Before he became the plaintiff in a federal lawsuit, Oliver “Ollie” Ortolani was a child growing up inside the Community of Jesus.

In this episode of The Cult on the Cape, Bonnie Zampino speaks with Ollie’s former teacher, Nick Gascoigne, who knew him years before his allegations became public. Together, they explore the person behind the headlines: a bright, inquisitive young boy who loved technology, acting, and making people laugh, but who also spoke about long hours of work, separation from his parents, and a childhood that looked very different from that of his peers.

Through the eyes of someone who knew him as a student, listeners will hear a deeply personal perspective on Ollie’s early life, the challenges he faced, and the lasting questions raised by his story.

The episode concludes with an update on the ongoing federal lawsuit against the Community of Jesus, Arts Empowering Life, and the Performing Arts Building Foundation, as well as a discussion of “bounded choice” and the complex realities faced by families raised inside high-control environments.

This is not an episode about legal filings.

It is an episode about a child, a family, and the long journey of understanding what happened after leaving a world they once knew as home.

After 17 years as a sister in the Community of Jesus, Suzan shares the painful and courageous journey that led her to leave everything she knew behind.

In this powerful continuation of her story, Suzan describes daily life inside the community, including relentless work schedules, sleep deprivation, public humiliations, physical abuse, food restrictions, and years of control under community leadership.

She reflects on the slow realization that something was deeply wrong, the fear that kept her trapped, and the year-long process of preparing to escape. Suzan recounts the dramatic day she walked away with little more than a small bag, a passport, and the hope of finding freedom.

But this episode is not only about trauma—it is also about healing. Suzan shares how she rebuilt her life, reconnected with her family after years of separation, found love, and discovered that life beyond a high-control group was possible. Her story is one of resilience, recovery, and the enduring power of reclaiming your own voice.

Whether you are a survivor of coercive control, have loved ones in a high-control environment, or simply want to better understand the lasting impact of these experiences, Suzanne's journey offers both insight and hope.

"It's never too late to get free." – Suzann

At 18, Suzan Ewton left Holland for what was supposed to be a three-month summer job at Rock Harbor Manor on Cape Cod.

It was 17 years before she left.

What began as an opportunity to work at a seaside inn quickly became something far darker. Drawn in by promises of purpose, belonging, and a "special calling from God," Suzan became one of the earliest members of what would grow into the Community of Jesus.

In Part One of her story, Suzan shares the childhood wounds that made her vulnerable, the manipulation that made her stay, and the disturbing realities she witnessed during the group's earliest years—from forced loyalty and public shaming to physical abuse and the creation of a culture where obedience was everything.

This is the story of how a young woman traveled from Holland to Cape Cod—and into a nightmare she never saw coming.