Mary Fulp, the Colony High School Principal who was forcibly – and unlawfully – removed from her Mat-Su home in January of 2023 by Alaska State Troopers, and then required to undergo mental treatment for three days at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, has filed a lawsuit to defend basic civil rights and religious freedoms for all Alaskans.
Fulp is the 2022 Alaska Principal of the Year. On Jan. 15, 2023, however, she posted several videos recounting a recent life-changing religious experience. Several of her family members were concerned about the videos and successfully convinced a judge to issue an order that she be forcibly required to undergo psychiatric testing and treatment.
About a week later, Alaska’s Commissioner of Public Safety issued a public apology, acknowledging that law enforcement had no authority to remove Fulp from her home or force her to enter a medical facility.
This past October, Fulp filed a lawsuit against Mat-Su Valley Medical Center, its affiliated emergency medicine group, and several individuals, alleging severe violations of her civil rights, medical ethics, and constitutional freedoms.
“This case is not only about seeking justice for myself but about standing up for the fundamental rights we should all count on in the United States of America,” Fulp stated on Dec. 25, 2024. “No one should endure what I experienced. I am using my voice to advocate for positive change, ensuring that all current and future mental health patients receive humane, respectful, and lawful treatment every step of the way. This includes raising awareness about the vital importance of religious freedoms that we, as Americans, should be able to rely on 100% of the time.”
Fulp says she was forcibly detained at Mat-Su Valley Medical Center without legal justification. During her detainment, she claims she was stripped of her personal belongings, forcibly restrained, and administered medications against her will, despite failing to meet the legal requirements for involuntary commitment under Alaska law.
Fulp, who is a practicing Christian, believes her religious beliefs and public expressions of faith were treated not as a constitutional right but as evidence of a mental disorder.
“This case is about abuse of power, disregard for the law, and violations of basic human and constitutional rights,” Fulp said in her prepared statement. “It’s also about inhumane treatment – treatment so dehumanizing that it stripped me of my dignity and caused profound harm to my body, mind, and spirit.”
Fulp contends that the ordeal left her with significant physical injuries, emotional trauma, and enduring harm. Her lawsuit details numerous alleged violations – detaining her without probable cause or a valid court order, administering psychotropic medications and conducting invasive medical procedures without her informed consent, employing unnecessary and harmful physical restraints, resulting in lasting injuries, falsifying medical records and misrepresenting her condition to justify actions taken against her.
“My faith is not a disorder- it is my strength,” Fulp stated. “Instead of respecting my right to freely express my religion, the defendants dismissed my beliefs, labeling them as ‘delusions’ and ‘religiously preoccupied.’ This discriminatory mindset shaped their reckless decisions, leading to the physical, emotional, and spiritual harm I endured.”
Fulp’s legal team expects that the case will reveal that defendants failed to adhere to Alaska’s laws regarding involuntary commitment and treatment, including the failure to notify Fulp of her rights or provide her with an opportunity for legal counsel.
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They also plan to show that Fulp was forcibly restrained, injected with antipsychotic medications, and subjected to unnecessary medical procedures, all without her consent. The suit further claims she was confined to a small, windowless room with no fresh air, denied the opportunity to shower, and stripped of her personal clothing and dignity.
Additionally, Fulp’s attorneys will bring evidence to show she was singled out because of her Christian faith, while also arguing that defendants fabricated medical records and involved her minor daughter and ex-husband in discussions about her alleged medical conditions, breaching her right to privacy.
Fulp is seeking damages for her injuries and emotional distress, as well as punitive damages to deter similar actions by healthcare institutions.
“This is not just about my case,” Fulp emphasized. “It’s about sending a clear message that no institution or individual is above the law – and that humane treatment, dignity, and religious freedom are non-negotiable in a just society.”
The lawsuit has been filed in the Superior Court of Alaska in Palmer.
Before being detained in 2023, Fulp was considered a pillar of Alaska’s educational community for nearly two decades, serving the majority of her career as a principal in the Mat-Su School District since 2005. Her exemplary leadership earned her the honor of being named Alaska Principal of the Year in 2022.
16 Comments
If it can happen to her, it can happen to anyone. This is a case to watch closely.
Good for her! Start with the family and the Judge. No psycho evaluation before that took place. The injection issue is a product of poor decision making on the part of Anchorage Assembly and the idiots who were elected after the assembly allowed that detainment treatment without regard to the rights of any individual or problem set. Bad activity has a trickle down effect and widens itself lime a rash. Hope she takes this all the way to the US Supreme Court.
My God Mr dunleavy, would you speak to this horrific treatment of an outstanding educational individual? YOU HAVE REPEATEDLY TURNED A BLIND EYE TO WICKED ACTIONS DURING YOUR GOVERNORERSHIP !
sen. hughes was to blame for this entire fiasco
how was she to blame
Pete , I do not doubt your indictment of Hughes. I’m curious as to what brings you to your conclusion. THANK YOU
Matsu Regional Medical Center, otherwise known as Death Valley. It’s a truly awful place.
Man, that seems really egregious! But her family instigated this, went to the court, and got a court order. What a strange set of events.
If I remember that was the assumption. The problem was there was no court order and the troopers never checked. Thus they apologized. At the time I watched the video. She was scared to death. The troopers appeared professional but they thought the ex parte order was legit. Gently following the court order as they have done before. I suspect the troopers have changed their policy.
Please explain what you are attempting to say between the lines? ‘Gently following the court order?…’
God Bless you Ms. Fulp. In a scarily short amount of time, your manipulative family and egocentric troopers, who didn’t respect your rights
Or your religious authority, changed your life as you knew it. I’m thankful God has kept you in His lane and has offered you the discernment you need to move forward in this journey. Let God be the ultimate judge – instead of the insignificant people around you. We are praying for you and for your spiritual strength.
Good Luck Mary. Sue them into oblivion.
This heinous act by the authorities involved is totally unconscionable in the post modernist age. But maybe it is! When you have elected officials marching downtown with the LGBTQ and Satanist on July 4th, it’s inevitable their subordinates follow suit.
I agree, ithese cops go overboard. Had a bad experience with them
Let’s see the videos she made and hear the entire train of events leading up to this strange occurrence before inviting the public to pass judgement!! Lotta things here don’t add up from her perspective and I suspect their is much left untold!! “ Teacher of the year “ nd yet an “ ex husband and “ minor daughter” who testified against her ? Cmon those don’t sound highly compatible !! Hour of video detailing her conversion? Again, most truly born gain believers could give their testimony in 5-15 minutes- I certainly could!! Family whose concern motivated them to extreme action even lying to the authorities and causing LEOs to act illegally. Sounds to me like one or both parties is grandstanding!! Plenty of Christians willing to play the martyr game because it takes their eyes of what God is really calling them to do!! And that’s usually something away from the notoriety this lady seems to be seeking!! Where is her church and her pastor in all this business? Why aren’t they sticking up for her? Stray sheep easily taken down!!
This happened to me, the cops need to change their ways and not treat people like that