ACLU accuses Humane Society of filing illegal lawsuit

ATLANTA - A hearing has been scheduled for Thursday to determine if the Atlanta Humane Society filed an illegal lawsuit against a former employee who criticized the agency. <br> <br> Elizabeth Harkin told the Fulton County Commission about problems at the society&#39;s shelter, and the Humane Society sued her for 225-thousand dollars. The hearing will be held in Cobb County, where Harkin lives. <br> <br> The American Civil Liberties Union has accused the society of filing a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation. A 1996 state law prohibits such lawsuits. <br> <br> The Humane Society also has filed a defamation lawsuit against a woman who criticized executive director Bill Garrett in a Yahoo chat room after an Atlanta television station aired an unfavorable report on the agency&#39;s operations. <br> <br> Kathi Mills wrote that she was withdrawing her support from the Atlanta Humane Society until it hires ``a leader who does not delight in slaughtering pets for fun and profit.&#39;&#39; She also allegedly called Garrett ``Mr. Kill.&#39;&#39;

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