DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. — The sheriff of Douglas County, Ga., Phil Miller, has said he’s cutting ties with the A&E network in response to the suspension of “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson.
Robertson, the family patriarch, was suspended last week for comments he made to GQ magazine about gays.
“It was about a man stating his Christian beliefs without malice or judgment, and losing his job. That’s wrong,” Miller said.
The sheriff told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday that the sheriff’s department will no longer work with the network — which has filmed portions of “Beyond Scared Straight” in the Douglas County Jail about 20 miles west of downtown Atlanta.
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Miller told the newspaper that his response to Robertson’s suspension is a statement about a man expressing his Christian beliefs, and not one about homosexuality.
“That’s what makes this country. There’s a lot of different beliefs,” he said. “If that’s the kind of lifestyle they chose, that’s America. I’m not judging anyone.”
He told the newspaper that he agrees with Robertson’s biblical interpretation of homosexuality.
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The state’s lieutenant governor recently offered to connect the Robertson family with new producers if they cannot reach agreement with the A&E network.
Update: Think Progress notes that Miller’s actions may be in violation of the First Amendment, since his actions are on behalf of a government agency, whereas the A&E network is a private organization.
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