A Cabot Witch* (The Rev. Rapid Cabot Freeman) is claiming religious discrimination in Connecticut after his local library canceled a planned Samhain ritual/presentation in their public community room.

“Freeman, who said he reserved the room four months ago with librarian Barbaranne Warner, and who has been advertising the party on his public access television show – “The Witching Hour” – for the past six weeks, said he believes it is a matter of religious discrimination. He said he’d been planning the appearance since he spoke at the library about witchcraft last year and members of the audience asked him to give a demonstration. While the town has allowed everything there from Christmas parties to christenings, he said, they are banning him because he’s a pagan.”

The event, while approved by the president of the Friends of Sprague Public Library, was nixed by the library’s First Selectman, Catherine Osten (after complaints by board of trustees members), on the grounds that Freeman didn’t follow proper procedure to reserve the space.

“…Osten said, because the event was to be held not in the library proper but in the town community room upstairs, those planning it had to get a permit from her office to use the room. Since no one had sought a permit, or paid the $50 rental fee and the $50 cleaning deposit, she said, there would be no witchcraft there on Halloween. ‘This is about someone that doesn’t want to follow process,” Osten said. “They’ve refused to apply for the room, and they want me to say OK. Have we denied it? No, because it hasn’t been presented to us to deny.’”

This situation has since led to a bitter falling out between Osten and Linda Puetz, president of the Friends of Sprague Public Library. It also led to Freeman losing the rhetorical upper hand by describing Catherin Osten’s decision as “Hitleresque”. Was Osten being discriminatory? Most likely, but she was able to hide behind the rules and regulations due to Freeman and Puetz not following proper procedure. At this point, their only recourse seems to be the court of public opinion. It is possible that Osten will back down under the threat of negative publicity due to this article, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. This whole controversy seems to be a perfect storm of discrimination, poor communication within the library, and poor planning.

* There seems to be some confusion as to whether Freeman is still within the Cabot tradition or not. On his MySpace page he claims that he has left the Cabot tradition and started his own path (called “First Blood”). But that may be old information, and things could be patched up between them for all I know. For more about Freeman, and his public access TV show, head over to this page (warning: eye-straining MySpace page).

Tags: Connecticut, discrimination, Laurie Cabot, Paganism, Rev. Rapid Cabot Freeman, Wicca, Witchcraft