Was EllenBeth Wachs of Florida arrested for being an atheist?

July 1, 2011 | Filed under: Anti-Atheism,Secular Press Releases,US | Posted by: Mike Meno

EllenBeth Wachs

EllenBeth Wachs, 48, has been arrested three times in four months by Polk County, Florida, sheriff’s deputies – and she claims it’s because she’s an atheist who has worked to keep prayer out of public meetings.

In a federal lawsuit filed against Polk County Sheriff Gracy Judd, who is an evangelical Christian, Wachs contends that she has been repeatedly arrested on “frivolous criminal charges” because of her work advocating for church-state separation as legal coordinator for the nonprofit Atheists of Florida.

According to Reuters, Wachs first encountered Sheriff Judd in December, “when she filed several public-records requests to look into his decision to donate the Polk County jail’s basketball hoops and other equipment to local churches.” Wachs, a non-practicing lawyer, signed the request with the word “Esquire” after her name. That simple act caused Judd to dispatch what Wachs described as “about 20 paramilitary-garbed police” to arrest her on felony charges of illegally posing as a lawyer. Wach’s own attorney has said using “Esquire” doesn’t violate any bar rules.

And the other two arrests? One came in May, after Wachs allegedly tried to stop some neighbors from playing basketball outside her home by “moaning repeatedly in a sexual manner from an open window in her house, saying ‘Oh John,’ in a crescendo,” according to The New York Times. For that, officers arrested her on felony sex charges and conducted a search of her house, during which they took away a safe. The officers said they found marijuana in the safe, so they arrested Wachs a third time for marijuana possession. All three charges are still pending.

Sheriff Judd, by the way, has received national attention for his efforts to crack down on pornography and sex offenders. And in 2006, around the time Wachs moved to Polk County, Judd made headlines for defending officers who shot to death a man suspected of killing a sheriff’s deputy. The police officers fired 110 rounds of ammunition and hit the suspect 68 times. “I suspect the only reason 110 rounds was all that they fired was that’s all the ammunition they had,” Judd said at the time.

Community reactions to Wachs’ situation have been mixed. Her lawsuit describes Polk County as a place where “Christian prayer rituals are routinely held before government meetings” and school board members have supported the teaching of intelligent design in classrooms. But according to Wachs’ attorney, many local residents are still supportive of his client.

“The community in general, as they saw this whole thing go down, called these events Gestapo-like and retaliatory and scary,” [Lawrence] Walters said. “The community knows what’s happening. We have a sheriff that’s out of control, frankly, that’s misusing his position to the detriment of our client and to the detriment of the First Amendment, and we hope to put a stop to it.”

But others blame Wachs.

Conservative religious leaders in Polk [County] say Wachs has it all wrong. Lynne Breidenbach, a Christian activist and media consultant for churches, says Wachs and other members of Atheists of Florida are the ones who are the cause of the ongoing problems. “This is a community of faith, and faith is very important to the people of Polk County, and if they (Wachs and other atheists) would like to live and work here as members of this community, they need to be more accommodating of us,” Breidenbach said.

Ah, you see? There wouldn’t be a problem at all if the atheists would just shut up and “be more accommodating” of their Christian neighbors.

14 Responses to Was EllenBeth Wachs of Florida arrested for being an atheist?

Karen Allmond July 1, 2011 - 4:51 am

This is outrageous! “This is a community of faith, and faith is very important to the people of Polk County, and if they (Wachs and other atheists) would like to live and work here as members of this community, they need to be more accommodating of us,” Breidenbach said. Are they serious?

Ed-words July 1, 2011 - 7:53 am

What a great place to put up some of those "unaccommodating" billboards!

mrwickey July 1, 2011 - 9:17 pm

wait till the Muzzies show up and impose Sharia…and see how 'accommodating' they can be.

Bob Kropp July 13, 2011 - 6:32 am

Correct me if I'm wrong but on a geologic time line scaled to 24 hours, the total span of known human history comprises the last 30 seconds. We are not that long out of the cave, people, and the scales are still tipped toward the global majority under the heel that fosters ignorance, fear and delusion as virtue. Maybe it will change in the next 2000 years if the zealots don't manage to destroy human life on the planet in order to fulfill their respective "End of Days" scenarios.

swordofreason July 17, 2011 - 7:43 am

Another religious wacko fundie. I mean, what is it going to take to get anything through the skulls of these Booble-thumping morons. She and other atheists need to be more accommodating to people of faith? How about the people of faith being more accommodating to the U.S. Constitution?

Ed-H July 18, 2011 - 7:09 am

So that's Christianity is it? If somebody is not "accomodating" to your religion you send out swat teams to trash their home and car, arrest them on bogus felony charges numerous times, and generally use law enforcement powers to harrass them? Jesus would be pleased would he? Granted Wachs behavior in the dispute with the neighbor was incredibly stupid and immature, but that's not a felony. The first two charges are so obviously trumped up that any reasonable person would also suspect the third charge (marijuana in the safe) is equally bogus.

Gary B. July 19, 2011 - 7:17 pm

Ms. wach's approach to everything is over the top, I cannot believe she is the president of the local chapter?? really?? I have experienced her behavior in social settings, and it is outrageous and strictly her way or the highway….not a good example for 'accommodating "Free thought"' Her lover, John Kieffer(the name she was moaning) and herself conduct pathetic ad-hom attacks and make up lies if someone has a differing opinion… they are hypocrites to their own words and self attached monikers………they shame most Atheists.

Jocta Anoracle August 5, 2011 - 1:59 pm

- ***********************************************RELIGION IS ORGANIZED CRIME! - ***************************************Where are the Federal Protectors of Human Fights? - *********************************************Send that SADISTIC Sheriff to SLOBOVIA! - ***********************************************RELIGION IS ORGANIZED CRIME! -

Dan August 14, 2011 - 8:20 am

Action is required to restore Wach's (and all of our) civil liberties. I will be writing to the Fedreal Justice department demanding that Judd be arrested and tried. Judd must be removed from office and forced to face justice. I will be visiting Mr. Judd with a letter demanding that he step down. This injustice will not stand.

Mary October 17, 2011 - 3:23 pm

She's nuts and loves the attention!

Larry November 21, 2011 - 6:46 pm

Judd is a rea piece of work, he seems to think he can do whatever he wants. Sent deputies all the way to Colorado for something on the Internet, used a decency act to arrest a woman who made a porn site, closed down a friends video store with that same act and also ruined another friends business because he was full service gas station. What a scum bag!

Bill Murray September 17, 2012 - 11:24 am

One more time religion raises its ugly head. A good example is Jim who would just as soon segregate Jews, Muslims, atheists, and anyone else who is not a Christian. He, like so many other fools, believe this is a Christian nation and all other positions or religions carry no weight and have no rights. This thinking is not only dangerous but sadly reflects the position of a typical dumb redneck.