Parents United Together will follow this tragic story to its conclusion. We encourage you to write letters or do whatever possible to help insure that something like this will never happens again to any of Mississippi's most vulnerable citizens. 

Scroll down for up-dates July, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 2002:Story from 1996: August, 9. 2002
June 25, 2002
Man, Pearl police sign settlement over alleged abuse

Bogus lie detector was lamp shade, cords, resident says

By Sylvain Metz
Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer
PEARL -- Pearl police will suspend two officers for two weeks without pay and make them ineligible for promotion for two years if a resident agrees not to sue over his arrest and alleged harassment.

Pearl Police Chief Bill Slade signed the settlement, a copy of which was obtained by The Clarion-Ledger, after a federally funded advocacy group for people with mental disabilities intervened in the case.

Barbara Gauntt / The Clarion-Ledger
Huey Granger of Pearl said that on June 2, after he went home from work to check on his 16-year-old daughter, he found her boyfriend rummaging through his belongings. Granger then called the Pearl Police Department. Charges were not filed against the boyfriend, but Granger was arrested on a charge which he says he has not been informed of.

Huey Granger, 43, was trying to file charges against a juvenile he caught ransacking his bedroom when the two officers instead jailed him, told him he was charged with a "felony" of falsifying a police report and subjected him to what he described as a bogus "lie detector test." The test consisted of a globe-shaped lampshade and electrical cords leading to a computer, Granger said.

The interrogations involving Granger and his 16-year-old daughter were recorded on videotape.

Slade left the office after signing the document Thursday and, according to Capt. Ronnie Connerly, will be out of the office through June 28. Connerly said the tapes are being kept in a safe place.

"It doesn't look good," said Connerly, who viewed the tape. "There's no way to dignify what happened. I guess that will come out soon enough, though."

On Thursday, Granger said he was presented the agreement stating he would not sue the department and in exchange the charges against him would be dropped. Granger said he felt "pressured" by police and his attorney, Jack Brenemen of Brandon, to sign. With no money for a defense, "I didn't have much of a choice," he said.

"It seems like they are trying to get themselves off the hook," he said.

Brenemen said he didn't pressure his client to sign the agreement. "He's slow to understand," he said of Granger, who described himself as having dyslexia and being a slow learner.

The Mississippi Protection & Advocacy System, a federally funded, nonprofit agency that protects the rights of people with mental impairments, was ready to proceed with legal action -- to depose Slade and subpoena the tape -- when it learned Granger had signed the agreement.
"I just can't believe they would do that to him," said Becky Floyd, executive director of the nonprofit agency. "He is so trusting."

Floyd has contracted with Madison lawyer Shirley Payne to represent Granger. She said Payne would still seek the tapes and all related documents, which she said she was told Monday will be available when an internal investigation is concluded.

The Clarion-Ledger had contacted the agency forcomment about Granger's situation, and Floyd subsequently took on his case.

The officers named in the agreement are assigned to the evening shift.
Neither of the officers could be reached for comment.

Pearl Mayor Jimmy Foster, a former Flowood police chief, said he would review the findings of the internal investigation once it is complete. "Appropriate action will be taken," he said.
Granger said his saga began the night of June 2. He stocks shelves from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. at Wal-Mart and had left work early to go home and check on his 16-year-old daughter after his ex-wife was unable to reach her. He said he found his daughter at home -- and her boyfriend rummaging through his belongings.

Granger said his daughter told him the boy forced his way into the home.
Granger said he chased him from the house and, with the help of two neighbors, stopped him and escorted him back to await police.

When the officers arrived, Granger said, they accused him of making up the story. And when he and his daughter arrived at the police station about 11 p.m. to file the complaint, Granger said they were interrogated, together and separately.

After an hour or so, Granger said his daughter was handcuffed and taken to the Rankin County Jail after apparently changing her story concerning the boyfriend.

She was then turned over to the state Department of Human Services and is at the Baptist Children's Village in Clinton, he said, uncertain why she was taken away.

"They didn't give me any reasons. They made me feel like I was the guilty one. They wanted this guy to go free," Granger said.

