Fred L. "Bubba" Copeland (May 27, 1974 – November 3, 2023) was an American politician and pastor who served as mayor of Smiths Station, Alabama, from 2016 until his[a] suicide in 2023.

Copeland served on the Lee County Board of Education, representing District 5, which includes the Smiths Station school zone, from 2005 to 2016, when he announced his candidacy for mayor.

[6] In March 2019, a violent EF4 tornado ripped through eastern Alabama and western Georgia, killing 23 people across Lee County and causing major damage in Smiths Station.

[13][14] Copeland also served as a pastor at the First Baptist Church of Phenix City[10] and owned The Country Market, a retail grocery business in Salem.

He attended Smiths Station High School and received a hotel and restaurant management degree from Auburn University.

[19][20] Before the 1819 News report was released, