Homophobic church to pay millions in damages
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- November
- 1
Many were incensed when members of a homophobic church visited Rockland in 2004 and protested gays by trampling an American flag and thanking God for 9/11. That church is now gaining even more of an unsavory reputation for protesting the funerals of U.S. military members who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Members of Westboro Baptist Church, the Kansas-based organization led by the controversial Rev. Fred Phelps, pickets the funerals, often carrying signs and chanting slogans that say God is punishing the United States for homosexuality by killing and injuring its servicemen and servicewomen.
Yesterday, a Baltimore court awarded the family of one of those veterans about $11 million in damages. According to the Associated Press, the family of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder  who died in Iraq in a 2006 vehicle accident  had sued Phelps and other Westboro Baptist leaders for emotional distress and invasion of privacy.
Members of the church protested at Synder’s funeral and displayed signs including one that read, “Thank God for Dead Soldiers.�
Phelps is reportedly shrugging off the jury’s decision, saying the First Amendment protects his views and that the award will be overturned in appeals court.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, November 1st, 2007 at 1:09 pm by Suzan Clarke.
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