Florida Agenda

ST. PETERSBURG – A well known evangelist whose ministry has been labeled a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is threatening to sue the non-profit civil rights organization for defamation because of the designation.

Bill Keller, the self-described “world’s leading Internet evangelist” and founder of LivePrayer.com, said last week that he plans to file the $100 million defamation lawsuit against the SPLC, the Montgomery, Alabama-based organization noted for its legal victories against white supremacist groups, as well as its legal representation for victims of hate groups, its monitoring of alleged hate groups, militias and extremist organizations, and its educational programs that promote tolerance.

According to Keller, “Groups like the [SLPC] give license to individuals who oppose a Biblical worldview to take whatever actions they deem fit, even acts of violence, to silence those they disagree with.

Sadly, this intimidation has worked, because there are very few like myself who are willing to go into the mainstream media and promote Biblical truth that a large percentage of society now rejects.”

After the suicide last year of gay teen Jamie Hubley, Keller blamed “the homosexual community and media who promote this lifestyle to society,” specifically citing Anderson Cooper, Ellen DeGeneres, and Rachel Maddow, adding that the hosts “validate legally and ethically this choice of sexual behavior and relationships to our children as normal, even desirable behavior!”

FORT LAUDERDALE – The Anti- Defamation League (ADL) of Florida honored Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) Capt. Rick Wierzbicki this week for his direction of the agency’s Hates Crimes/Anti- Bias Task Force, and for “fostering better community relations through authentic and timely actions.”

In a ceremony and presentation held during the Florida ADL’s Regional Board Meeting on Tuesday at the Westin Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Wierzbicki received the prestigious Anti-Defamation League Doris and Murray Felton Excellence in Law Enforcement Award for his “extraordinary efforts in combating hate crimes and bullying in Broward County.” Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the State Attorney of Miami-Dade County and Chairperson of the Selection Committee, said that Wierzbicki’s and the Task Force he commands “exemplifies an ongoing commitment to make your community a better place to live and work.”

Wierzbicki, who was nominated for the commendation by Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti, has also been the recipient of the Dolphin Democrats of Broward County’s Community Alliance Award, and has been cited by both the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for his contributions to promoting the film Bullied.

The documentary—based upon the true story of a gay teen’s court battle to uphold the rights and safety of LGBT students–has done much to raise awareness of the scourge of anti-gay bullying in schools. It has been shown several times in Broward County, most recently in Coral Springs: at that showing, a private citizen donated $25,000 to promote the film and anti-bullying initiatives.

Of their decision to select Wierzbicki, a former Chief of Police of Wilton Manors, the committee wrote: “We concur with Sheriff Al Lamberti, who nominated you for this honor, on your unwavering dedication and involvement with various initiatives.”