Plaintiff sues Charter over pastor's alleged expletive; Will take a 'deception detection examination'

A man has filed a lawsuit against Charter Communications because of an expletive he says he clearly heard during a church's recorded television broadcast.

In a handwritten letter of complaint filed March 23 in St. Clair County Circuit Court, Kyron C. Taylor accuses Charter Communications of violating a Federal Communications Commission Telecommunications Act of 1996 regulation.

In a two-page narrative included with the complaint, Taylor describes himself as an "inactive member of Oldpathway Holiness of the Apostolic Faith." He says he was watching a recorded message broadcast by his pastor in 2010 when he allegedly heard the man use an expletive. When he attempted to discuss what he heard, Taylor says the pastor immediately used "reverse psychology" and accused Taylor of looking for the "negative in the message."

Taylor says the pastor and "the rest of the brothers" contend the word he heard on the broadcast was "ship." Taylor provides a detailed description of the pastor's alleged pronunciation of the word. "Listen carefully and you will not hear a, puh, p sound pronounced," the explanation reads. Taylor goes on to discuss the pastor's mouth movements, air flow between his lips and his posture as "proof" of his claims.

Since talking to the pastor about the alleged incident, Taylor says he has been threatened with "banishment" from the church. Taylor says he filed this lawsuit and "put everything on the line" to restore his "profile status as a young Apostolic saint." To ignore the issue, he says, would make him an "abettor."

Taylor writes, "this ordeal is causing great embarrassment including psychosomatic trauma and has defamed my character." At the end of his statement, he says, "This allegation is not true; I voluntarily subject myself to a psychological deception detection examination."

The complaint does not explain the role Charter Communications plays in the suit or why the company is the only defendant named. Taylor, however, "demands" to be hired by Charter Communications and lists his preferred schedule, pay rate and benefits. He also asks for a $300,000 "check for reparations (for psychological harm)."

Taylor is representing himself in this case.

St. Clair Circuit Court Case No. 12-L-153