In addition, one of the officers, noticing a wedding ring on his finger, asked if he were married. Granger said, when he replied that he'd married a Filipino, the officer told him his marriage was illegal and he could spend "15 years in jail for marrying (someone of) a different race."

Granger said a globe lamp shade, which he described as part aluminum and part clear plastic, was placed on his head. Two yellow cords attached to the globe were run to a nearby computer.

"I knew it was fake," Granger said in a firm, steady voice. "I was scared."

He was told that if he lied "electricity was supposed to flow through my body so I would feel pain."

On the second-to-last question, Granger said the officer stood behind him and slammed his hand or fist down on the desk behind him, causing him to jump.

"'I know you felt it that time,'" Granger recalled the officer telling him.

"No," he replied.

On the last question, Granger said the officer told him this was the "big boom."

"'If you don't answer this question correctly, you are really going to feel it,'" he said he was told.
With that, Granger said the officer struck him in the back of his head, knocking the globe onto the floor and cracking it. "It made my neck pop," he said.

Granger said the officer went back to look at his computer and told him he had failed the entire test. Granger said the officer then cuffed him so tightly the cuffs cut into his skin causing him to bleed. He showed a scar he said was left by the cuffs.

"They never really said" what the charges were, he said.

He was taken, booked and jailed at the Rankin County Jail in Brandon.

A paper from the bonding company states he was charged with a misdemeanor. With a bond set at $1,000, he was released after paying $125.

"It's a weakness in our education of police officers that these types of police officers are not weeded out," Floyd said of the officers' alleged actions.

"There should be psychological tests and interviews to determine if these types of persons would take advantage of people who have disabilities."

Source:  http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0206/25/m05.html   

July 2, 2002

Pearl incident hurts image of all law officers
By Eric Stringfellow

Clarion-Ledger Public Editor

Dennis Franz has always been a favorite.

Franz first stood out as Lt. Norm Buntz of Hill Street Blues, one of the greatest cop shows ever. Buntz was entertaining and he had depth. His exchange with Joyce Davenport after Capt. Frank Furillo was shot was touching.

When he punched the assistant commissioner in the mouth over a dispute, that was entertaining.

Franz has been making his mark of late as Det. Andy Sipowicz, the over-the-edge veteran of the 15th
Squad on NYPD Blue. The wisecracking Sipowicz thrives on the edge. He cheats in lineups and leans on suspects and witnesses during interrogations.

He once designed a makeshift lie detector, where he would slap a suspect on the back of the head if he thought the fellow was lying. It was so effective that the suspect, after one answer, flinched in anticipation of Sipowicz's blow, even though the detective never raised his hand.

Pearl policemen Keith Peterson and Jeff Tims brought Sipowicz to mind last week. But their shameful police work wasn't fun and games.

Episode is on tape
On June 2, Huey Granger left his job at Wal-Mart to check on his teenage daughter. Granger, a self-described "slow learner," said he found her boyfriend inside their home rifling through Granger's belongings.

Granger said the young man fled. Granger gave chase and, with the assistance of two neighbors, subdued him and detained him until police arrived.

But rather than incarcerating the suspect, Granger said Peterson and Tims arrested him, accusing him of fabricating the story and told him he was charged with falsifying a police report.

Granger said then came the interrogation, the harassment, of which the whole episode was videotaped. After learning that Granger was married to a Filipino, Granger said one officer told him the marriage was illegal and he could spend up to 15 years in prison for marrying outside his race.

At some point, Granger said, a globe lamp shade was placed on his head. Two cords attached to the shade were run to a computer. If he lied, Granger said he was told, electricity was supposed to flow through his body. After the last question, one officer hit Granger in the back of the head. Outrageous.

Credibility the issue
Granger, who suffers from dyslexia, was eventually released on $1,000 bond. The charges were dropped after Granger signed an agreement that he would not seek legal action.

According to the agreement, outlined in a June 19 letter from lawyer Jack B. Brenemen to Chief Bill Slade, the two officers were suspended without pay for two weeks and will be ineligible for promotion for the next two years. They also must apologize and pay the cost of Granger's bond.

