Keith Bardwell

A Louisiana justice of the peace who refused to marry a couple because the bride was white and groom was black resigned Tuesday. Keith Bardwell, who is white, quit the post with a one-sentence statement to Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne and no explanation of his decision: "I do hereby resign the office of Justice of the Peace for the Eighth Ward of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, effective November 3, 2009." Bardwell refused to perform the ceremony for Beth Humphrey and Terence McKay because they are of different races. When questioned about his refusal, Bardwell acknowledged he routinely recuses himself from marrying interracial couples ... Read Full Story

An interracial couple in Louisiana have been denied a marriage license by an official who considers their union morally wrong, according to local media. "I'm not a racist," Keith Bardwell, a justice of the peace in rural Tangipahoa Parish, told the Hammond Star. "I do ceremonies for black couples right here in my house. My main concern is for the children." Bardwell told the paper that he believes interracial marriages do not last and that the children of such unions are not accepted by either the black or white community. "I don't do interracial marriages because I don't want to put children in a ... Read Full Story

By The Associated Press November 03, 2009, 9:12PM BATON ROUGE — A Louisiana justice of the peace who refuses to marry interracial couples resigned Tuesday, after weeks of calls for his ouster from civil rights groups and several public officials, including the governor. Keith Bardwell quit with a one-sentence statement to Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne: “I do hereby resign the office of Justice of the Peace for the Eighth Ward of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, effective November 3, 2009.” Gov. Bobby Jindal called Bardwell’s resignation “ long overdue.” Beth Humphrey, ... Read Full Story

Justice Quits after Interracial Flap is the title of a November 4, 2009 article, written by Melinda Deslatte of the Associated Press. From the responses and reactions to the article, it seems that several people do not agree with Mr. Bardwell’s position on interracial marriage. It’s unfortunate that Mr. Bardwell refused to marry an interracial couple, based on his belief system rather than his professional ethic. Although, Mr. Bardwell is entitled to his beliefs about interracial marriages and offspring thereafter, he should have done his job by marrying the couple. In my experience, just like inter-religious, inter-cultural or any marriage between two individuals from different backgrounds, ... Read Full Story

Keith Bardwell, the Justice-Of-The-Peace who denied an interracial couple Louisiana marriage resigns, according to a breaking news email from CNN. Bardwell, a Tangipahoa Parish Louisiana Judge (outside New Orleans), became famous for rejecting Terence McKay and his girlfriend Beth Humphrey, who wanted to be married by Bardwell. But Keith decided to show the country what real racism was when he said "I do it to protect the children, he reportedly said. The kids are innocent and I worry about their futures" when asked why he would not marry an interracial couple. What's even more frightening is Judge Bardwell did not think he was a ... Read Full Story