Couple Drops Lawsuit Against Collection Agency's 'WWJD' Motto
A federal class action lawsuit against a small, family-owned collection agency has been dismissed with prejudice after a Christian legal group stepped in to defend its "WWJD" business motto.
The plaintiffs in the suit, Mark and Sara Neill, claimed they were harassed and oppressed when they received a collection letter from Bullseye Collection Agency that included the acronym "WWJD," which is often considered to stand for "What Would Jesus Do?"
Bullseye, however, argued that "WWJD" is not oppressive as a matter of law and cannot violate the law. Furthermore, the agency argued, if any law actually prohibits the use of "WWJD" as a business motto, then such law is unconstitutional, because it violates the company's freedom of speech, freedom of religion and equal protection rights.
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"Christian men and women in business need not check their faith at the door of the marketplace," explained Horatio Mihet, senior litigation counsel for Liberty Counsel, which assisted Bullseye in its legal battle.
In addition to defending Bullseye, Liberty Counsel filed a comprehensive counterclaim against the Neills and the Bureau of Collection Recovery (BCR), a large competitor collection company whose president happened to be Mr. Neill.
Bullseye alleged that the Neills and BCR abused the legal process and engaged in a conspiracy to harm Bullseye competitively and to deprive Bullseye of its constitutional rights.
Upon receiving Bullseye's counterclaim, the Neills decided to abandon their lawsuit and dismissed with prejudice each of their claims.
As a result, Bullseye remains free to use "WWJD" on its stationery, and its constitutional rights remain intact.
"Neither the law nor the courtroom provides refuge for those wishing to harm others with their intolerance of Christian viewpoints," commented Mihet.
According Liberty Counsel, Bullseye uses the "WWJD" motto in all of its business communications as a reminder to act with diligence and respect in an industry traditionally characterized by ruthlessness and incivility.
