Let’s don’t forget there are some people who have raised some valid observations pertaining to the actions and conduct of Matt and Laura Parker; Founders of The Exodus Road
Ted Lyons
The Exodus Road have had many allegations levied against them. I would like to share of few of these allegations, and explain my concerns.
My intent is just to discover the truth. However, it seems implausible for Matt Parker to tell the truth. These claims from the Open Letter are not just frivolous allegations. These are serious in nature, and they are deeply concerning. These allegations, along with the perceived operating practices in which The Exodus Road operates appear to be a determent to other individuals and organizations fighting human trafficking and exploitation.
My first question is, why was the Open Letter article removed from Medium?
Why has the author of the letter, as well as the signers of the letter gone silent?
Here is a link to the open letter. You will find it has been taken down.
If you look at the link below you will find a snap shot of the Open Letter.
https://theexodusroadtruth.ru/open-letter-to-the-exodus-road/
I understand this might not be verifiable in your opinion. However, it is a good place to start asking questions.
Let’s take a look at the allegations and I will share my thoughts pertaining to the alleged statements.
- Here is the initial allegation.
“The most egregious event took place in August 2017 on a TER staff retreat in Thailand where two senior staff, Joe Hayes and Alex Saxby, drugged and then sexually assaulted an unconscious TER employee. A third TER employee, Todd Andrews, recorded the event on his cell phone. Months later, Andrews informed Matt Parker of the evidence. Parker convinced Andrews not to show the footage to the victim due to the negative consequences it would bring upon the organization. Andrews agreed to conceal the evidence from the victim, but changed his mind the day before the victim was to leave the country. Andrews then showed the evidence to the victim, who, as a result of having been drugged, was not aware the assault had taken place until viewing the footage. One month later, the victim traveled back to Thailand in order to file a report with the Thai police.”
Here are my thoughts.
Why have these individuals gone quiet about such disturbing allegations? These individuals need to explain why they are no longer speaking out.
Also, if there was a police report filed with the Thai police, there needs to be an investigation into that report.
- These are allegations that are extremely disturbing. There are laws being violated here. You cannot dismiss these allegations with an explanation.
“This staff retreat where the assault took place was funded by donor dollars.
At the same staff retreat, Andrews recorded the aforementioned senior staff receiving oral sex from Thai women. This too was paid for by donor dollars.
Saxby was also allegedly fired in January 2018 as a result of the evidence. His current whereabouts are unknown. His position was funded by donor dollars.
Andrews was promoted to Director of Delta Ops. This position is funded by donor dollars.
In addition to the events outlined above, a culture of sexually violent, explicit language and sexually inappropriate behavior had already been established by leadership in the workplace and on investigative deployments. In fact, in November 2017, Hayes was reported to TER executive leadership and to the board of directors for sexual misconduct in the workplace. A subsequent “internal investigation” was conducted, but corroborating witnesses were never questioned and no known disciplinary action against Hayes was taken. Soon after, the staff member who filed the report against Hayes was terminated.”
- Here are my thoughts.
These are hard allegations to prove since individuals are not speaking out about this anymore. So, I would like to know, why don’t they speak out about this anymore?
Also, even if these accusations cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, there are definitely some concerning issues that continue to follow The Exodus Road?
- These allegations are not baseless. There is an alleged police report filed with Thai police.
“The Thai Country Director for TER (2018-2019) strongly objected to the unethical rehiring and promotion of Hayes for fear she would have to work closely with a man who had been reported for sexual misconduct and fired for sexual assault. Yet, expressly ignoring her concerns, Hayes was rehired and promoted to a position of authority over her. She was forced to report to him directly and was threatened that any resistance to his leadership would be considered insubordination.
This same woman courageously raised concerns and vocally challenged financial misconduct within the organization. These concerns included embezzlement and forged signatures by TER staff as well as false budget reporting and unethical auditing practices by Matt Parker. She was blamed for insubordination, quickly terminated, had her wages withheld, and was met with legal action by Matt Parker in Thai court. She feared for her safety and checked herself into a hotel after Thai co-workers informed her they had been instructed to remove financial documents from the office and that Matt Parker attempted to break into a locked office where she had stored the financial documentation.
The Thai court found in favor of the Country Director and determined there was, in fact, conspiracy to terminate committed by Matt Parker, and ordered TER to pay her severance.”
- My Thoughts
Find the police report! Find the fired employee. There is an alleged judgment against The Exodus Road.
This is a good place to start asking questions. One final question to ask yourself. Do we really need an organization like The Exodus Road, all the “volunteer cowboys,” and the “Hollywood” wannabe, Matt Parker sharing false narratives and deceiving good people out of their hard earned money?
Leave a Reply