Lesbian claims police 'took her to evangelical gay conversion therapists instead of drug rehab'

Claim: Lesbian Amanda Booker alleges police officers paid two evangelicals $600 to turn her straight

A lesbian woman is taking a sheriff's department to court after it allegedly paid two self-styled evangelicals $600 to turn her straight.

Amanda Booker claims officers at Bartow County Sheriff's Department in Georgia took her to a pair of gay conversion therapists instead of a drug rehabilitation centre.

Ms Booker, who is now in custody after a separate incident, is suing county officials - including the Sheriff and County Commissioner - for violating her constitutional rights.



She names several officers in the lawsuit, and claims she was left traumatised because their normal policy was to 'punish homosexuals'.



But Sheriff Clark Milsap denies all allegations concerning the incident, and laughed when confronted by local newspaper the GA Voice.

He said: 'I haven’t been served (with papers). But, no ma’am, that is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard in my life.'

County Commissioner Clarence Brown also declined to comment on the suit because he had not yet seen it.



According to the lawsuit, the incident happened in April 2010, after Ms Booker's family called police and asked them to commit her to a psychiatric hospital because of her drug addiction.

She claims the deputies who collected her deliberately ignored an order issued by a judge to take her to Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital.



She suffered a seizure in the car, and was taken by ambulance to Cartersville Medical Center where she was met by a number of officers including Lieutenant Mark Mayton.

Accused: Ms Booker names several Bartow County officials in the lawsuit, including Sheriff Clark Milsap, pictured, and Commissioner Clarence Brown

Ms Booker claims Lt Mayton began to harass her, threatened her and even told her she had to end her relationship with her lesbian partner.



She alleges the lieutenant later transferred to her to the care of two self-described evangelists, Chris and Donna McDowell.

The suit claims Lt Mayton paid the couple $600 from county funds to look after Ms Booker in their own home and convert her from homosexuality.



Ms Booker said she managed to escape from the couple and went to her mother's house, but said Lt Mayton caught up with her there.



Threats: Ms Booker claims Lieutenant Mark Mayton told her she had to break up with her lesbian partner when she arrived at Cartersville Medical Center

She claims he tried to arrest her without a warrant, pushed her up against a patrol car and 'lifted up Ms Booker's shirt to expose her bare breasts.'



Ms Booker's lawyer, Anthony Perrotta, said he first heard about the case from her girlfriend.

He told the GA Voice: 'She’s not doing well. She’s not getting the care she needs for her drug addiction. She’s hurting. My first priority is to get her out of prison.'

The lawsuit claims it was normal for officers named to 'harass homosexuals taken into custody, to mandate that homosexuals taken into custody refrain from living as homosexuals, and to forbid them from maintaining any homosexual relationships.'

Ms Booker was arrested and charged later that year for allegedly damaging a police car. She has been in custody ever since.







