II -  42

         1    that you included, isn't it true you didn't make any

         2    reference of Bo Gerhardt shoving you into a wall?

         3    A.    I would never make a reference with these letters being

         4    monitored and risk the punishment.

         5             MR. BRIGGS:  Your Honor, I'd instruct the witness

         6    not to -- I'd instruct the Court to instruct the jury to

         7    disregard the answer and move to strike the remaining portion

         8    of the answer.

         9             THE COURT:  The jury is so instructed.

        10    BY MR. BRIGGS:

        11    Q.    Now, if we could turn to Exhibit 26, Mr. Blair.

        12             THE COURT:  Is that Exhibit 26?

        13             MR. BRIGGS:  Yes, Your Honor.

        14    Q.    Mr. Blair, did you write this letter?

        15    A.    Yes, sir.

        16    Q.    And what's the date on it?

        17    A.    January 18th, 2002.

        18    Q.    Okay.  At that point in time you were down at Palm

        19    Lane?

        20    A.    Yes, sir.

        21    Q.    Okay.  In the letter once again, and I'll read it, you

        22    state to your parents, "I'm having to take my junior year

        23    over again."  Is that correct?

        24    A.    Yes, sir.

        25    Q.    All right.  Very good.  You didn't make any reference

                                                                    II -  43

         1    to doing fifth grade work to your parents in any letter that

         2    you wrote; isn't that correct, Mr. Blair?

         3    A.    Yes, sir.

         4    Q.    Now, turning to Exhibit 30.  Mr. Blair, was this

         5    written in or around February 2002?

         6    A.    Yes, sir.

         7    Q.    And I've highlighted some text in the middle of the

         8    letter and I'll go ahead and read it.  I've learned to weld,

         9    to fix a toilet completely, use a belt sander.  Do you see

        10    that there?

        11    A.    Yes, sir.

        12    Q.    Did I read the handwriting correctly?

        13    A.    Yes, sir.

        14    Q.    Now, learning these vocational skills, learning to

        15    weld, learning to fix a toilet, are those some of the work

        16    chores or -- strike that.  Were some of the work things that

        17    you did while you were at Palm Lane?

        18    A.    Yes, sir.

        19    Q.    Okay.  And you're asking this jury to pay you for

        20    learning these skills, correct?

        21    A.    Absolutely.

        22    Q.    Okay.  And Exhibit 31.  Mr. Blair, on direct you said

        23    that it took about a week to dig the pond.  And then you said

        24    that it wasn't completed when you left Palm Lane, correct?

        25    A.    Yes, sir.

                                                                    II -  44

         1    Q.    Okay.  Looking at this exhibit, it is dated February 8,

         2    2002.  And the second sentence or third sentence says, "Well,

         3    right now we're working on digging a pond."  Do you see that

         4    there?

         5    A.    Yes, sir.

         6    Q.    Okay.  You said the pond took about a week.  And yet it

         7    wasn't finished when you left.  And I thought it was your

         8    testimony that you left Palm Lane in March 15, 2002.  Isn't

         9    that right?

        10    A.    Yes, sir.

        11    Q.    Okay.  Mr. Blair, well, then if it only took a week, it

        12    should have been finished, correct?

        13    A.    Well, we were in Florida and it rains a lot so

        14    you're -- we're not going to dig out in the mud when it's

        15    raining, so we would postpone.  But it was about a week's

        16    worth of work that I had labored on the pond.

        17    Q.    You said it was raining a lot but that you were working

        18    outside in the sun every day, and that that's the basis for

        19    your Fair Labor Standards Act claim, correct?

        20    A.    When I worked on the pastures.

        21    Q.    Okay.  And otherwise when you worked outside, did you

        22    only work outside when it was nice out?

        23    A.    Not all the time.  We would be -- there's an overhang

        24    at Palm Lane where we'd work underneath when it was raining.

        25    But the pond was located out in the pasture, so -- and also

                                                                    II -  45

         1    it was in Florida so you really can't -- I mean, it will rain

         2    wherever, so.

         3    Q.    Okay.  And this was in the winter time in Florida,

         4    right?

         5    A.    Yes, sir.

         6    Q.    All right.  Going on spring.  You never worked in

         7    Florida in the summertime?

         8    A.    Right.

         9    Q.    Now, in calculating the hours that you said you worked

        10    while you were at Mountain Park and Palm Lane, I just want to

        11    get this correct.  You said that there is no way to give

        12    specific dates and times that you actually were doing

        13    specific tasks or actually working; is that right?

