Preacher accused of battery

He apologizes to student, may not return to campus after incident

By Maurice O. Ndole
The Collegian

The standoff between a preacher and a group of students calling his preaching 'hate speech' is moving to the courts.

The confrontation entered a new phase Feb. 15 at around 1 p.m. when junior criminology major Kaley Henry accused preacher Matt Bourgault of the Consuming Fire Campus Ministries from Kinard, Florida, of battery.

Henry said Bourgault pulled a chair she was sitting on making her fall onto the concrete floor at the Free Speech Area.

“He picked up the chair and threw me down,” Henry said. “It hurt like hell because I fell on my butt.”

Bourgault said he did not intend to hurt Henry but accepted full responsibility for the incident. He said the incident occurred after he brought a chair to the stage to use as a platform and gain a height advantage over Henry, who was using signs to obstruct his view of the audience and following him around the area.

But when he was about to stand on the chair Henry sat on it to prevent him from using it, prompting him to react by pulling the chair making Henry fall onto the concrete floor.

“It was a bad mistake. I was wrong; it’s my shame; I blame nobody,” Bourgault said.

More drama ensued when Henry’s boyfriend, Russell Noland, communications major and regular protestor known for using drumbeats to drown the preachers’ voice, saw Henry fall to the ground. Noland said he rushed and grabbed Bourgault to protect his girlfriend.

“I got him in a headlock and grabbed him back for a few seconds,” Noland said. “I let go as soon as I could tell he was not going after her or me.”

Bourgault denied having any intentions of attacking Noland or Henry. He said he had already apologized to Henry about the incident and she had accepted his apology.

Henry said her forgiveness does not extend to the charges she has filed against him.

“I’ll press on with the charges,” Henry said. “He physically attacked me and his words don’t change that fact. It needs to be noted down somewhere that he attacked me.”

But Bourgault who was thinking of suing Noland alleging he choked him when he put him in a headlock said he has reconsidered because he doesn’t want the situation to escalate.

I filed a report against him but I decided to forget it,” Bourgault said. “I’m leaving it in God’s hands.”

Noland scoffed at Bourgault’s decision not to press charges against him and said Bourgault didn’t have a case against him in the first place because he was only protecting his girlfriend.

Bourgault said he may not return to preach at Fresno State.

“I’m not longer a credible [God’s] witness there and I have decided to stay away,” Bourgault said.

Henry said the court date is set for May 2nd.

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