Racist FLDS Sect Hit With Multimillion Award in Arizona
A jury in Phoenix has returned a record $5.2 million award, concluding that two cities in Utah and Arizona controlled by the (FLDS) engaged in a pattern of religious discrimination and intimidation.
The jury award went to Ronald and Jinjer Cooke, who brought a federal civil rights lawsuit. They claimed they were denied water, sewer and electrical service after moving in 2008 to the area of Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah 鈥� twin cities known as Short Creek that are heavily dominated by the polygamous FLDS sect. Without the services, the couple was forced to live in a 35-foot travel trailer.
Significantly, the state of Arizona joined in the couple鈥檚 lawsuit, helping to convince the jury that the cities are engaging in ongoing violations of the federal Fair Housing Act and Arizona Fair Housing Act.
Elected and municipal officials in the two cities, including the police chief, are members of the FLDS, identified as an anti-black, homophobic and antigovernment hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The FLDS is a breakaway from the far more mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Saints, which abandoned polygamy, or 鈥減lural marriage,鈥� in the late 19th century.
During the trial, evidence and testimony revealed the municipalities and their officials deliberately discriminate against non-FLDS members, hoping to drive them from the communities.
鈥淐learly, this is the largest jury award ever against FLDS-controlled municipalities 鈥� the cities of Hildale and Colorado City,鈥� the Cookes鈥� attorney, William G. Walker of Tucson, told Hatewatch today.
鈥淭he claim was the cities were controlled by the FLDS and discriminated against the Cookes by denying them culinary water, sewer service and electrical power from 2008 to the present,鈥� Walker said. 鈥淭he discrimination continues to this day.鈥�
The jury award doesn鈥檛 end the case because the panel agreed with a claim brought by the Arizona Attorney General Office, finding that the Cookes aren鈥檛 the only victims, that the FLDS-controlled cities of Hildale and Colorado City engage in a 鈥減attern and practice鈥� of discrimination against others. That finding allows the state of Arizona, which can鈥檛 get a monetary award, to return to court and ask Senior U.S. District Judge James A. Teilborg for an injunction ordering an end to the practice and statutory fines. Legal paperwork initiating that phase is expected to be filed in the next few weeks.
When the Cookes filed their discrimination suit in June 2010, the state of Arizona agreed with their claim and was allowed by a judge to join in the litigation as an intervener.
But then the cities retaliated against the Cookes, the jury determined, using 鈥渃oercion, intimidation and interference.鈥� Evidence at trial showed those acts included having Cooke鈥檚 brother, Seth Cooke, arrested on criminal charges that were later dismissed, and filing a civil suit against Ron and Jinjer Cooke that was later dismissed.
During the 23-day trial, the jury was shown evidence taken in two FLDS raids in Texas and Utah, Walker said. That evidence including written orders 鈥� so-called 鈥渄ictations鈥� 鈥� from the sect鈥檚 leader, Warren Jeffs, issued both when he was a fugitive and later, after he was imprisoned for sexual offenses against young girls. Jeffs, who is still in prison, has preached that black people are the descendants of Cain, 鈥渃ursed with black skin鈥� and selected by God to be the 鈥渟ervants of servants.鈥�
FLDS member and current Colorado City Mayor Joseph Allred didn鈥檛 want to answer questions about Jeffs鈥� orders when he was subpoenaed as a witness during the trial. 鈥淗e took the stand and invoked the Fifth Amendment [against self-incrimination] to more than 50 questions we put to him,鈥� Walker told Hatewatch.
Experts believe there are an estimated 10,000 FLDS members living in various communities throughout the United States. In the past, there also have been FLDS communities in Eldorado, Texas; in Edgemont, S.D.; and in the tiny Colorado communities of Cotopaxi, Florence and Mancos, in addition to Short Creek and in Boundary County, Idaho, at the Canadian border.
FLDS members adhere to some of the early-day teachings of the Mormon Church, believing the only way to heaven is for men have multiple 鈥渃elestial wives,鈥� bearing as many children as possible. They don鈥檛 celebrate Christmas, nor do they condone rock music, comic books, cartoons or makeup.
The modern-day LDS church renounced polygamy in 1890 to allow Utah to gain statehood. The church currently denounces the FLDS movement, even though plural marriage theology remains in its 鈥渄octrine and covenants.鈥� It gave up its last anti-black policies in 1978.