        14    A.    Right.

        15    Q.    Okay.  So you can't tell us exactly what hours you were

        16    working on a particular day?

        17    A.    Well, I can tell you for sure as far as the tasks I

        18    performed, the labor I performed as far as like I previously

        19    stated on the jobs like digging the pond and things of that

        20    nature, that would be at least two and a half, three hours

        21    per day, that's for sure, I can know for sure.

        22    Q.    Well, that really wasn't an answer to my question.  I

        23    said that you really can't tell us the specific hours you

        24    worked on specific days.  And that's what I asked.

        25    A.    Yes, sir, that's correct, I can't.

                                                                    II -  46

         1    Q.    Okay.

         2    A.    There were no records that we kept or anything like

         3    that.

         4    Q.    You said in a typical day at Mountain Park or Palm Lane

         5    that you got up and then you said a prayer; is that right?

         6    A.    Yes, sir, I was forced to do that.

         7    Q.    Okay.  Do you understand, Mr. Blair, that when your

         8    father enrolled you at Mountain Park that he understood

         9    Mountain Park had a religious -- religion based curriculum?

        10    A.    I believe so.

        11    Q.    Okay.  After you said your prayers, you said that you

        12    did chores, correct?

        13    A.    Yes, sir.

        14    Q.    And you did chores in and around the dorm area cleaning

        15    up the common areas so to speak?

        16    A.    Yes, sir, laundry, things of that nature.

        17    Q.    That would be making your bed, correct?

        18    A.    Yes, sir.

        19    Q.    Sweeping the floor?

        20    A.    Yes, sir.

        21    Q.    You said just then doing laundry?

        22    A.    Yes, sir.

        23    Q.    And you're not asking this jury to pay you for those

        24    tasks?

        25    A.    Absolutely not.

                                                                    II -  47

         1    Q.    Mr. Blair, these indoctrination sessions that you

         2    testified about, you studied bible scripture during those

         3    indoctrination sessions, correct?

         4    A.    Their version of the bible, yes, sir.

         5    Q.    And their version of the bible is the King James

         6    version of the bible?

         7    A.    Yes, sir.

         8    Q.    Okay.  Did you talk about the scripture that you read?

         9    A.    Yes, sir.  Excuse me, what was your exact question?

        10    Q.    Did you talk about the scripture that you read?

        11    A.    As in me personally?

        12    Q.    As in somebody within the group.

        13    A.    Someone in the group spoke on their interpretation of

        14    it.

        15    Q.    Thank you.  While you were at Mountain Park you said

        16    that after lunch you would do chores, correct, you'd get put

        17    into your work clothes and you'd go out and do work in the

        18    yard?

        19    A.    Yes, sir.

        20    Q.    Would that include mowing the yard?

        21    A.    No, sir, I was -- we weren't mowing the yards at the

        22    time, it was winter.

        23    Q.    Okay.  Would you be raking leaves?

        24    A.    Yes, sir.

        25    Q.    Did you haul firewood?

                                                                    II -  48

         1    A.    Yes, sir.

         2    Q.    Did you clear brush?

         3    A.    Yes, sir.

         4    Q.    Were there -- strike that.  On some afternoons during

         5    the week you would play games or sports; is that correct?

         6    A.    Just once at Mountain Park anyway.

         7    Q.    Would that happen on occasion at Palm Lane?

         8    A.    Yes, sir.

         9    Q.    So you weren't doing these outdoor work activities

        10    every day, correct?

        11    A.    Correct.

        12    Q.    These outdoor activities that you did including the

        13    hauling of firewood, raking leaves, clearing brush, were

        14    those done in teams?

        15    A.    At Mountain Park they were.

        16    Q.    Now, at Palm Lane did you also do afternoon tasks, job

        17    tasks or work tasks?

        18    A.    Yes, sir.

        19    Q.    Okay.  But there were some afternoons when you would

        20    play games?

        21    A.    Yes, sir.

        22    Q.    On days when you happened to be doing the outdoor

        23    tasks, would that include taking out the trash?

        24    A.    Yes, sir.

        25    Q.    And cleaning cars?

                                                                    II -  49

         1    A.    The -- yes, sir.

         2    Q.    And just so we make it clear, those are the cars that

         3    were on campus at Palm Lane, with the possible exception of

         4    doing Mr. and Mrs. Wills' car?

