Pastor Bayly had known Charlotte Zietlow for some time because she worked at Planned Parenthood and he picketed abortion there sometimes. On one occasion, Mrs. Zietlow came out and talked with him and his children as they picketed. Their relations were cordial. One day, he and his high-school daughter were walking past the Library and saw Mrs. Zietlow there on the sidewalk talking with a group of leading Bloomington women. As he passed, he stopped and said to her, "Charlotte, killing babies is a terribly wicked thing."
The next week he was with his wife and children at the Farmer's Market, his two-year-old boy riding on his shoulders. Walking along, he noticed Mrs. Zietlow walking next to him and said "Charlotte" a couple times. She didn't hear him, so he touched her arm to get her attention and told her: "Charlotte, killing babies is a terribly wicked thing." A few minutes later, she showed up next to the Bayly's at an adjacent booth. While she was purchasing produce, he rebuked her again. The merchant overheard and asked him what he meant. He responded something like "She makes money killing babies." The merchant replied, "Good, I hope she kills lots of them."
A police detective called Pastor Bayly to question whether he had been stalking Mrs. Zietlow. Hearing that Bayly had had his family with him and that Mrs. Zietlow had run into the Bayly's accidentally, the detective said he thought the whole thing would go away if Pastor Bayly would agree not to speak to Mrs. Zietlow in public again. He refused.
Mrs. Zietlow then filed for a restraining order. At Bayly's request, attorney Don Robertson negotiated to protect his right to speak out in front of Planned Parenthood, which is what Pastor Bayly really cared about. Other than that, they let the matter drop. A year later he saw Ms. Zietlow outside the Stonebelt Center and asked if it was ok to talk to her. She said yes and they talked.
Planned Parenthood official Charlotte Zietlow has asked a judge to issue a protective order to stop a Bloomington minister from harassing her over the issue of abortion.
The request, filed Wednesday afternoon, says that Timothy Bayly, pastor of Evangelical Community Church, has ``repeatedly harassed and abused'' Zietlow by confronting her and shouting at her in public on at least three occasions.
The most recent incident, it says, occurred Sept. 3 at the Bloomington Community Farmer's Market, where Bayly touched Zietlow against her will, shouted at her, followed her around the market and harassed her until other people at the market intervened....
Zietlow is community affairs director of Planned Parenthood of Southern Indiana, which has been the target of protests since it started performing abortions in July 1992....
It asks the judge to issue an order restraining Bayly from abusing or harassing Zietlow, contacting her or any member or her household, or damaging her property.
Zietlow, a former Bloomington city council member and Monroe County commissioner, would not comment on the court action Wednesday. Bayly did not return phone calls seeking comment....
September 16, 1994
Dear Elders,
... By now you all have seen the article so you know what Ms. Zeitlow is saying. The truth is slightly different than the paper�s account... Specifically, as you can tell from my letter, I have not threatened Ms. Zeitlow nor �touched her against her will.� On a number of occasions Ms. Zeitlow and I have had occasion to talk, the last three times when I and members of my family happened to be next to her in public. On those occasions I spoke to her in nothing above a conversational tone, very briefly and directly, about the wickedness of abortion, calling her to repent of her abortion work. (From prior conversations she and I have had, I know she was raised by pious Christian parents.)
When I heard that Ms. Zeitlow was upset about my speaking to her I wrote (to) reassure her that I was not a threat to her physically....
Yours in Christ,
Timothy B. Bayly
...Timothy Bayly, pastor at the Evangelical Community Church, agreed in Monroe Circuit Court to a protective order under which neither he nor anyone ``acting under his control'' shall contact or harass Zietlow for the next year....
Zietlow filed the request after she said Bayly harassed her at the Bloomington Community Farmer's Market on Sept. 3. At that time, she said, Bayly touched her, shouted at her, followed her around the market and harassed her until others had to intervene.
She claimed that was the third time he had harassed her in public.
Her request for a protective order was scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday morning. The hearing was canceled after Bayly voluntarily agreed to the order.
The order also prohibits Bayly from contacting any member of Zietlow's family and from damaging her property....
October 14, 1994
To the Editor,
While picketing at the abortion center next to United Way, my children and I, on more than one occasion, have talked with Ms. Charlotte Zietlow about the horror of the killing of little children which is carried out routinely there. And these conversations have continued at other times when my children and I have met Ms. Zietlow�quite accidentally�at the Monroe County Public Library and the Farmers� Market. The conversations aren�t pleasant to us, nor apparently are they to Ms. Zeitlow. But our fair city must repent of the slaughter of these little children before the judgment of Almighty God falls upon us.
Having said this, though, I also must say I understand how in the political climate surrounding abortion nationally it would be possible for those who work in the abortion industry to be fearful of those publicly witnessing against it. So allow me, please, to state unequivocally that moral suasion was my only desire in seekng the repentance of this community for our silence and complicity in this great evil.
Sincerely,
Timothy B. Bayly
October 17, 1994
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
During the past month Mary Lee and I received scores of notes, letters, and phone calls from individuals concerning the civil court action filed against me by Mrs. Charlotte Zietlow. We are deeply grateful to all of you and wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your kindness and love.
The resolution of the matter was handled with great wisdom and skill by Mr. Don Robertson, an inactive elder of E.C.C. If you don�t know Mr. Robertson, I hope you�ll make a point of meeting him and getting to know him in the future. From the beginning I found Mr. Robertson to be wise in his advice and it was so encouraging to me that he was able to assist me in this matter.
The end result of Mr. Robertson�s negotiations was that I did not contest Mrs. Zietlow�s request that I refrain from talking with her or threatening her for a period of one year. Then also, Mr. Robertson filed papers with the court denying the substance of Mrs. Zietlow�s petition; we denied that I had ever abused, yelled at, or �touched her against her will.� We also denied that I had ever threatened her in any manner. The local newspaper chose not to report on our denial of the truthfulness of Mrs. Zietlow�s papers....
With deep thanksgiving,
Your brother in Christ,
Tim Bayly