How Do You Serve a Secret Society?

On the front page of today's Gazette was a story about one of the stranger lawsuits I've seen in a while. A man is suing the West Virginia arm of the Freemasons for, well, basically not being nice to him:

According to the lawsuit filed May 30 in Kanawha Circuit Court, Charlie L. Montgomery and Charles F. Coleman II, both officers of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of the State of West Virginia Inc., summarily threw Frank Joseph Haas out of the Masons for fabricated reasons.

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As Grand Master, Haas tried to make the organization's policies less discriminatory and racist and more in line with the U.S. Constitution and the state's public policy, the suit contends.

'Haas' goal was to make Masonry more tolerant, friendly, decent and accepting of everyone regardless of nationality, race, religion or disability,' the suit states.

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In response, Coleman, who succeeded Haas as Grand Master, 'almost immediately unilaterally entered various edicts rendering the progressive proposals voted on and adopted by a majority of Defendant Grand Lodge null and void,' the suit claims.

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Eventually, Haas was ambushed and given the 'Masonic death sentence' at a November 2007 meeting called by Montgomery at Haas' home lodge in Wellsburg. Montgomery dressed him down in front of his longtime fellow members, including his father.

'[Montgomery] took charge of the meeting and summarily, arbitrarily and unlawfully expelled Plaintiff Haas and another individual from Masonry after lecturing, berating and belittling them,' the suit reads. 'Montgomery's ranting and outlandish attack on Plaintiff Haas were based on trumped up allegations that were false and untrue.'

I will say, from a legal standpoint, there may be a defamation claim there. The dissemination of false information to others - even a fairly insular group - could make that claim.

As for being kicked out of the group - isn't that the point of secret societies? That they have complete control over their own memberships? Granted, my knowledge of the Masons is basically limited to Monty Python sketches (see below), The Simpsons, and nutty conspiracy theories, so maybe they're not so secret anymore.