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Pastor suing Whole Foods over homophobic slur on cake admits he made it up.

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Plum

Member
Isn't that, like, one of the Ten Commandments, or something?

You musn't have read them. They go like this:

The Ten Commandments*

- insert commandments here -

*Only applicable to non-Christians. Christians who want to go against them can do what they want, it's all cool.
 
How exactly did he think this was going to work?

This man has leveled up his idiocy multiple times. We're dealing with an Omega level idiot here.

I'm interested in seeing what repercussion he'll be facing. Going, "LOL my bad" after he made this shit up and tried to sued someone doesn't seem like enough of a deterrent for the next shit head that wants to extort some company too.
 

GhaleonEB

Member
I have to say that Whole Foods was ace here. They immediately backed up their employee and sought counter legal action to protect him and themselves. They had posted photos of this asshole clearly viewing the cake before leaving hours after the media ran the story.

I imagine that pastor did not know that the employee was part of the LGBT community.

Yup, they handled this perfectly, in defending their employees and then taking evidence public. It blew back on the pastor almost immediately.
 

Pizoxuat

Junior Member
I don't shop at Whole Foods, but I have respect for them for backing up their employees and for dropping the suit once it was no longer necessary. Class act from top to bottom.
 

TS-08

Member
I'm interested in seeing what repercussion he'll be facing. Going, "LOL my bad" after he made this shit up and tried to sued someone doesn't seem like enough of a deterrent for the next shit head that wants to extort some company too.

Other than a hit to his reputation, I'm not sure what you expect. Whole Foods is dismissing their counterclaim. There is probably not much to charge him with criminally, and I doubt the prosecutor will bother even if there was something he or she could make stick. I think this story is basically over.
 

GhaleonEB

Member
I always wonder in stories like this: what did the lawyers know? Did they take the case believing his story (despite the holes in it, and the evidence), or did they know it was bogus and go for it anyways, hoping for a settlement?
 
It's great PR for them in a way. Forgive and forget.

I have to say that Whole Foods was ace here. They immediately backed up their employee and sought counter legal action to protect him and themselves. They had posted photos of this asshole clearly viewing the cake before leaving hours after the media ran the story.

I imagine that pastor did not know that the employee was part of the LGBT community.

Amazing how well this worked out for Whole Foods, lol

He handed them an amazing marketing gift

I always wonder in stories like this: what did the lawyers know? Did they take the case believing his story (despite the holes in it, and the evidence), or did they know it was bogus and go for it anyways, hoping for a settlement?

The latter, surely, what did they have to lose? The negative attention was always going to blow back on the pastor, not them. They get a bit of free publicity and a potential windfall without really suffering any potentially major consequences if the case goes sour.
 
Man I hope his lawyer cronies cost a pretty penny so it puts that scumbag further in debt. So many people going through legitimate plight and persecution, and he has the gall to try to cash in on that. Fuck that guy.
 

Zelias

Banned
Was fairly obvious from the start that this was a hamfisted attempt to get publicity/money for his fledgling church. Glad he's been exposed. Quite big of Whole Foods to drop the suit too, but I guess they're satisfied.
 
Crap like this just undermines everything.

Maybe that's what he wanted, I don't know.

Either way I feel that when something like this comes up you have to doubt it immediately, and that's too bad because there probably is some gay person who got dealt a homophobic slur somewhere and could actually use social support or any marginalized person that is called names or harassed or threatened.

It makes my blood boil that he tried to do this, especially since he presides over a church that's supposed to help out the LGBT community.
 

TS-08

Member
Was fairly obvious from the start that this was a hamfisted attempt to get publicity/money for his fledgling church. Glad he's been exposed. Quite big of Whole Foods to drop the suit too, but I guess they're satisfied.

Whole Foods was satisfied and probably realized they would spend more time and money on a lawsuit than what it's worth for what damages they could ever hope to actually recover.
 

FlyinJ

Douchebag. Yes, me.
What a ridiculous plan. So he planned to throw some innocent person who worked in the bakery under the bus?
 

nicanica

Member
You'd think but religious and political scandals are almost one and the same. Chances are his parish overlooks his "blunder" and continues to show support.

Nope. Very likely he is forced to step down or voted out while the church searches for a new pastor.
 
Could the employee in question decide to sue? It's not just Whole Foods he slandered. I'm sure that employee was worried sick about being branded as a bigot.
 

Chuckl3s

Member
Could the employee in question decide to sue? It's not just Whole Foods he slandered. I'm sure that employee was worried sick about being branded as a bigot.

I think only if their name was mentioned in the original lawsuit. I'm assuming here. I ain't no lawyer.
 
I think only if their name was mentioned in the original lawsuit. I'm assuming here. I ain't no lawyer.

Even if they weren't named, this kind of thing would cause extreme distress. God knows I'd be worried for my job and future. Good luck finding another job if things aren't found in your favour.

Somebody shouldn't be allowed to make such an extreme statement against you as an individual, and if they confess to it being false, then you should be able to take action.
 

TS-08

Member
Could the employee in question decide to sue? It's not just Whole Foods he slandered. I'm sure that employee was worried sick about being branded as a bigot.

It's possible, but she will have a problem of proving harm since she wasn't publically identified and the local Whole Foods, and then the corporation itself, was so quick to stand by her that there was almost no time for her to suffer any actual damage. Texas may allow defamation per se claims, meaning she doesn't have to assert a specific injury, but I don't know. She could assert some infliction of emotional distress claim, but those are typically hard to recover for as you have to plead more harm than just that the thing made you upset.

Regardless, she will have to determine whether it is worth it to even get a judgment against this person, as he probably has no means to pay a judgment and may not for a long time, if ever.
 

Dalek

Member
I always wonder in stories like this: what did the lawyers know? Did they take the case believing his story (despite the holes in it, and the evidence), or did they know it was bogus and go for it anyways, hoping for a settlement?

I was wondering this too.
 

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
I would shake the hand of anyone who goes to his church and calls this dude out on his decidedly in Christian like actions in front of his congregation.
 
When your job is quite literally stand up in front of a room of people and tell people about things that never happened...

Damn.

As far as I'm concerned, they should have kept the suit going, but whatever. I guess in the end he lucked out. I would hope this ruins his credibility for being a "Pastor" anywhere else.
 
I was wondering this too.

I always think of Lionel Hutz

"You in here for...MURDER?! Even if I lose I'm famous"


I assume they don't care if it's true of not. It's a civil case, not legal. They don't have the burden of proof and it's high profile. No one really knows who they are and like someone said, if this happens, then it's all on that guy and not them.

So, fuck it, take the case. I'll assume they thought they could get a settlement even if it was a lie.
 
He's lucky he's not getting sued to hell and back for slander.

That's the thing about lawsuits, though...unless the dude has some massive wealth, they'll never get anything out of him in a slander suit. It'd be a waste of their time and money to do it.
 

mre

Golden Domers are chickenshit!!
I imagine his statement had to be very carefully worded as the countersuit was still on the table when he made it.
Nah, I imagine the dismissal of the countersuit was already negotiated pending his apology before he made his statement.
 

Javaman

Member
Scumbag asshole. At least he owned up to it which is more than can be said for others like him.

The only reason he owned up for it is that he got caught. They probably agreed to drop the countersuit if he admitted wrongdoing. Very generous on their part. He's a scumbag.
 
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