When vandals defaced a sign outside the First Baptist Church in Gravois Mills, Mo., because it read "Homosexuality is an abomination, there is forgiveness," Pastor Ted Haynes called local law enforcement and the FBI.

The vandals actually did more than just spray paint the sign. They left obscene and intimidating messages on the church's answering machine and told a church member that if the sign wasn't removed, they would remove it.

"What I wanted to do was just get it on record, in case our church got burned down, because there is that possibility," Haynes said. "I was concerned that we should have something on the record — that they should know about it."

Even though the incident could be classified under federal law as a hate crime, though, the FBI refused to get involved. Haynes said an agent told him he should expect a negative reaction if he was going to post such an "inflammatory" message on his sign.

"He said, 'I just want to tell you that if you do anything to these people — call them names or whatever, you'll be violating their minority constitutional rights,' " Haynes said.

FBI spokesman Jeff Lanza confirmed an agent took a phone call about the vandalism but chose not to become involved.

"Based on the information that was provided during the phone call," Lanza said, "we did not pursue further investigation."

Richard Ackerman, an attorney with the Pro-family Law Center, said it is unbelievable that the FBI would side with the vandals.

"These people are vandalizing this guy's sign because they don't like the religious message on it," he said, "If anybody's committed a hate crime, it's the people who damaged the signs."

There is a glimmer of good news for Haynes, though: Local law enforcement officials are following up on the vandalism charges.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
To learn more about the issue of hate crimes, please read the Citizen magazine feature "The Hate Crimes Express," by Matt Kaufman.