CSM
Senior Member
Washington Post
June 6, 2006
Pg. B5
Father Of Slain Marine Sues Church, Pastor
Attorneys for the father of a Marine whose funeral in Westminster, Md., was disrupted by members of a Kansas church who displayed signs proclaiming anti-gay statements filed a civil lawsuit in federal court in Greenbelt yesterday against the church and its pastor.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Al Snyder, whose son, Matthew A. Snyder, 20, was killed in a non-combat-related vehicle accident in Iraq on March 3, according to a Web site set up on behalf of the Marine.
On March 10, Phelps and members of his church protested Snyder's funeral at St. John's Catholic Church by holding signs that denigrated gays and said God hated gays, according to the lawsuit. In addition, Web sites maintained by Phelps and his followers accused Snyder's parents of teaching him to divorce, commit adultery and to "support the largest pedophile machine in the history of the entire world, the Roman Catholic monstrosity," according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit accuses Phelps and his followers of defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
-- Ruben Castaneda
June 6, 2006
Pg. B5
Father Of Slain Marine Sues Church, Pastor
Attorneys for the father of a Marine whose funeral in Westminster, Md., was disrupted by members of a Kansas church who displayed signs proclaiming anti-gay statements filed a civil lawsuit in federal court in Greenbelt yesterday against the church and its pastor.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Al Snyder, whose son, Matthew A. Snyder, 20, was killed in a non-combat-related vehicle accident in Iraq on March 3, according to a Web site set up on behalf of the Marine.
On March 10, Phelps and members of his church protested Snyder's funeral at St. John's Catholic Church by holding signs that denigrated gays and said God hated gays, according to the lawsuit. In addition, Web sites maintained by Phelps and his followers accused Snyder's parents of teaching him to divorce, commit adultery and to "support the largest pedophile machine in the history of the entire world, the Roman Catholic monstrosity," according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit accuses Phelps and his followers of defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
-- Ruben Castaneda
