Alaska educator sues mental institution after being forcibly committed for expressing her faith
Mary Fulp, a respected educator and Alaska’s 2022 Principal of the Year, didn’t expect her heartfelt expression of faith to lead to a heartbreaking ordeal. In January 2023, Fulp was forcibly removed from her home, incarcerated in a psychiatric facility, and injected with psychotropic medications, all because she shared her love for Jesus Christ in a video posted online. Now, Fulp is fighting back with a lawsuit against Mat-Su Regional Medical Center and others involved in what she calls a blatant violation of her civil and religious rights.
As John Blosser reports in Liberty Review, Fulp’s case sparked a national conversation about the intersection of religious freedom, mental health, and civil liberties.
“This traumatic experience is a free citizen’s worst nightmare,” Fulp said. “These are abuses of power, disregard for the law and violations of fundamental and constitutional human rights. »
A testimony of faith leads to unthinkable consequences
Fulp’s ordeal began on January 15, 2023, when she uploaded a video sharing a deeply personal religious experience. In the video, she talks about her love for Jesus and describes receiving the spiritual gift of “speaking in tongues,” a common practice among charismatic and Pentecostal Christians. Although her testimony was a heartfelt expression of her faith, it alarmed some family members, who thought she may be experiencing a mental health crisis.
When Fulp’s family came to her home to express their concerns, she asked them to leave. Instead, they contacted the police. A female officer responded and, after speaking with Fulp, determined that she was “of sound mind and body” and posed no threat to herself or others. The policeman left without doing anything.
However, as detailed in John Blosser’s original report for Liberty magazine, Fulp’s family persisted. They then contacted police again, presenting what they claimed was a court order requiring a psychiatric evaluation. Based on this document, the officers returned to Fulp’s home, handcuffed her and transported her to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.
“Actually, I’m being taken because I love Jesus,” Fulp recalled thinking at the time. “I’m in the back of a police car for my testimony. And so here I am, undergoing a psychological evaluation because I love Jesus.
A fake document and a system failure
Two days after Fulp’s involuntary commitment, authorities discovered that the court order submitted by his family was a fake. By then, the damage was already done. Fulp was strapped to a stretcher, forcibly injected with psychotropic drugs and held in a cold, dark hospital room for three days. During his imprisonment, staff allegedly violated his HIPAA rights by discussing his case with unauthorized individuals.
“It appears we made an error in transporting the adult female for evaluation,” Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell admitted in a statement. “Our staff should have taken additional steps to verify the information presented by the plaintiff and the validity of the court order. We take full responsibility for this and would like to assure the public that we are taking the necessary steps to ensure that such incidents never happen again.
But for Fulp, the apology rings hollow. “My faith is not a disorder, it is my strength,” she said. “Instead of respecting my right to freely express my religion, the defendants dismissed my beliefs as “delusions” and “religious concerns.” This discriminatory mindset shaped their reckless decisions, leading to the physical, emotional, and spiritual harm I endured. »
A broader human rights issue
Fulp’s case, as John Blosser’s reporting for Liberty magazine points out, has sparked outrage among civil rights advocates and religious freedom organizations. The Citizens’ Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR) has condemned the use of involuntary psychiatric commitment, calling it a violation of human rights.
“The policies of involuntary detention and forced treatment in the United States are unworkable and harmful,” CCHR said. “Involuntary commitment is a fate that can be worse than criminal incarceration, even if in the case of commitment for mental health reasons, the person has not committed a crime. »
Jan Eastgate, president of CCHR International, echoed these sentiments, describing the psychiatric system as one that “exhibits human rights abuse and deprives individuals of their inherent rights.”
Fight for justice and reform
Fulp’s lawsuit against Mat-Su Regional Medical Center seeks not only to bring accountability for the harm she suffered, but also to bring about systemic reforms to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. His legal team is calling on behavioral health centers to adopt policies that respect patients’ legal and constitutional rights, including their right to religious freedom.
“The people who defend me are looking into every violation that happened to me,” Fulp said. “We will right these wrongs in a very public and powerful way. »
Fulp’s case is a stark reminder of the fragility of civil liberties and the potential for abuse within systems designed to protect public health. Her courage to speak out has already inspired others to question the ethics of involuntary psychiatric treatment and advocate for greater protections for religious expression.
As Fulp continues his fight for justice, one thing is clear: his faith remains unwavering. “I love Jesus and no one can take that away from me,” she said. “What happened to me was wrong, but it only made me more determined to stand up for what I believe in.” »
For Mary Fulp, the question is no longer: “What would Jesus do?” but rather: “What will we do to ensure this doesn’t happen again?” »
Originally published in The European Times.
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