Landrieu: Keith Bardwell Should Be Dismissed For Denying Marriage Licenses To Interracial Couples

(AP) NEW ORLEANS — Two civil and constitutional rights organizations called on a Louisiana justice of the peace to resign Friday after he refused to marry an interracial couple, saying any children the couple might have would suffer.

The leaders of the American Civil Liberties Union in Louisiana and the Center for Constitutional Rights and Justice in New York said Keith Bardwell, a white justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish in the southeastern part of the state, should quit immediately. Earlier this month, Bardwell refused to issue a marriage license to Beth Humphrey, who is white, and Terence McKay, who is black.

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) also called for Bardwell's dismissal. "I am deeply disturbed by Justice Bardwell's practices and comments concerning interracial marriages," she said. "Not only does his decision directly contradict Supreme Court rulings, it is an example of the ugly bigotry that divided our country for too long. I call upon the Louisiana Judiciary Committee to use its authority to have Justice Bardwell dismissed from his position. He clearly has no intention of administering the law or upholding justice for interracial couples."

"Perhaps he's worried the kids will grow up and be president," said Bill Quigley, director of the Center for Constitutional Rights and Justice, referring to President Barack Obama, the son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas.

Obama's deputy press secretary Bill Burton echoed those sentiments.

"I've found that actually the children of biracial couples can do pretty good," Burton told reporters aboard Air Force One as it flew to Texas.

Marjorie Esman of the ACLU said the group was calling on Bardwell to resign "before he infringes on the constitutional rights of another person."

Bardwell did not return calls left on his answering machine Friday. He has said he always asks if a couple is interracial and, if they are, refers them to another justice of the peace.

"No one's ever complained about it before," Bardwell said Thursday. "I do it to protect the children. The kids are innocent and I worry about their futures."

Humphrey and McKay were eventually married by another justice of the peace, but are now looking into legal action against Bardwell.

Humphrey said she called Bardwell on Oct. 6 to ask about a marriage license. She said Bardwell's wife told her that Bardwell would not sign marriage licenses for interracial couples.

Bardwell maintains he can recuse himself from marrying people. Quigley disagreed.

"A justice of the peace is legally obligated to serve the public, all of the public," Quigley said. "Racial discrimination has been a violation of Louisiana and U.S. law for decades. No public official has the right to pick and choose which laws they are going to follow."

The ACLU on Thursday asked the Louisiana Judiciary Commission to investigate Bardwell. The nine-member commission is charged with investigating judges and lawyers in Louisiana. A commission spokeswoman said investigations were confidential and would not comment.

If the commission recommends action to the Louisiana Supreme Court, the matter would become public.

Tangipahoa Parish President Gordon Burgess said Bardwell's views were not consistent with his or those of the local government. But as an elected official, Bardwell was not under the supervision of the parish government.

"However, I am certainly very disappointed that anyone representing the people of Tangipahoa Parish, particularly an elected official, would take such a divisive stand," Burgess said in an e-mail. "I would hope that Mr. Bardwell would consider offering his resignation if he is unable to serve all of the people of his district and our parish."

Bardwell, a Republican, has served as justice of peace for 34 years. He said he has run without opposition each time, but had decided earlier not to run again. His current term expires Dec. 31, 2014.

___

Associated Press writer Eileen Sullivan in College Station, Texas, contributed to this report.

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Comments

[Snowfazam12]

05:49 PM on 10/27/2009

Bardwell....One good man whom doesn't need to back down or out for Anyone! People have a right to their opinion that's what makes it America and I am one that agrees with him.

[Rivetjester]

06:57 PM on 10/19/2009

I wonder... Just how many mixed race children have come to him and said "You shouldn't have married my parents." Gonna take a stab in the dark and say "0". I'm mixed, 32 years old, and doing just fine. Never once have I thought that my parents being together caused me problems. The only ones who have caused problems were/are people like Bardwell.

[Kalie]

11:09 AM on 10/19/2009

I have news for those of you who are still grappling with this issue. In many more enlightened towns, interracial couples are well accepted. Its just in the backward areas that the bigots dont want to deal with it. Get in the game people. The future is very diverse. Interracial is not a big deal and we welcome all people where Im from. Time for that guy to retire or take a few diversity classes and try to learn about what is happenning outside his little world.