Slade would not talk about details of the case. He did say the offers were being disciplined. But the punishment, as outlined in the agreement, is inadequate.

It is incomprehensible that officers of the law, sworn to serve and protect, would mock the system by entertaining themselves at the expense of the weak.

Neither Norm Buntz nor Andy Sipowicz would crawl into that gutter.
Pearl Police Capt. Ronnie Connerly, who saw the tape, said "there is no way to dignify what happened."

This kind of conduct is reprehensible and has no place, especially among the ranks of those sworn to serve.

This isn't just about liability. It's about the credibility of the police, in Pearl and elsewhere.

These guys have disgraced the uniform and should be fired.

Source: http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0207/02/leric.html

July 3, 2002

Officials discuss cop's future
Hearing set for officer accused of misconduct

By Sylvain Metz
Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer

PEARL -- The future of a Pearl police officer could be determined within the coming weeks.
The mayor and Board of Aldermen met for nearly an hour Tuesday night behind closed doors to discuss allegations surrounding the conduct of Officer Keith Peterson.

Peterson and fellow officer Jeff Tims are under an internal investigation surrounding the arrest and subsequent treatment of Huey Granger. Their actions were caught on police videotape.

The tape reportedly includes footage of Granger undergoing a fake lie detector test. One of the two officers placed a lampshade on Granger's head. Two electrical cords connected to the globe were run to a computer.

Granger, who suffers from dyslexia and is a slow learner, said he was told if he lied, electricity would flow through his body and cause him pain.

After the closed-door session, Mayor Jimmy Foster set a hearing date for July 16 "if it gets that far" to hear the personnel matter surrounding Peterson. He said he may or may not release those findings.

The closed-door discussion centered only on Peterson, Foster said, adding that neither Tims nor Police Chief Bill Slade were discussed.
Foster said he deliberately has not viewed the videotape, though some aldermen have.

The officers' alleged misconduct, which Foster said the city has not denied, brought harsh words from two citizens who called not only for their ouster but for Slade's dismissal, too.
"I don't want my child growing up thinking a lamp shade could be placed on her head," said Gavin Gill.

This points to a police department "completely out of control," added Jeremy McNinch.
Granger and his 16-year-old daughter were arrested the night of June 2 after Granger called police to file charges against a juvenile he said he found in his home.
The youth, a boyfriend or ex-boyfriend of his daughter, reportedly forced his way into the home and was discovered by Granger rummaging through his bedroom.
Instead of arresting the youth, police interrogated Granger and his daughter and accused them of making up the incident.

After an hour alone under interrogation, the girl recanted her story, Granger said. She was then arrested and eventually turned over to the Department of Human Services. She is now at Baptist Children's Village.

Granger was also arrested on an unspecified misdemeanor charge that was dropped after he signed an agreement with Slade not to sue the city. Slade arranged the settlement after Mississippi Protection & Advocacy System, a federally funded, nonprofit agency that protects the rights of people with mental impairments, intervened in the case.

Granger's attorney, Shirley Payne, subpoenaed the tape June 20, but city officials say they have not received the subpoena.

Source:  http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0207/03/m09.html

July 4, 2002

Fourth of July
Our freedom is being tested today

This is the first Fourth of July since the Sept. 11 attack and so it has a special significance, in terms of celebration and in the dangers and threats to liberty, as well.

Who could have thought a year ago that our leaders would be issuing a warning that our nation could be attacked on this day?

Yet, a week ago, that was the message from the FBI, that officials feared terrorists could strike on our nation's birthday, as we set aside this day to enjoy the blessings of liberty.

From the very beginning, our nation's forefathers conceived the Fourth of July as a day to celebrate freedom.

But don't be misled (our nation's founders certainly weren't), this celebration has a very real purpose: Freedom's continued life is the cause of our joy. It is every bit as worthy for the shedding of blood as it was in this nation's infancy. Freedom is worth celebrating and worth dying for.

Our achievement was the envy of the Earth when it occurred and it's the guiding light for nations around the globe today. That's why forces that don't value freedom are so incensed by our nation's existence. To them, freedom is a hateful thing, something to be limited, resisted.

