Ohio pastor fights strip club, wins topless protests at church
For almost nine years, a pastor in Warsaw, Ohio, has been spending his Friday nights at a local strip club, but not in that way. William Dunfee, the pastor of New Beginnings Ministries, and his supporters have passed their weekend nights outside the Foxhole, in nearby New Castle Township, harassing employees and customers, reading the Bible, and urging men to go home to their wives. "I have no intention of looking away from evil," Dunfee tells The New York Times.
Earlier this month, Foxhole dancers started returning the favor, showing up on Sunday mornings to protest, topless, outside Dunfee's church. "It has been outright harassment going on nine years," Foxhole owner Tommy George tells The Times. "I decided to show them, you don't want it behind closed doors? We'll bring it right out in the open and see how you like it." The congregants don't like it, and some have been entering through a side door.
The county is trying to end the long, perfectly legal standoff, which George expects to lose. "I imagine he'll go on with it," he says of Dunfee. But as for his team's topless protests, "I'll go away at some point. It's going to get cold." To learn more, read the article in The New York Times and watch the video below, from WCMH. --Peter Weber
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Why scientists are attempting nuclear fusionThe Explainer Harnessing the reaction that powers the stars could offer a potentially unlimited source of carbon-free energy, and the race is hotting up
-
Crossword: October 27, 2025The Week's daily crossword
-
Sudoku medium: October 27, 2025The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
-
Appeals court clears Trump’s Portland troop deploymentSpeed Read A divided federal appeals court ruled that President Trump can send the National Guard to Portland
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ ralliesSpeed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June