[Michael Shanley]

10:53 AM on 10/19/2009

Another point this Justice of the peace seems to miss...what if they don't want to have kids...would he then be for joining this couple. This guy is infringing on all kinds of right, does he not perform marriages when the couples state they don'tplan to have children or does he assume this is the only purpose of marriage?

[bluemike]

08:37 AM on 10/19/2009

Don't blame her for doing the politically correct thing. She is just another inept descendent of a dynasty, like the most recent President Bush and our own Senator Evin Bayh.

[rextrek]

08:35 AM on 10/19/2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIefEZhW8T0

America needs to grow up!

[sense oar sheep]

09:49 PM on 10/18/2009

disbarment puts an end to arbitrary judges

[ilse]

07:41 PM on 10/18/2009

Interesting how Mary Landrieu can do the right thing when money doesn't cloud her judgement. It's ashame she couldn't be more supportive and chose to be one of the blue dog democrats who sided with the insurance companies and opposes a public option. Take away money bribes and she would have done the right thing and supported a public option.

[Okieborn]

07:31 PM on 10/18/2009

This lady is another democrat along with many Republicans who are getting their coffers filled to over flowing !!!
Shameful !!
You are trying to change the point over to another subject Mam !!
It will not work !!
The American citizenry are watching who is and who isn't backing public option and a good strong Healthcare for the Citizens of this nation !!!

[Raster]

03:50 PM on 10/18/2009

Bardwell is observing the highest protocols of the Confederacy.

[damyanky]

02:17 PM on 10/18/2009

It is difficult or impossible for any Black person to trace his geneology and know for certain that the results are accurate. Records during the time of slavery were poorly kept; slaves bore the surnames of their owners and were sold and resold; many births were the result of owner/slave rapes; illegitimate babies of ANY race were not acknowleged as such. Here we are, about 145 years after the Civil War. The "white" Republican southerners like to dismiss all that historical fact and ignore that they may have more than one African ancestor. I would bet the farm that there's not a blue-eyed blond whose family has always lived in the deep South who can know for certain that he does not have that "one drop of blood". Their fear and self-loathing is so great that perhaps that's why they continue to rail against mixing races. Add on the widespread illiteracy and what have you got?

[Raster]

03:55 PM on 10/18/2009

And why they continue to rail against Black, Brown, and Yellow races, with intensity in descending order.

[piper1233]

01:27 PM on 10/18/2009

Quote from Justice Bardwell's to the Inquisitr. Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/16/landrieu-keith-bardwell-s_n_324361.html - “I’m not a racist. I just don’t believe in mixing the races that way,” Keith Bardwell told AP. “I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else.” No Racist here folks.... Move Along.....Move Along.

[damyanky]

01:44 PM on 10/18/2009

I, too, wish to protect the children because they are innocent, and I worry about their future. Therefore I hope that Justice Bardwell is immediately removed from office.

[Snowfazam12]

05:37 PM on 10/27/2009

Yay for you Mr Keith Bardwell! N don't back down!

[BarryS]

01:05 PM on 10/18/2009

Illegal act to begin with. Top state court should have stepped in immediately. Legislature should have removed judge. If not in session, Jindal should have called it back to deal with emergency.

This state is so disfunctional that one might consider merging it in with one more competent -- like Mississippi.

[billstewart]

05:09 PM on 10/18/2009

If the newspaper articles are correct, he's an elected judge, not an appointed one, so he can't simply be fired - he has to be impeached, which takes longer.

I'm not convinced that electing judges is a good thing, but it does make it harder to fire them when they do politically incorrect things, like convicting a legislator for bribery or allowing gay people to get married.

Meanwhile, this guy is an Activist Judge, which ought to upset the Republicans and the more conservative Democrats, right?

[Snowfazam12]

05:39 PM on 10/27/2009

All of this is crapp n Jindal and the rest whom think ONE good man should resign!

[noaxe397]

12:13 PM on 10/18/2009

Two days later, still wondering:

Where does David Vitter stand on this issue?

[keepemhonest]

12:01 PM on 10/18/2009

Bardwell's "excuse" does not pass the smell test ... He says he denies the marriages to "protect the children" ... HOWEVER ... and to CONTRADICT his excuse he tells the people to go to a different judge ... Now ... how would THAT help the children ... hmmmm ....