That is the opposite of freedom.

So, we cannot cringe from or fear expressing our freedom. If we do so, we are achieving the goals of those who work against it, actually doing their bidding. That is the greatest threat to freedom: Robbing ourselves of it.

On this day, as we celebrate freedom, we must remember that our rights were hard won. Generations of Americans have shed blood to attain the liberty we enjoy today. They did not shrink from threats or dire warnings, from anyone.

Many paid the highest price for our liberty today.
How do we honor them by giving away our freedom?

In our zeal to be patriots, we must honor the intent of the founders, that we cannot in the name of security give our freedom away. Liberty is the prize, not security.

We must be secure in our persons and in our property. We must have an ordered society and a government that will protect the people. Our government must be strong.

But we must also remember that the government serves only at the consent of the governed. It only has the power that the citizens give it. It is to serve the people, not control us or rob us of liberty, even if it says it does so to preserve order and security. We celebrate liberty, not government.

Let us remember: Americans are not the threat, nor is our liberty the threat. The threat is by those who would take our liberty away from us, whoever they are, those who seek to exert control over our liberties and limit them.

In our zeal to protect our nation, let us not give away the liberty countless Americans have fought and died to attain.

Our courage, our strength, our power as citizens of a great nation is grounded in proclaiming and defending individual liberty. As a free people, let us celebrate and defend these founding principles of our nation with no fear.

Pearl police

Abuse of citizens can't be tolerated

The public interest generated by the bizarre treatment of a citizen in Pearl by police is testimony enough that a simple slap on the involved officers' wrists is insufficient.

The case involves Huey Granger, 43, who was trying to file charges against a juvenile, an acquaintance of his 16-year-old daughter, he caught ransacking his bedroom.

Two officers instead jailed him, telling him that he was charged with a "felony" for falsifying a police report and subjecting him to a fake "lie detector test" by putting a lamp globe on his head with two wires going to a computer.

He said they also harassed him by telling him that since he is white his marriage to a Filipino woman was illegal.

This behavior was unconscionable and, at most basic, unprofessional. Added to it is that Granger suffers from dyslexia and says he is a slow learner.

During the incident, his daughter was taken away by police in handcuffs, interrogated separately, and put into custody by the state Department of Human Services.

The incident with the "lie detector test" is on police videotape. Pearl Police Capt. Ronnie Connerly said: "There's no way to dignify what happened." The two officers were suspended for two weeks.
But here is where the case gets more disturbing, if possible. Granger was persuaded to sign an agreement stating he would not sue the department in exchange for dropping the unspecified "charges" against him.

Clearly, a questionable use of authority has occurred. The officers involved should not be "suspended," but fired, and the state attorney general's office should look into this matter to see if a civil rights violation occurred.

This type of behavior should not go on in America.

Source: http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0207/04/leditorial.html

July 5, 2002

No tolerance of terrorism includes all

After reading the story of members of the Pearl Police allegedly abusing their positions on a unsuspecting individual ("Man, Pearl police sign settlement over alleged abuse," June 25) I was sick to my stomach.

These men made a pledge to uphold the law and protect citizens but made a mockery of every promise they made. If the hard-working taxpayers cannot trust police officers, then who can we trust? Who do you think we will have to rely on for safety?

You don't want everyone to take the law in their own hands but it will come to that if we cannot trust our police departments. When we were young we were told if anything bad happens, or if you get lost or if you're afraid, you can call the police. Police officers were like Supermen or something, but not anymore.
These men took advantage of a weaker individual instead of protecting him. I can imagine they thought they were cute in their actions; they were not!

We need to take a no-tolerance stance to any type terrorism whether in New York, Washington D.C., or Pearl, Mississippi.

Naomi Barnett
Raymond

Source:  http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0207/05/l01.html

July 5, 2002

Contact Pearl police, mayor over citizen's treatment
As a concerned citizen, I am quite appalled over the treatment of Huey Granger by the Pearl Police Department ("Man, Pearl police sign settlement over alleged abuse," June 25).

This being 2002, I thought the civil rights abuses were far behind us. However, we find it right on our doorstep. This is inexcusable and should not be tolerated. These officers should be vesting the unemployment office, not being suspended.

