Westboro Baptist Church faces significant hate speech decision

Fred Phelps and the congregation of Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church have proved that they’re willing to actively protest Marine memorials as an expression of their faith. And also the Supreme Court may have something to say about that, writes The Baltimore Sun. The Supreme Court is deliberating as to whether the Westboro Baptist Church’s protest of a 2006 memorial for an Iraq war veteran veered into hate speech territory, and whether the family of the deceased solider is due a previously awarded (but later rescinded) monetary award for invasion of privacy and emotional distress. Resource for this article – Westboro Baptist Church faces major hate speech decisio by Personal Money Store.

Baptist Church’s act in Westboro being labeled hate speech

Deceased soldier’s father Albert Snyder attended his memorial on March 3, 2006. The Westboro Baptist Church protesters weren’t seen at the memorial however he saw them on Television following the funeral was over. Signs declaring things like “Thank God for dead soldiers,” were what the Westboro protesters had when protesting throughout the memorial at the St. John’s Roman Catholic Church in Westminster, Md.. The Marine served for a “permissive” govt which is what the attack was all about. The Sun reports that the Westboro Baptist Church attacks the Marine who died, his family along with the catholic faith. This is done on a website that is kept up by Phelps’ daughter, Shirley Phelps-Roger.

Lawsuit towards Westboro due to invasion of privacy and emotional distress

Snyder sued Westboro Baptist Church on the grounds of intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy. The jury followed the judge in Baltimore who said that Westboro’s actions were really offensive and inappropriate. The award was only $5 million instead of the $11 million that was requested. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that the Westboro Baptist Church’s messages were protected by freedom of dialog in 2009 which changed the Baltimore verdict.

Now the Supreme Court is listening to Albert Snyder’s appeal. Oral arguments are being heard today. A decision on whether a “private figure” can sue if he is a “target of hateful speech” will come soon, writes the Sun.

Citations

The Baltimore Sun

baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-snyder-arguments-20101006,,5927085.story