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Polygamous Kingston community dubbed a hate group by Southern Poverty Law Center

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks organizations expounding discriminatory and bigoted views, on Thursday called a Utah-based polygamous sect a hate group.

It’s the first such designation for the Kingston Group, also known as the Davis County Cooperative Society and the Latter Day Church of Christ, and the latest setback in years of bad publicity. The Law Center made its announcement in an article on its website.

The Law Center cited “available evidence, including the accounts of numerous former [Kingston] members,” some of whom are quoted in the article.

Kent Johnson, a spokesman for the Davis County Cooperative Society, on Thursday denied there are discriminatory teachings within the Kingston community.