and not to come on the campus at all. Despite having been truthful this kid was now considered a liar and was punished for his part in the event with Bronson. Never mind Bronson was the counselor who instructed this kid to go with him, the kid was found to be in the wrong. He cannot tell you what happened to Bronson except to say he knows the school did not report anything to law enforcement or take any legal action of any kind. At least not relating to the activity with this kid. Bronson did return to the campus one night where Mr. Wilson was threatened and apparently Bronson had threated Mr. Stanton either by phone or in person but this kid never saw him again after that night he was caught driving around the cottage.
Shortly after this incident the cottage had completed its transition to the operating procedures of all cottages and Kershaw cottage kids were not attending school with the other kids in the school & classrooms. They also began holding gym and other events on campus with the other cottages. The schools bathroom was at the back of the main school building and you had to exit the building to enter it. While this kid excelled in his academics it wouldn’t be long before he realized the school bathroom was regularly used for kids from different cottages who had attractions to each other to engage in sexual activity. Once Kershaw cottage began operating as the other cottages suddenly this kid ended up on the radar of Food Service or Kitchen manager Smith, who to this point had a reputation of being somewhat committed to the kid he had been involved with out of Lee cottage for years. Smith is reality was not appealing or attractive to this kid in any way nor had this kid ever really thought about Smith in that way. The kitchen always had a huge supply of Russel Stover candies in the boxes we are all familiar with. Smith it turned out loved to use those boxes of candy as a means of prying kids into agreeing to go to the kitchen to “help” him after everyone else had left. One day Smith called Mr. Wilson at the cottage asking him to send this kid to the kitchen he wanted to talk to him about maybe helping out in the kitchen. Wilson sent the kid over and once he was in the dinning hall Smith called him up into the front where there was a smaller staff dinning room to the east of the entrance. This was a old large brick building with double doors and wood floors with foyer in the entrance with rooms to the right & left. The foyer had a restroom to the left towards staff dinning.
