LIFE AFTER “WYNNE VS GREAT FALLS”
By Christopher Blackwell

Editor’s Note:

When ACTION was started with the Samhain 2004 issue Darla Wynne was in the midst of the landmark suit, “Wynne vs Great Falls” over open religious harassment in town council meetings.

There was a long court fight that would go all the way to the Supreme Court even as the public fight against her through the town council continued.

The suit ended in Wynne’s favor when the Supreme Court refused to hear the town’s last appeal. Great Falls then fought against paying the customary legal and court costs owed by the loser of a lawsuit. Once again the courts found in Wynne’s favor.

----------------------------

I interviewed Darla to see what like in Great Falls, NC life was now.

Editor: Ironically the reason for your first visit to the town council was about trying to get action about crack dealers harassing you on the street.

Do crack dealers still openly ply their trade on the streets of Great Falls?

Wynne: Yes, they do and what I find ironic at this point is at the December or January meeting Chief of Police, John M. Revels discussed that the drug dealers under the tree (which I would like to point out that is where the police moved them to was getting out of hand and he requested that the Town enter into an agreement to allow the State Troopers, Chester Sheriff's Department, Lancaster County and City law enforcement agencies as well as Fort Law and Fairfield County officers to be able to stop and write tickets/arrests if they observe illegal activities occurring.

Editor: The town council was more interested in your bumper stickers, grilling you on your religion and then letting you know that you were not welcome in town. It became a political and religious attack on you in open public meetings.

Has the atmosphere at the meetings changed any?

Wynne: Sort of, but not really. While some of the town council members have been replaced by election, the mayor has remained and is the backbone of the bad behavior. I still have not had my police complaint reviewed by the police committee, nor can I get my Freedom of Information Act requests answered within the time limits required by law. So, while things have changed to some degree it hasn't really changed that much.

Editor: The open outing of you by the town council would lead to first bricks flying through your windows, then the vandalizing and trashing of your house some nine times. Your animals would be attacked, tortured, and even killed and you would attacked as well.

Have the attacks ended now that the suit is long over?

Wynne: No. I started work on March 28, 2006 and since that time I have had four (4) incidents. Levi Smith who owns a roofing company threatened me one morning, a little before 8:00 am while I was filling my truck up with gas. He threatened to kill me with his shotgun in the truck, which I never saw, but I did do a report and they supposedly spoke with him about it. I also had Taz, a 4.3 pound Yorkshire Terrier attacked, which broke her jawbone in two (2) places and her nose, which resulted in her having an almost $1,400 surgery which I just paid off, but they had to remove her jaw bone on her left bottom side because it was shattered so severely. I still have cut tires and so forth, so it continues on and nothing is done about it.

Editor: During the attacks, you discovered evidence that the council/mayor had ordered the police not to investigate any crimes commented against you.

Has the police department changed in any way? Do they investigate crimes committed against you?

Wynne: No, they do not investigate anything nor does anything occur when I file an incident report. No changes have been made within the police department.

Editor: Many people might wonder why you don’t leave Great Falls. What are your reasons?

Wynne: My reasons are pretty selfish to be honest with you. I think I have PTSD and some form of depression or something and due to these feelings I have become fixated on the death of my African Gray Parrot, Little One, and I can't forget it and I feel that it is a healing process that I have to go through and I must discover who did this to her. I also feel strongly that if I left it would allow them the feeling of victory and I fear what they would do to the next person that came here who was different. While many people say that is not my problem, I disagree with that idea because it is all of our problem and it is important and necessary to stand up for change so that the change can benefit not just yourself, but others. I call it community responsibility and I am a part of this community whether some disagree or not.

Editor: Looking back on the long fight, the difficulties you faced, what have you learned and what do you think about it now?

Wynne: I learned a lot and too much to type this morning. But the most important thing I learned is that doing the right thing is often times the most difficult thing you can ever do in your life. I learned I had more strength than I could have ever imagined. I learned I can take more pain than I ever imagined. Most importantly, I learned that one (1) person can make a difference and that difference comes with a price. I learned that even in the smallest of communities, that greed and corruption does in fact invade our local governments and it is our responsibility, every person, to be involved in the process and to ensure that our government officials are in fact representing us, the people.