Tonya Wilhelm of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota

The Ray Sandford campaign is over, and Ray won. He no longer receives forced electroshock. Those who support Ray’s campaign are asked to end the encouraged actions, and begin celebrating. Thank you to everyone who supported his campaign.

MindFreedom is proud to have supported Ray. Those interested in understanding why Ray received electroshock, and how his campaign won, will want to study these pages in Ray’s Web of Links.

MindFreedom board, staff and members are also proud that throughout this campaign, we have consistently called for peaceful, nonviolent action, even though Ray himself was exposed to extreme and traumatic violence at the hands of his own guardianship service, LSS.

Here is info from the original May 2009 alert, to understand the history of Ray’s campaign to end his forced electroshock

Name: Tonya Wilhelm of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota

Connection to Ray’s case: Ms. Wilhelm is an employee of Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota who is supposed to literally guard Ray. While Ms. Wilhelm and LSSMN are not directly in charge of the ongoing forced electroshock of Ray, there is a great deal they could do to be allies and supporters of Ray’s campaign.

Instead, Ms. Wilhelm and LSSMN have, in our opinion, taken a number of steps to try to slow down, oppose or even stop Ray’s campaigns including:

• Trying to stop Ray’s campaign from starting by telling MindFreedom it could not issue the initial alert
• Falsely claiming that Ray wanted his campaign to stop
• Slowing down mail to Ray
• Blocking visitors to Ray
• Attempting to stop Ray’s free speech when he spoke out via video

When an adjunct professor in disability volunteered to visit Ray, and take him to a local Center for Independent Living (which helps provide empowering services by and for people with disabilities), apparently Ms. Wilhelm complained to the dean employing the adjunct professor. The offense? The adjunct professor apparently signed Ray out to go to a cup of coffee… and did not mention the Center for Independent Living. But instead of receiving a complaint, the employment of this adjunct professor was threatened, chilling her free speech.

Ms. Wilhelm states on her Facebook page that she is a member of NAMI. While some MindFreedom members are also members of NAMI, the fact is NAMI refuses to disclose the full amount of psychiatric drug company money they receive.

Public position on Ray Sandford’s forced outpatient electroshock: Won’t comment on client publicly, but has never issued an objection that we know of.

Public position in general on outpatient involuntary electroshock over expressed wishes of subject: Will not take a public position, but has not stated opposition to involuntary outpatient electroshock which Ms. Wilhelm said was “not uncommon” in Minnesota.

Action

IMPORTANT NOTE:MindFreedom and Ray endorse nonviolence principles. Even if an individual or agency opposes Ray’s human rights, MindFreedom and Ray ask that any communication be civil.

You may e-mail to Ms. Wilhelm at Tonya.Wilhelm@lssmn.org