Charges Filed After Large Amish Party Shut Down

April 21, 2020 by John Karlovec

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A large Amish party with more than 100 attendees was broken up in Huntsburg Township early Sunday morning, with charges being filed against four Amish men, ages 18 to 25, according to the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to a home on Bundysburg Road in Huntsburg Township shortly after 1 a.m. A man called 9-1-1 to report a loud bash going on in a barn in back of the home.

“So, we went over there and sure enough there were about 100 people in this barn and they were all partying,” Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand told the Geauga County Maple Leaf. “Some of them ran out, some stayed, one of the 18 year old’s was passed out in there and they couldn’t even wake him up, and they had to call an ambulance for him.”

One man became belligerent and was arrested for disorderly conduct, he added, noting most Amish did comply.

“But the ones that didn’t comply and didn’t listen, they got charged,” said Hildenbrand.

Two others were charged with underage drinking and the host of the party was charged with failure to comply with Ohio’s stay-at-home orders, a second-degree misdemeanor.

“Please obey the governor’s stay-at-home order and we will get through this public pandemic,” Hildenbrand said in a tweet discussing the incident.

He explained there is concern the Amish are failing to adhere to social distancing requirements.

“Their standard answer right now is to say they thought the rules only applied to older people,” Hildenbrand said. “We’ve heard that several times. I don’t know if they really believe that or if they’re just using that as an excuse.”

On April 8, a deputy broke up an indoor basketball game on Georgia Road with more than 30 people in attendance.

“They were inside of a barn,” the sheriff said. “There were like 30 of them playing and watching. But they were cooperative when they were told they had to stop the game and leave due the stay-at-home order.”

But unlike the Bundysburg Road drunkfest, this group dispersed without incident because they were sober, Hildenbrand said.

The homeowner, who hadn’t been home all day, said the community uses his barn for all sorts of activities. When reminded of the governor’s orders, he said he would lock the barn until the order is lifted.

Three days earlier, deputies busted a party of more than 75 Amish on Nauvoo Road in Middlefield Township. The homeowner told deputies he thought the stay-home order was only for the elderly.

“I think the majority of them (Amish) are complying, they understand it (stay-at-home orders),” Hildenbrand said. “The health commissioner sent a letter to all the bishops. Many of the churches are not holding services or if they do, they are holding them outside, which they are allowed to do.”

The sheriff also noted weddings are permitted, but no receptions.

“That’s what happened in Mespo (Mesopotamia). They had a wedding and then they had a big reception, and they (law enforcement) ended up charging them with the reception,” he said.

On March 29, a Sunday, deputies were sent to two large group meetings of the Amish, one on Tavern Road and another on Georgia. Both instances involved religious ceremonies, according to sheriff’s office media reports.

“They were advised of the complaints and asked to keep safe distances and follow safe practices,” Hildenbrand said.

Unauthorized gatherings are not limited to the Amish. Late Saturday night, deputies broke up a party of eight to 10 people at a home in Chardon Township.

“It’s not just the Amish that are doing this,” Hildenbrand said.

Geauga Public Health Commissioner Tom Quade confirmed Monday an Amish bishop had requested he send a letter to Amish bishops regarding not having services.

“It was not an order not to do them,” Quade said. “The specific language was an ‘urgent request’ to not hold church services, weddings, funerals, etc., in order to help keep their people safe.”

Quade said he has had numerous phone calls with the bishops and personally met with some. The health district also has had some community outreach through a local newspaper that has run some articles intended specifically for the Amish population.

“The Amish school board was first ones to reach out asking if they should cancel school for the rest of the year,” he added. “They were somewhat prescient about that.”

On Monday, Gov. Mike DeWine announced all K-12 schools in Ohio will remain closed for the rest of the school year.

“The Amish were actually ahead of the curve on that one,” said Quade.