An Atlantic City psychiatrist and his wife claim the president of the Atlantic County SPCA targeted the couple because of their religion and that they are from Afghanistan.
Daud and Mina Panah filed suit in federal court last week claiming Nancy Beall harassed them by coming to their property as much as twice a day, and used Facebook posts in what amounted to “a high-tech lynching of the plaintiffs because of their religion and country of origin.”
The 25-page suit claims Facebook posts Beall shared show her hatred of Muslims and included several making allegations against the couple.
“It’s been devastating,” attorney Edward Harrington Heyburn told BreakingAC. “It’s so embarrassing. He has patients calling asking if he’s the doctor who abuses animals.”
But Beall paints a much different picture of the case, saying the couple’s Galloway Township property continues to keep animals in horrific conditions.
“It’s totally, absolutely baseless,” she said of the five-count suit. “It’s going to go absolutely nowhere because three-quarters of his facts aren’t even right.”
The suit claims Beall first came to the couple’s home in December of 2017, saying a Rottweiler on the property appeared to have a broken leg.
The couple said the dog was a stray, but that Beall insisted that they get him treatment.
She then had them write a $1,555 check to the Humane Society. Despite what the suit labels extortion, a summons still came.
But Beall says it was the doctor’s then-attorney who offered to have them pay the vet bill for the dog, even though she told him “I’m still writing a summons.”
The Panahs did not get the dog to a vet, but instead dropped him at the shelter, claiming they didn’t know who he belonged to.
“That dog would be dead in a freezer if I hadn’t gone and gotten it and fixed its leg and found a home for him,” she said.
Both sides agree that the charges against the Panahs were dropped, but disagree on how that happened.
The suit claims Beall failed to show up for court. But Beall says she and others came to several court dates where the Panahs didn’t show. She said she spoke with the judge and the various prosecutors who came to those hearings and that nothing was done.
Her claims are untrue, said Heyburn, who has communications from the attorney who represented the Panahs in that case.
“It appears they attended every court date,” Heyburn said.
But Beall refused an order that she produce the photographs that allegedly proved the case against the couple, then didn’t show up to trial.
According to Beall, the Panahs’ farm first came on the SPCA’s radar back in 2011, and issues included a goat tied to a pole with a leash wrapped around it and rabbits in hutch with six-inches of feces she made Panah scrape out.
She said they only came to the property when complaints were made, and that she told them if they didn’t want them there, they could put up “No Trespassing” signs.
“That’s not how it works,” Heyburn said.
Beall represented herself as a law enforcement officer for the Humane Society, leading the Panahs to believe they had not choice but to let her on their property.
But Beall did not complete the requirements to be law enforcement for the group, Heyburn said.
Beall said that development was recent.
The suit also claims Beall is anti-Muslim, pointing out several memes she shared on her Facebook page.
Beall said she has an opinion and is allowed to share what she wants on her page.
“It has nothing to do with him,” she said.
The suit also names the Humane Society and Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner, saying he “turned a blind eye” to the harassment and that he has “the legal authority and duty to train, supervise and discipline” Beall.
The prosecutor referred any comment to the county.
