State Masonic group withdraws charges

The Grand Lodge of Georgia Free & Accepted Masons has withdrawn formal charges against an Atlanta Mason who claimed that some leaders in the fraternal organization sought to disband his local chapter because it accepted a black man as a member.

Those charges were to be the basis of an internal Masonic trial, and Michael J. Bjelajac, who heads the Gate City Lodge No. 2, filed suit last month in DeKalb County Superior Court. Though the state body withdrew the charges, Gate City’s attorney, David J. Llewellyn, said Monday the DeKalb lawsuit is still pending because of retaliation concerns.

Llewellyn, who is a Gate City Lodge member, said he presented a proposed consent order to the state organization that would bar anyone from attempting to revoke the chapter’s charter or discipline any of its members for accepting 26-year-old Victor Marshall into membership last fall. Donald DeKalb, grand secretary of the Grand Lodge of Georgia, said its lawyers are working on the situation and declined further comment.