She's just pursuing what Joel preaches:
Posted on 08/07/2008 6:37:04 AM PDT by tuffydoodle
HOUSTON -- As one of the leaders of Houston's popular Lakewood Church, Victoria Osteen, wife of nationally renown pastor Joel Osteen, is known for her charity and Christianity.
But a Continental Airlines flight attendant is accusing the co-pastor of one of the nation's most prominent megachurches of committing some very unchristian-like behavior.
Opening arguments were set for Thursday in a civil lawsuit that accuses Victoria Osteen of assaulting flight attendant Sharon Brown before the start of a 2005 flight from Houston to Vail, Colo.
Brown alleges in her suit that Victoria Osteen threw her against a bathroom door and elbowed her in the left breast during an angry outburst over a stain on her first-class seat.
Victoria Osteen "clearly was angry on this flight," said Brown's attorney, Reginald McKamie.
Brown wants an apology and punitive damages amounting to 10 percent of Victoria Osteen's net worth as part of her suit.
But Victoria Osteen's lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said his client didn't assault Brown.
"This is a very silly case," Hardin said.
The Osteens were expected to testify during the trial.
The jury of seven men and five women was chosen on Wednesday after a couple of hours of questioning of a jury pool of 130 people. The questioning touched on religious beliefs, celebrity and the public's perception of preachers and televangelists.
Many of those in the jury pool said they had been to Lakewood Church and admitted to holding the Osteens in high regard and being star-struck by them.
But other potential jurors said they didn't like preachers or televangelists and that ministers can lie.
The Federal Aviation Administration fined Victoria Osteen $3,000 for interfering with a crew member.
According to an FAA report, Victoria Osteen pushed and elbowed Brown in an attempt to get to the plane's cockpit after two other attendants had not cleaned a liquid on her first-class seat armrest.
Brown's suit claims the flight attendants asked to have Victoria Osteen removed from the plane. Hardin says Victoria Osteen and her family left voluntarily. The incident delayed the flight about 2 1/2 hours.
Brown had previously claimed she was attacked in another incident by an airport employee, according to a deposition she gave in the case.
Hardin asked that the FAA report's findings not be allowed in the trial, saying the agency's investigation was incomplete.
State District Judge Patricia Hancock said she would make a decision later on the report's fate.
According to court documents, Brown claims that she suffers from anxiety and hemorrhoids because of the incident and said her faith was affected. She is also suing Victoria Osteen for medical expenses for counseling.
Joel Osteen preaches at Lakewood, a megachurch where about 42,000 people flock each week. Services are held at a 16,000 seat facility that was formerly the Houston Rockets' basketball arena. His weekly television address is broadcast nationally and internationally.
Taking someone to court for literally being a pain in the ass.
Just think good thoughts............
So let me get this straight......
She get elbowed in the boobs and that causes her to get the piles?
I need another anatomy lesson......
It seems that prominent people are oftentimes accused of really subpar behavior...especially on airplanes.
What was Mr. Osteen’s wife doing heading for Vail?
Is that where successful pastors flock? :)
She’s bucking for a settlement.
At Christmas?
Victoria Osteen probably was a pain in the ass, but Brown hardly deserves 10 percent of the lady’s worth. Just lookin’ for a payday. Hemorrhoids? My word!
“She’s bucking for a settlement.”
Darn right she is. It also says in the article that she has accused a co-worker of attacking her, as well.
This woman definitely has issues.
Christmas? In Vail? Gawd, how marvie. :)
Well, maybe the blow to the chest was harder than we think.
She's just pursuing what Joel preaches:
I was ready to cheer for the snooty b*tch to have to pay up until I saw this. Ain't NO way, emotional distress causes hemorrhoids.
YBPDLPL...something something...ping!
Typical Michelle Obama type.
I saw her on the news this morning, too. I’ve been trying to find a picture of her to post but so far, no luck.
YBPDLNPL Ping!
It sounds like Ms Osteen jacked up the wrong stew
Plenty of pictures of Victory in the news, but not any pictures of Sharon Brown?
I’m no fan of the Osteens or other rich money-grubbing evangelists, but Brown thinks she found the lottery. Suing for 10% says all I need to know.
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