Washington County Prisoner Sues Jail Over Religious Music

FAYETTEVILLE — A Washington County jail detainee has filed a lawsuit contending he has been forced to listen to various religious radio programming that conflicts with his beliefs.

Bobby Dewayne Williams said he’s from Louisiana and his religion is Voodoo.

“County Detention Center is big enough to have a room for the ones that’s with that kind of religion and not be having it forced on the ones that’s not,” according to Williams’ complaint. “Why and how can Washington County Detention Center force religion on someone with music that preachers can bring into the pods and force everyone to hear when it’s enough the radio that you all play from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. does not play nothing about no news that can inform us on what’s going on with our loved ones that’s on the outside?”

The suit names Sheriff Tim Helder, Bill Trueblood, jail chaplin, and Kelly Donny, described by Williams as a preacher who brought a radio into the pod where Williams was housed.

The civil rights lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Fayetteville, seeks unspecified punitive damages.

Officials at the Sheriff’s Office said they haven’t been served with the lawsuit and, therefore, had no comment Thursday on the merits of Williams’ complaint.

Spokeswoman Kelly Cantrell said the jail’s policy is to reasonably accommodate religious beliefs of all detainees.

Williams is listed in the jail roster as being on hold for another department.

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