Despite his protests that he was the subject of a witch hunt and injustice because of expressing his view about a religion he had once hailed as a "champion of free speech", Penton was disfellowshipped, or expelled, from Jehovah's Witnesses on the grounds of apostasy in February 1981.
Penton was expelled from Jehovah's Witnesses due to apostasy in February 1981 despite his claims that he was being unfairly persecuted for expressing his views on a religion he previously considered a champion of free speech.