         5    A.    With the other employees' staff vehicles also.

         6    Q.    Would you mow the lawn?

         7    A.    Yes, sir.

         8    Q.    And would you clear brush?

         9    A.    Yes, sir.

        10    Q.    You said that you also painted some fences; is that

        11    right?

        12    A.    Yes, sir.

        13    Q.    And you're asking the jury to pay you for those outdoor

        14    tasks that you performed?

        15    A.    Yes, sir.

        16    Q.    Now, you said something about there being cattle at

        17    Palm Lane.  As you sit here today you don't know whether Palm

        18    Lane owned any cattle, correct?

        19    A.    In Ms. Wills' other testimony she stated that they do

        20    not own the cattle, so no.

        21    Q.    So they don't own the cattle.  If cattle got sick, who

        22    would take care of the cattle?

        23    A.    We would immediately.  Then they would call the owner.

        24    Q.    Okay.  And who is the owner?

        25    A.    I only knew the individual as a man named Tousiaant.

                                                                    II -  50

         1    Q.    Now, going back to this pond that you said that you

         2    dug.  You said that actually one of the staff members was

         3    using a small bulldozer or front end loader, correct?

         4    A.    Yes, sir.

         5    Q.    Okay.  And you among the other students, male students

         6    were dressing the edges of the pond?

         7    A.    Yes, sir.

         8    Q.    And you said that you did that for a week?

         9    A.    Yes, sir.

        10    Q.    With respect to the pond, were you told by the staff

        11    member why it was being dug?

        12    A.    For the cows.

        13    Q.    Who told you that?

        14    A.    Robert Kennedy.

        15    Q.    Now, Mr. Blair, are you making a claim for on call work

        16    in connection with this lawsuit?

        17    A.    Yes, sir.

        18    Q.    You are.  Did you plead that?

        19    A.    No, sir.

        20    Q.    Okay.  Do you know if your lawyer pled that on your

        21    behalf?

        22             MR. STILLEY:  Objection on the grounds this witness

        23    doesn't have knowledge of that, of technical legal matters.

        24             MR. BRIGGS:  Well, actually if he has knowledge,

        25    i.e., he verified the petition, Your Honor.

                                                                    II -  51

         1             MR. STILLEY:  He verified the facts.

         2             MR. BRIGGS:  Well, that would be a fact.

         3             THE COURT:  Fine.  Go ahead.

         4    BY MR. BRIGGS:

         5    Q.    Do you know if he did?  Do you know if your lawyer pled

         6    that on your behalf?

         7    A.    I don't have that knowledge.

         8    Q.    Mr. Blair, were you on orientation the entire time you

         9    were at Mountain Park and Palm Lane?

        10    A.    Yes, sir.

        11    Q.    You understood orientation was for new students,

        12    correct?

        13    A.    Yes, sir.

        14    Q.    And a more senior or not necessarily an aged senior but

        15    a more experienced student would act as an orientation guide

        16    and be within arms length distance of a new student, correct?

        17    A.    The way I understood it, the way they pick and choose.

        18    Q.    So whoever was chosen to act as an orientation guide?

        19    A.    Yes, sir.

        20    Q.    Typically that was a more senior student?

        21    A.    No, sir, my orientation guide was 14 years old.

        22    Q.    Well, when I said more senior, someone who had more

        23    experience at Mountain Park or Palm Lane?

        24    A.    By a month.

        25    Q.    Do you understand that student would not come off

                                                                    II -  52

         1    orientation until they had demonstrated they could be

         2    trusted?

         3    A.    Yes, sir.

         4    Q.    Since you did not come off orientation the entire time

         5    that you were at Mountain Park and Palm Lane, then it would

         6    be fair to say that Mountain Park and Palm Lane staff didn't

         7    feel that you could be trusted?

         8    A.    No, sir.

         9    Q.    Why isn't that a fair statement based upon what you

        10    just testified to?

        11    A.    Because, well, me and the other students also raised

        12    the question with Andrew Parrish.  I felt I should come off

        13    orientation, and that's about as far as that went.

        14    Q.    And a more senior staff wouldn't permit that to happen?

        15    A.    I don't have knowledge of any of that.

        16    Q.    Mr. Blair, with respect to the security guard issue,

        17    you said you had to watch out for students to make sure they

        18    didn't escape, correct?

        19    A.    Yes, sir.

        20    Q.    With respect to your claim that you were a security

        21    guard 24 hours a day, if you were on orientation with a more

        22    senior student watching you, then how could you be watching

        23    for other students?

        24    A.    It would be -- no student is allowed in the room by

        25    himself.  See, there's always going to be other students

                                                                    II -  53

         1    around you.

