Bishop Eddie Long Slapped With $78 Million Lawsuit

Self-hating homophobe "Bishop" Eddie Long, pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta has been slapped with yet another lawsuit. No, it doesn't have anything to do with him forcing four boys (that we know of) into having sex with him in the church, in his home and in hotel rooms around the world. Aretonnette Ingram, pictured, has filed a $78 million lawsuit against New Birth and DeKalb County, Ga., who she says are responsible for her unlawful 78-day incarceration. Yes, she wants $1 million for each day behind bars -- and why not?! This is America!

[According to Aretonnette,] police arrested her in May 2008 on terroristic threat charges for allegedly threatening to kill herself and her children and to blow up Congressman Hank Johnson's office. Ingram’s lawsuit accuses a youth ministry counselor at New Birth of falsely telling police she heard Ingram make the statements during a phone conversation. Ingram said she called New Birth to request Eddie Long’s help with the kids in her neighborhood. She said the counselor on the other end of the line wasn't being helpful, so Ingram became frustrated and hung up the phone before telling the woman she had just arrived at Rep. Johnson’s Lithonia office to get some assistance with a power bill. “I never said anything threatening or derogatory,” Ingram said. “I know that for a fact.” Ingram told [WSBTV] that DeKalb County police officers, including former Deputy Chief Donald Frank, arrived to Johnson’s office and confronted her about the alleged statements. Her lawsuit alleges that Frank promised she would end up in jail, and that later in the day, officers arrested her. “I sat in jail for 78 days and I literally slipped through the cracks,” said Ingram. Court records show a grand jury later declined to indict Ingram and the case was dismissed. “It would be nice to receive an apology, a formal apology,” said Ingram. “I know that doesn’t seem like much, but if it’s an admission: ‘we messed up.’”

The church, in its response to the complaint, asked the court to drop the case saying their employees had nothing to do with Aretonnette's arrest or incarceration. The case, like Ms Long's sexual coercion case (or mediation) will be tried next year.

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