Action 3 News - Omaha, Nebraska News, Weather, and Sports | Westboro Church Member Faces Charges in Sarpy County Court
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A Kansas woman, whose church protests at military funerals, was in court in Sarpy County this morning. Shirley Phelps-Roper was arrested in June after her 10-year-old son stood on an American flag at a military funeral. She is now facing charges of flag mutilation, disturbing the peace, contributing to the deliquency of a minor, and child abuse. Her church group goes around the country claiming soldiers are dying as punishment for America's tolerance of homosexuality. Last week, a Maryland judge ordered the Westboro Baptist Church to pay $11 million to the family of one soldier.
Phelps-Ropers says, "America is doomed. It doesn't matter how many times you experiment with my liberties. It doesn't change the fact, soldiers are dying. God hates fags, God hates America. America is doomed."
Phelps-Roper has 11 children, five were at the protest in Bellevue where she was arrested.
Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov says, "I'm more and more convinced these kids are put in peril every time when they're out being forced to do adult type activities."
Phelps-Roper says the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that she and her children can stand on the flag, or even burn it. Sarpy County Attorney Polikov says when the Justices made that ruling in 1990 they didn't anticipate what Phelps-Roper and her children would be doing at soldiers' funerals.
Reported by Lauren Luger: lluger@action3news.com
