June 29, 2011: FBI Confirms Anti-Gay Church Members Took Part in FBI Training

The FBI confirms that it allowed members of the virulently anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church (WBC—see November 27, 1955 and After) to take part in training sessions normally provided to police officers and FBI agents. WBC members participated in training sessions at two Virginia FBI facilities in Quantico and Manassas. The FBI says that it will not allow WBC members to participate in future sessions. An FBI official says the bureau underestimated how strongly the public would react to the news of such participation once it was reported in the media. The bureau was trying to bring in a variety of viewpoints to the training, the official adds, saying that exposure to a wide variety of views was good for investigators in training. [Associated Press, 6/29/2011]