What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Nebraska. I live in a very small town. We used to attend a very fundamentalist church. My daughter married and the marriage was very short lived, after 4 months she divorced. After the divorce, my daughter moved back with us and started a small business in our town. Shortly after, the pastor and his elders began a campaign to force my daughter to repent. They sent letters, taped letters and signs on our house, vehicles, home, visited her at her business, came to our home. My elderly father went before them and the pastor yelled and cut him apart to the point he collapsed and had a stroke and has been in a nursing home ever since. They ultimately had a meeting and read a letter before the congregation expelling us and shunning us. This hurt my daughters business and she closed it down and moved her business to another location and has remarried and is happy. The result if this is that I have panic attacks and have been literally been dealing with PTSD. Our whole family has been devastated by this...we are not the first family to go through this and one other family has had a daughter commit suicide over similar treatment. Any help? Can we get renumeration for damages and treatment and counseling?
While the messages delivered about your daughter and father may be protected speech, depending on what exactly was said by the Church to others, the methods for delivering these messages appear to have crossed a few legal lines.
Certainly the harassment that single317dad mentions seems an avenue your daughter and your family should have explored and, if the harassment is continuing, still could explore. Trespassing was an option at the time, as well. Police complaints could have, and should have, been filed. These would have helped (or could help) with the issuance of a restraining order.
And there are time, place and manner restrictions that need to be examined. One can generally espouse his or her views publicly (and in private), but when speaking in public, laws and ordinances can require permits that limit the when, where and hows of such speech.
Your daughter (and potentially your father) could have taken, or potentially still can take, action over any
defamatory statements that harmed your daughter and/or her business (or potentially your father's health).
It is harder for those
related to the one being harassed to move forward with any legal action, however. It would depend on all of the facts and these facts would need to be reviewed personally by an attorney in your area.
Timing is essential, should there be any legal action to pursue. Keep in mind the statute of limitations for filing suit.
Good luck.