Moreover, I believe that they should not be allowed to hold any job in public service, no matter what agreement was signed.

Is this how the public wishes their relatives and fellow citizens to be treated?

I am urging every citizen to contact the Pearl Police Department and the mayor of Pearl to let them know this is not acceptable.

Sue Moffat
Brandon
Source: http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0207/05/l02.html

July 5, 2002

Pearl police need sensitivity training

In response to the article ("Man, Pearl police sign settlement over alleged abuse," June 25): I believe that I speak for the vast majority of the disability community when I say that I am simply appalled at the cruelty, ineptitude and gross mismanagement of justice by the Pearl Police Department in this case.

As abuse of any kind should not be tolerated by anyone, we certainly should not expect it from those chosen to uphold the law. The behavior of the two officers in this case calls for their immediate termination, not promises of two weeks with no pay and no promotion for two years!

The fact that Huey Granger signed a settlement under "pressure" indicates to me that the department is aware of the problem with their own officers and hoped the case would quietly go away.
We all fear terrorism. I imagine it is even more frightening when the perpetrators are those you expect to protect you.

To Pearl Police Chief Bill Slade: I suggest you immediately take steps to train your officers on the illegality of abuse of anyone, and see to it that they all receive sensitivity training toward persons with disabilities and learn of the contributions that we make to our communities. Many of our tax dollars, including Granger's, pay your salary.

Christy Dunaway
Project Director

Living Independence for Everyone
(LIFE) Inc.
Jackson
Source:  http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0207/05/l05.html

July 5, 2002

Police sensitivity lessons set
Training for Pearl officers follows alleged abuse
By Sylvain Metz
Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer

As controversy in Pearl continues over the actions of two police officers and the alleged abuse against a local citizen, one group has stepped forward to help educate the department
on handling those with special needs.

Morris Wynn, executive director of the Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, said his organization will present three sensitivity training workshops for officers beginning either this month or next month.

In the meantime, subpoenas issued on June 20 by Shirley Payne, attorney for the victim in this case, Huey Granger, have not yet been served to city officials.

Rankin County Sheriff Ken Dickerson said Wednesday night that he was unaware of the paperwork but added, "if we have them, we will serve them."

Wynn, along with Christy Dunaway, project director for Living Independence for Everyone, approached Mayor Jimmy Foster after learning what Granger encountered while attempting to file a police report against an intruder in his home.

Granger, who said he suffers from dyslexia and is slow to learn, was subjected to a fake lie detector test and alleged abuse at the hands of police. Those actions were captured on police videotape.
A Clarion-Ledger article from November 1996 featured Granger's efforts to better himself.
Then 37, Granger fulfilled the dream of a lifetime -- successful completion of his high school equivalence exam.

One of seven children, Granger escaped from a religious cult in Louisiana when he was 21. Unable to read and barely able to write his name, Granger made it his mission to get an education.

His father, according to the story, was legally blind, leaving his mother to care for the family. What money she had she gave to the church, he said then.

Said Wynn of his interest in the case: "There's nothing we can do after the fact and I wanted the mayor and the city itself to have the opportunity ... to see if we could move along to a better situation and understanding involving the disabled community."

Similar training has been conducted at the Jackson Police Department and Hinds County Sheriff's office, he said.

Foster said that both he and Police Chief Bill Slade met with the two Monday morning to discuss their proposal.

Following that discussion, Foster, a former Pearl police officer, said that Wynn's organization would be given time used for in-service training to teach their program.
In-service training is offered one day per month and Wynn will be given that time slot for three consecutive months, Foster said.

"We agreed that it's something that we needed over there," Foster said.
On June 2, Granger and his 16-year-old daughter underwent an intensive interrogation after Granger attempted to file charges against the intruder, his daughter's former boyfriend, at his home.

During Granger's interrogation, a lamp shade was placed on his head and two attached electrical cords were run to a computer. Granger was told that if he lied, he would get a painful electric shock.
After the last question, Granger said the officer hit him hard on the back of his head, causing his neck to pop.

