Christian league suspends director ‘Outing’ tactic on Web offends board

AUGUSTA – An unsuccessful attempt to blacklist suspected homosexual lawmakers has led the Christian Civic League of Maine to suspend its executive director for engaging in “sinful gossip.”

At a special meeting Saturday, the league’s board of directors voted to relieve Michael Heath of his duties for a month after he posted a request on the organization’s Web site seeking “tips, rumors, speculation and facts” about the sexual orientation of state legislators and political leaders.

The Web request was posted March 5, three days after Heath failed to convince lawmakers to pass a constitutional ban on same-sex marriages. In a prepared statement issued Saturday, the Rev. Dallas Henry said Heath’s suspension should allow him to “reflect on what he has learned from this experience” and identify “what needs to be changed to ensure that it does not happen in the future.”

As president of the league’s board, Henry said he was “fully confident” of Heath’s ability to lead the organization “with integrity” in the future.

But state Rep. Henry Joy, a former member of the league’s board of directors, said he believed Heath’s high-handed efforts to “out” suspected gay politicians has scuttled any future organizational role for the conservative lobbyist.

“I don’t think he can ever be an effective administrator again,” said Joy, a Republican from Crystal. “I honestly don’t.”

Betsy Smith, executive director of the Maine Lesbian Gay Political Alliance, said Sunday the board’s decision to sanction Heath was a “good one and a step in the right direction,” although she wasn’t sure the act of contrition was authentic.

“I don’t know if they’re really sorry for what happened,” she said. “[They’ve] been doing this kind of stuff for a long time.”

Heath refused to take calls Sunday, referring all inquiries to Henry, whose statement to the media indicated the board’s level of discomfort with the executive director’s decision to cross “a line of ethical behavior into a realm of sinful gossip.”

“The board believes that in the heat of a difficult political battle Mike responded to pressure in a manner unbecoming to our Lord’s call to love our enemies and forgive those who offend us,” Henry stated in his release. “The current episode is entirely out of line with the reputation of the man and the organization and has done disservice to our cause to uphold Christian values and morality.”

Heath’s Internet activities set off a furor Wednesday at the State House, where legislative leaders and the governor issued a stinging rebuke, forcing the league spokesman to issue a public apology on its Web site.

“I am sorry for indicating that the league is going to keep a list of the ‘sexual orientation’ of public policy-makers and leaders,” Heath said. “In the midst of fighting for something I feel very strong about, I wrote and said things that I should not have written and spoken.”

But Heath’s apology apparently did not go far enough for the board, which felt it had to take administrative action this weekend. Henry said Sunday that an unscheduled meeting of the board was called Saturday, resulting in Heath’s reprimand. Henry refused to confirm whether Heath would continue to receive his salary for the next month.

“We felt like we needed to ask God if there was anything that we ought to do,” Henry said. “There were people calling for his resignation.”

Acknowledging that “Mike is truly sorrowful for his actions and the damage he has done,” Henry went on to state the board had “reprimanded” its executive director and expressed hope the organization could move forward in its efforts to shape public opinion on issues it deems important.

“We call all citizens to join in extending forgiveness to our brother and making a commitment to debate the important issues with respect for others and with compassion,” Henry said.

During Heath’s absence, his duties will be carried out by Tim Russell, who was hired in January as the league’s lobbyist, and by the office staff in Augusta, Henry said.

In his 11 years as head of the Christian lobbying group, Heath has been a lightning rod for controversy by spearheading legislative efforts to defeat bills extending civil rights to homosexuals and preventing or restricting a woman’s access to abortion services. In 1998, Heath engineered a people’s veto initiative that repealed a gay rights law passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Angus S. King.

Later that same year, Heath announced he was taking a job in Washington, D.C., with the Family Research Council after a series of highly charged confrontations with some of the league’s board members at the organization’s Augusta headquarters.

The clashes over access to the league’s financial records and Heath’s management style climaxed with police being asked to intervene at one point and eventually prompted former Bangor state Rep. Lisa Lumbra and Henry Joy to resign as league board members. The Washington pro-family group, Joy said, rescinded its offer to Heath after concluding the executive director was too controversial.

Joy concluded that Saturday’s board decision was even more remarkable considering the league’s current 11-member board had been “handpicked by Heath.”

“You know you can only trip over your own feet so many times before people are going to say, ‘that’s enough,'” Joy said. “I’m awfully sorry for [Heath], but he obviously didn’t learn anything from the other experiences. This latest development just kind of culminates the type of activity that should not be associated with an organization that has Christian Civic League as its name.”