CHARLESTON, SC (WCBD) – A judge has officially put an end to the South Carolina Secessionist Party.
It comes after Lowcountry mom sued the group, saying they put Confederate flag stickers on her under-aged children, took pictures of them and posted the photos on Facebook.
The judge ordered the party and their leader, James Bessenger, to get rid of everything – online assets, materials and the organization altogether.
It has been nearly two years since that incident happened in downtown Charleston.
In June of 2017, Alicia Green, an African-American mom of two children under the age of 10 went to have a picnic near the Battery.
According to Green’s lawyer, the kids stepped away to see a firetruck. But when they returned, they were wearing Confederate flag stickers.
Her attorney said the Secessionist Party put those photos on Facebook without parental permission.
Last April, Green’s lawyer said the goal of that lawsuit was to prevent this from happening again. Today, he says that mission has been accomplished.
“Individuals in America are free to organize. They won’t be using the name South Carolina Secessionist Party, Mr. Bessenger is not allowed to reorganize the group under any other name pursuant to the judge’s order – but of course people with hate in their heart are free to stand on a corner and look like lunatics, but in this case, rather than presenting themselves as a political party, they will just be lunatics on a corner,” said attorney Roy Willey
The Secessionist Party now has six months to completely get rid of everything.