After reviewing the tapes, Slade offered Granger a written deal. In return for Granger dropping any complaint against the officers -- Keith Peterson and Jeff Tims -- any charges the city had against him would be dropped.

What's more, the officers would be suspended for two weeks, made ineligible for promotion for two years and would apologize. Also, Granger would get his $125 bail back.
Feeling pressured by Slade and his former attorney, Jack Brenemen, to go along, Granger signed the agreement.

Brenemen has denied pressuring Granger.

The Mississippi Protection & Advocacy System, a federally funded nonprofit agency that protects the rights of people with mental impairments, contracted with Payne and was ready to proceed with legal action -- to depose Slade and subpoena the tape -- when it learned Granger had signed the agreement.

On Tuesday, after meeting behind closed doors with city aldermen for about an hour, Foster said that a personnel hearing would be held July 16 to discuss Peterson's actions "if it gets that far," suggesting that action against Peterson might be taken before that date.

Source:  http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0207/05/m06.html

July 11, 2002

Pearl cop quits following probe

Man given fake lie-detector test says he wants to sue city
By Sylvain Metz
Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer

A Pearl police officer has resigned following an internal investigation that found he and a second officer mistreated a man in their custody last month.

However, the victim, Huey Granger, said he's not satisfied and wants to sue the city.
Keith Peterson, who had been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation, submitted his resignation Monday, Mayor Jimmy Foster said.
Foster would not say whether Peterson was forced out.

Peterson, along with fellow officer Jeff Tims, were investigated for their behavior surrounding the arrest and subsequent treatment of Granger, who called police the night of June 2 about an intruder in his home.

The officers' actions, which included administering a fake lie-detector test, were caught on police videotape.

"The videotape speaks for itself," Foster said, acknowledging Granger's allegations were verified.
Tims, who was determined to have played only a "minor role" in the incident, was subjected to less severe disciplinary action, Foster said, adding that the matter is now closed.

"We feel it was an incredibly stupid thing they did," Foster said. "I would hate to have (this incident) reflect on the whole city. It's not what this city is about."

Granger, who has said he suffers from dyslexia and is a slow learner, said Wednesday he expected more.

"I feel like they are trying to cover up for themselves," Granger said. "I wanted more to be brought out in the open."

Granger's attorney, Shirley Payne, obtained a subpoenaed for the tapes June 20. The subpoena arrived at 3:45 p.m. Monday at City Hall.

That subpoena has been turned over to City Attorney Jim Bobo, Foster said.
Granger called police June 2 after finding his 16-year-old daughter's former boyfriend in his home.
He said the youth was rummaging through his bedroom and his daughter told him the boy forced his way into the house.

Instead of arresting the youth, the officers subjected Granger and his daughter to an intensive interrogation after accusing them of lying.
The lie-detector test consisted of placing a globe-shaped lampshade on Granger's head. Two electrical wires attached to the globe were run to a nearby computer. Granger was told when he lied, electricity would course through his body and cause him pain.

On the last question, Granger said he was struck in the back of his head, causing his neck to pop.
Both Granger and his daughter were subsequently placed under arrest. Granger was charged with an unspecified misdemeanor, and his daughter was placed in the custody of the Department of Human Services and is now at Baptist Children's Village.

In an effort to educate the department, Foster and Police Chief Bill Slade have agreed to provide sensitivity training. That training will be offered during regularly scheduled in-service training, which is held one day per month.

The group offering the training, Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, will hold three one-hour sessions with officers beginning in August.

"We're not trying to tell them how to do their job," said Judy Sikes, executive assistant for the agency.

There are times when arrests may well be warranted, she said. However, in such cases, officers need to understand how to approach the subject in question if they have a disability, she said.

Source:  http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0207/11/m04.html

1996

A lifelong dream comes true

Pearl man escapes from cult, then perseveres to obtain GED

By Pamela Berry/ Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer 

When Huey Granger of Pearl escaped from a Louisiana religious cult 16 years ago, he couldn't read and he could barely write his name.

Now, after years of overcoming obstacles, the 37-year-old baker for Jitney Premiere in Brandon has finally passed all sections of the high school equivalency exam.

