STEUBENVILLE - Thirty-five Amish residents in the Bergholz area have filed a $35 million federal lawsuit against the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department concerning a 2007 raid on their property that was part of a child custody case.
The lawsuit claims the sheriff's department's special response team "outfitted in paramilitary uniforms and equipment with automatic guns drawn and ready for engagement" surrounded the Amish schoolhouse and the home of Samuel Mullet, the bishop of the Amish community, in an attempt to retrieve two children who were part of a custody case in Jefferson County Common Pleas Court.
The lawsuit alleges the actions of the sheriff's department were done without probable cause to execute a routine civil law change of custody and violated the civil rights of the Amish residents.
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ABDALLA
The federal case states the defendant's use of "SWAT and paramilitary tactics induced fear and panic, especially among the plaintiffs' minor children, who were forced to flee into their schoolhouse as the defendants entered the premises/ grounds with automatic weapons drawn and ready for engagement."
The lawsuit names the sheriff's department, Sheriff Fred Abdalla and several deputies as defendants. The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages of $10 million and $25 million in punitive damages.
Abdalla, at the time, said there had been allegations of sex crimes within the community and deputies had been threatened by members of the Amish community in the past.
The sheriff said threats were made deputies would be shot if they interfered.
Crist Mullet, 29, a member of the Bergholz Amish community, pleaded guilty Sept. 10 before Jefferson County Common Pleas Judge David Henderson to three counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
Another member of the Amish community also pleaded guilty in county court that he made threats against the sheriff.
Abdalla denied Thursday that he violated the civil rights of the members of the Bergholz Amish community.
"What about the rights of the children who were sexually abused for years and the adults knew about it? I look forward to this going to court and let's put the facts out there and let them be exposed to a jury. I'm not in favor of any settlements (out of court)," Abdalla said.