         2    Q.    Well, of course.  So the mere fact that no students are

         3    permitted to be in a room by themselves, that therefore

         4    renders you a security guard, that's what you're claiming?

         5    A.    Yes, sir.

         6    Q.    Okay.  So the mere fact that you couldn't be in a room

         7    by yourself is your basis for claiming that you're a security

         8    guard, that's what you just testified to?

         9    A.    What if my orientation guide decided he was going to

        10    run off.  I was to report any --

        11    Q.    So you were to report if another student ran off?

        12    A.    No, you didn't let me finish my answer.  I was to

        13    report if he discussed any --

        14    Q.    Well, that's what you had just said.  So --

        15             MR. STILLEY:  Objection.  I request the witness be

        16    allowed to answer the question completely before the next

        17    question be asked.

        18             THE COURT:  Reask your question.

        19    BY MR. BRIGGS:

        20    Q.    Mr. Blair, the entire time you were at Mountain Park

        21    and Palm Lane you were always in the presence of an

        22    orientation guide or staff member?

        23    A.    No, sir.

        24    Q.    When were you not?

        25    A.    The day that I ran away on March 15th, 2002.

                                                                    II -  54

         1    Q.    So the first opportunity that you had not to be under

         2    the eye of an orientation guide or staff member you ran away?

         3    A.    Yes, sir.

         4    Q.    It's kind of ironic then that somebody who is supposed

         5    to be a security guard would run away the first chance they

         6    had, isn't it?

         7    A.    I was an involuntary security guard, sir.

         8    Q.    Mr. Blair, while you were at Mountain Park did you ever

         9    do the outdoor tasks, the clearing brush, raking leaves for

        10    somebody in the town of Patterson other than the people

        11    living at Mountain Park?

        12    A.    No, sir.

        13    Q.    Mr. Blair, while you were at Mountain Park and Palm

        14    Lane did you ever make any goods that were sold by Mountain

        15    Park or Palm Lane?

        16    A.    No, sir.

        17             MR. BRIGGS:  A moment while I may confer, Your

        18    Honor?

        19             THE COURT:  Go right ahead.

        20             MR. BRIGGS:  Thank you.  That's all I have at this

        21    time, Your Honor.  May I approach the witness to remove the

        22    deposition?

        23             THE COURT:  Absolutely.  Mr. Stilley.

        24                        REDIRECT EXAMINATION

        25    BY MR. STILLEY:

                                                                    II -  55

         1    Q.    Mr. Blair, were your letters read by other persons

         2    before they were mailed to your parents?

         3    A.    Yes, sir.

         4             MR. BRIGGS:  Objection, Your Honor, move to strike.

         5             THE COURT:  Overruled.

         6    BY MR. STILLEY:

         7    Q.    And do you know who read those letters?

         8    A.    The dorm supervisor for sure.  Also some of the letters

         9    I see that Sam Gerhardt has read those and written in

        10    portions.

        11    Q.    Did you have any reason not to say certain things in

        12    those letters?

        13    A.    Absolutely.

        14    Q.    And how did you come to have knowledge that there were

        15    certain things you shouldn't say?

        16    A.    I had been punished before for even the things I had

        17    already written as far as my beliefs and my parents' beliefs.

        18    Q.    Why didn't you say in those letters that the treatment

        19    you were getting at Mountain Park and Palm Lane would cause

        20    you to have to repeat your junior and senior years?

        21    A.    Excuse me, could you ask that?

        22    Q.    Why did you say in those letters that you have to

        23    repeat your junior and senior years?

        24    A.    Because they -- Mountain Park and Palm Lane didn't know

        25    where to place me so they just basically picked whatever they

                                                                    II -  56

         1    thought was easy for them.  They didn't want to get records

         2    from my previous school, the one I graduated from.  They

         3    didn't try to do any of that.

         4    Q.    What location were you at when you left the supervision

         5    of Palm Lane?

         6    A.    At a Home Depot in Port Charlotte, Florida, I believe.

         7    It may have been Arcadia, Florida, but around that region.

         8    Q.    Okay.  Moving on to a different issue here.  You didn't

         9    keep a log of your hours that you worked, did you?

        10    A.    No, sir.

        11    Q.    Why not?

        12    A.    I wasn't allowed to.

        13    Q.    What's your basis of personal knowledge about that?

        14    A.    You're not allowed to write things that they don't want

        15    you to write down.

        16    Q.    But you didn't have a copy of the written rules,

        17    though, did you?

