HUNTSVILLE, Tenn. — A rural East Tennessee school system has canceled classes after a demonstration was planned by a religious group.
WATE-TV reported the schools were closed today because the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., announced it would stage a demonstration over the traffic crash deaths of four Scott County High School cheerleaders last month.
Schools director Sharon Wilson said it was inconceivable that anyone would say the deaths were divine retribution for the sins of the people in Tennessee, which the group is claiming.
Sheriff Anthony Lay said he expects the protesters will be met by a local group opposed to them and said he hopes both sides will be civil.
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Is this story a hoax? It seems too strange to be true.
Sounds like this is a fanatical, splinter sect or cult of some sort.
Or maybe their pastor and steward simply need the publicity, higher membership and/or money.
"Divine retribution", indeed. How about false interpretations on the part of the Kansas group.
Why did they pick Tennessee, of all places? They must have run out of Kansas schools to protest against...either that or they got tired of all that tar and feathers.