Funny Money and Parenting Classes

Suit may destroy UEP Trust of FLDS
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700247076,00.html

Excerpts

The future of the Fundamentalist LDS Church's real-estate holdings arm may hang on a lawsuit filed by a former child bride.

That's what attorneys for the court-controlled United Effort Plan Trust claim in new court papers filed in Salt Lake City's 3rd District Court. In a renewed motion for summary judgment over a multimillion dollar personal injury lawsuit filed by Elissa Wall, lawyers for the UEP Trust fear that if a judge holds the trust liable — it may not survive.

-------------------------------------

"Given the large number of Mr. Jeffs' victims, and the serious nature of his crimes, the Trust may well lose all of its assets to tort plaintiffs harmed by Mr. Jeffs — leaving nothing for the numerous innocent beneficiaries who presently reside in houses on Trust property."

---------------------------------------

The UEP Trust controls homes, businesses and property in the FLDS strongholds of Hildale, Utah; Colorado City, Ariz.; and Bountiful, British Columbia in Canada. In 2005, a judge took control of the trust and its estimated $110 million assets amid allegations that Jeffs and other FLDS leaders mismanaged it.

---------------------------------------

"Exposing the charitable UEP Trust to liability for the unlawful acts of Warren Jeffs would come at a high cost to the men, women and children currently living in homes on trust land who have never endorsed child rape or any other unlawful acts alleged by plaintiff," he wrote.

Wall's attorney, Greg Hoole, said the lawsuit is not about making anybody rich — but holding people accountable.

"Elissa Wall has made it very clear she does not intend to keep any of the money that will likely be awarded to her," he said. "It's essentially about accountability and the trust needs to step up and be held accountable for its role in the abuses that have been perpetuated against children over the past decades in this community."




FLDS parents to take court-ordered classes
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700247079,00.html

Excerpts

Promising to teach tolerance, awareness and respect of others, the court-ordered parenting classes for members of the Fundamentalist LDS Church are scheduled to finally begin later this week.

The Deseret News has obtained a copy of the curriculum of the programs that parents from the YFZ Ranch in Eldorado, Texas will be required to attend as per the agreement of their children being returned to them in June.

--------------------------------------

Program One is called "Developing Potential." It's billed as an introductory program to provide a child with "the framework for a life rich in family, friends and personal growth. Teaching children these core strengths will allow children to learn to live and prosper together with people of all kinds."

The other programs scheduled to be taught have titles such as, "Attachment," "Self-Regulation," "Affiliation," "Attunement," "Tolerance" and "Respect." Instructors are given 12 handouts with exercises and a 55-slide PowerPoint presentation to complement the programs.

The descriptions for the various classes say the children will be taught how to "form and maintain healthy emotional bonds with another person," "control primary urges," and become aware and tolerant of different races and cultures.

"With positive modeling, caregivers can insure and build on children's tolerance. The tolerant child is more flexible and adaptive," the curriculum says.

Under the title of "Affiliation," children are taught that the family is the child's most important group. "Most other groups they will join are based on circumstance or common interests," according to the curriculum.