I told Grace that this was a hoax, and a very old hoax, and that I was quite surprised it was still being circulated given how long Dr. O'Hair had been missing. I told her that I used to work for Dr. O'Hair at the center in Austin and had responded to inquiries about it back in 1994 and 1995 and that it was quite absurd to believe Dr. O'Hair was doing this now at all times, given her disappearance.
It started in 1974, when two people not affiliated with American Atheists proposed removing religious broadcasting. Dr. O'Hair knew these two people, but she did not condone their proposal or contact the FCC in any way about it. Christian groups started spreading the rumor that Dr. O'Hair had petitioned the FCC to ban religious broadcasting and urged people to write to the FCC protesting this petition. Since then the FCC has been swamped with millions of letters and petitions about this petition that does not exist. It has been a great inconvenience on this government agency and ultimately a burden on the taxpayers.
Despite repeated denials by both Dr. O'Hair and the FCC, the hoax took on a life of its own, and it seems, has outlasted its target. 26 years old and still going.
--Kevin Walsh