Barry A. Hazle Jr., Atheist, Wins Nearly $2 Million In Settlement Over Faith-Based Rehab. A California atheist has won a settlement of nearly $2 million after being sent to jail on a parole violation for objections he made about participating in a faith-based rehab program. Barry A. Hazle Jr., 46, served time for a conviction of methamphetamine possession in 2007. As a condition of his parole, he was enrolled in a drug treatment program where participants were required to acknowledge a higher power, according to the Sacramento Bee. Hazle complained and asked for a different treatment program, but was told the only option in his area was the faith-based, Westcare 12-step program, according to the Record Searchlight. Hazle was sent back to jail for more than three months for allegedly being “disruptive, though in a congenial way, to the staff as well as other students and being sort of passive-aggressive,” the paper reported. I’m thrilled to finally have this case settled, Hazle told the Searchlight. It sends a clear message to people in a position of authority, like my parole agent, for example, that they not mandate religious programming for their parolees, and for anyone else, for that matter. huffingtonpost/2014/10/15/barry-a-hazle-jr-atheist-settlement_n_5987630.html
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 23:12:36 +0000