''It's just really hard for me to believe that I passed. I didn't ever think I would make it,'' Granger said.

Granger, who was told of his passing scores Wednesday afternoon, said it was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream that began in 1980. It was then that he left a small town on the outskirts of Baton Rouge and moved to Mississippi.

The oldest of eight children, Granger was born to a poor farming couple who joined an area church when he was about 7. His father, legally blind, and his mother, who struggled to provide for a large family, gave the little money they earned to the church, he said.

Soon, Granger's education was cut short.

''The leader of the church taught my parents that getting an education didn't mean nothing. They were brainwashed to believe that getting to heaven was the only thing that mattered. He was like Jim Jones, and my parents didn't know any better,'' Granger said.

After being pulled out of public school by his parents, Granger began spending an hour a day attending Bible school. The rest of his time was spent on the highways soliciting money for the church, he said.

''The authorities there were trying to stop us from soliciting. The church also ran an orphanage and they would make the children there beg as well. The law closed down the orphanage and took the children away, but they didn't close the school and we were still there,'' Granger said.

Years later, when he was about 20, Granger said he slipped away unnoticed. ''I didn't tell nobody in my family I was leaving and I didn't have much to take. I just ran off. I called my family on the phone later.''

Threats were made against his life. The religious leader said he was doomed to go to hell. But Granger said he knew he would never return.

Since then, Granger married and now has an 11-year-old daughter. His only remaining goal was to read and write.

His wife, Brenda, whom he met during a church youth gathering, said he worked hard to reach his goal.

''He found out he had dyslexia about a year ago. The fact that he had the condition allowed him to have more time on the test. For a lot of people, getting their GED wouldn't be exciting. But for the circumstances that he came from, it's amazing that he wasn't a drug addict or turned to crime,'' she said.

Being married to a person battling illiteracy has not been easy, Brenda Granger said.

''If I didn't love him, I wouldn't have stayed with him. Sometimes, it was overwhelming because I would have to help him with his reading and help my daughter. He also didn't stick with the same job for long and we would always move so he could find work. It's been a long run,'' Brenda Granger said.

Huey Granger's job searches would lead him to Jackson, then New Orleans and six years later back to Jackson.

''When I was working as a baker for a supermarket in New Orleans, I got about 30 warning notices because I couldn't read anything. But, I worked extra hard to impress them,'' he said.

Three months later, Huey Granger said his employers found out about his illiteracy while conducting inventory.

''They gave me this sheet and told me to count the listed items. I told them I couldn't because I didn't know how to read. At first they got mad. But those who had been down hard roads before would help me. They taught me the words and how to recognize the symbols on the different brands,'' he said.

Frustrated with not being able to write checks, count money, or read a newspaper, Huey Granger began attending a General Educational Development program in New Orleans.

When his employer downsized and he lost his job, a move was made to Pearl. He then enrolled in the Jackson State University Continuing Education Learning Center on U.S. 80. He had been attending classes for four years.

Carol Healy, Jitney Premier bakery manager, is among the people Huey Granger credits for helping him stay on course.

''I couldn't be any more proud of him than if he was my own son. He used to get real discouraged and say he didn't want to attend school the next day. I'd tell him nothing doing, you're going to be there,'' Healy said.

Roberta Pennington, Granger's teacher at the learning center, said, ''He came motivated every day. He's one of the few who has worked as hard as he has and come as far as he has come.''

Unfortunately, there are about 400,000 others struggling with illiteracy in Mississippi, Pennington said.

''We have others the same way. Some that are working just as hard. We want people to remember not to give up,'' Pennington said.

Huey Granger will graduate in a cap and gown during the June 1997 ceremony. His picture will join the hundreds of others who have received their high school equivalency degree. He said he will enroll in vocational classes so he can teach baking.

To those still struggling with illiteracy, Huey Granger said: ''Don't give up. It doesn't matter what has happened in the past. You can overcome it and make a better life for yourself.''
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Source: The Clarion Ledger 1996 

August 9, 2002

Pearl police, lawyer face $1M lawsuit

• Man given fake lie detector test alleges brutality, false arrest