Fred Phelps is a homophobic minister from Topeka Kansas. He and
his congregation have picketed other churches that welcome gays and
lesbians. He picketed President Clinton's mother's funeral, the
funeral of Randy Shilts and
other people that have died from HIV.
On June 29, 1994 Jon Michael Bell, a former reporter hired to
investigate Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church by Stauffer
Communications, Inc.,filed a lawsuit in Shawnee County District Court in
Topeka, Kansas against Stauffer Communications alleging the Topeka
Capital-Journal owed him compensation for overtime and to clarify
ownership of his notes and work product. The work product in question,
"Addicted to Hate" chronicling
the life and times of Fred Phelps, was
attached to the lawsuit as Exhibit A making it, therefore, a public
document. Here are the papers as filed with the court, and the
article in question. More background is also included in this very
long article.