        18    A.    No, sir.

        19    Q.    How did you find out that that was a rule?

        20    A.    Drew Parrish told me.

        21    Q.    And why did he come to have occasion to tell you?

        22    A.    Because I had marked in my bible days that I had

        23    written down for memory verses, stuff like that.  They

        24    were -- there were only little marks so it couldn't be

        25    distinguished as.  However, I guess it could have been used

                                                                    II -  57

         1    for whatever and he did not like that, so.

         2    Q.    How did he find out that you made marks in your bible?

         3    A.    He just inspected my bible.  They inspect all the

         4    bibles.

         5    Q.    How frequently?

         6    A.    Just wherever they feel like it.

         7    Q.    Now, on cross-examination you said something about King

         8    James bible.  Was just any King James bible okay?

         9    A.    No, sir.

        10             MR. BRIGGS:  Objection, Your Honor, how is this

        11    relevant?

        12             MR. STILLEY:  Your Honor, he asked --

        13             THE COURT:  Well, we've gone enough into that.

        14             MR. STILLEY:  Can I have one more question?

        15             THE COURT:  No.

        16             MR. STILLEY:  Thank you, Judge.  Pass the witness.

        17             THE COURT:  Anything else, Mr. Briggs?

        18             MR. BRIGGS:  Nothing further, Your Honor.

        19             THE COURT:  Very well.  Mr. Blair, you may step

        20    down.  Call your next witness.

        21             MR. STILLEY:  Your Honor, can I have just about one

        22    minute to talk to them or less?

        23             THE COURT:  One minute.

        24             MR. STILLEY:  Just a very little bit to talk to my

        25    client?

                                                                    II -  58

         1             THE COURT:  Fine.

         2             MR. STILLEY:  Thank you, Judge.  Plaintiff rests.

         3             THE COURT:  Come on up.

         4             (The following proceedings were held at the bench

         5    and outside the hearing of the jury:)

         6             MR. OLIVER:  I need to get it retyped.

         7             THE COURT:  No.  Go ahead.

         8             MR. OLIVER:  Well, Palm Lane and Mountain Park and

         9    Betty Wills and Bob Wills and Sam Gerhardt on the one hand

        10    and Drew Parrish, Robert Kennedy, and Bo, Julie, and Robert

        11    O'Brient as individuals move for directed verdict on the Fair

        12    Labor Standards Act case for -- there are a lot of reasons.

        13             THE COURT:  Well, we're going to -- I think this may

        14    take a little time.

        15             MR. OLIVER:  I agree with you.

        16             THE COURT:  Why don't I let the jury go out.

        17             MR. OLIVER:  Fine.

        18             (The following proceedings continued within the

        19    hearing of the jury:)

        20             THE COURT:  It's become clear this is going to take

        21    a little time, so why should you sit here.  Why don't you all

        22    take a break.  You see what I'm saying.

        23             Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we're going to

        24    take a recess as far as you are concerned.  Why don't you be

        25    prepared to return to your jury room at 20 after 11.  Recall

                                                                    II -  59

         1    the admonition.

         2             (The following proceedings were held outside the

         3    hearing of the jury:)

         4             THE COURT:  Okay.  Defendants have a motion for a

         5    directed verdict at the close of all -- at the close of

         6    rather the plaintiff's case.  Go ahead, Mr. Oliver.

         7             MR. OLIVER:  Thank you, Your Honor.  First, Your

         8    Honor, on behalf of the individual defendants Drew Parrish,

         9    Robert Kennedy, Robert O'Brient, Julie Gerhardt, Bo Gerhardt,

        10    and Deborah Gerhardt, the simplest answer or the simplest

        11    reason that these defendants are entitled to a directed

        12    verdict on the Fair Labor Standards Act is that under no

        13    circumstances are they shown to be employers.  There's no

        14    evidence that any of those individuals had any decision

        15    making capacity at all.  In fact, there's absolutely no

        16    evidence that Drew Parrish, Robert Kennedy, Robert O'Brient,

        17    Julie Gerhardt, Bo Gerhardt, or Deborah Gerhardt ever made a

        18    decision at all in this case.  There's a total absence of

        19    evidence.

        20             Now, to be an employer you have to suffer or permit

        21    somebody to work in traditional terms.  And the test of

        22    whether or not an individual is an employer is a test which

        23    specifically in the Eighth Circuit under Wirts and other

        24    cases require the Court to look at whether or not the

        25    individual has the ability to hire, fire, and dictate the