Why Did a Mother Beg a Judge for Foster Care Over Sending Her Son Back to Word of Faith?

True Crime Today

20 May 2026

Former teacher Rebeca Melo told the Associated Press that inside the Word of Faith Christian School, children would turn on each other in the middle of class. One child would accuse another of having demons. The group would surround the accused. According to Melo, children were thrown to the ground and beaten. Teachers were allegedly told not to intervene. John Cooper, who worked as a teacher’s aide in Jane Whaley’s class, said Whaley reportedly encouraged the violence and warned students not to tell their parents. But the school was one layer. Former members described a system in which children were allegedly removed from their biological parents and placed with church ministers for years — cut off from contact for up to a decade. The effect was that children bonded with minister guardians while parents were trapped in the church by the fear of losing access. When parents left and fought for custody, the church reportedly deployed attorneys, money, and congregant witnesses against them. Three single mothers told the AP that a church member serving as a county court clerk allegedly bypassed the foster system and gained custody of their children. One mother told a judge she would rather her son go to foster care than back to the church. A judge found clear evidence of abuse. The church sued DSS and reportedly won. Tony Brueski continues a five-part investigation with the most vulnerable victims — the children who had no choice about being inside. Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePod This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#WordOfFaith #JaneWhaley #ChildAbuse #Cult #TrueCrime #Spindale #CultSurvivors #HiddenKillers #FosterCare #ReligiousAbuse