BALTIMORE (AP) — A federal judge in Baltimore is ordering Topeka’s Westboro Baptist Church to pay more than $3,000 in costs related to the funeral of a Marine the group picketed.
Albert Snyder of York, Pennsylvania, is suing because church members demonstrated at the funeral of his son, Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder.
Church members also posted pictures of the protest on their Web site.
Corporal Snyder was killed in Iraq in March.
Westboro Baptist Church
The Westboro Baptist Church is a hate group masquerading as a Christian church. Led by Fred Phelps, members of this church target homosexuals with messages of hate.
The group’s extremist views and despicable behavior mark it as a cult of Christianity
The lawsuit was filed in June. It says church members violated the family’s right to privacy and defamed the Marine and his family at the funeral and on the church’s Web site.
Court documents say the church has 30 days to make the payment to Snyder.
Original title: Topeka Church To Pay Marine Funeral Costs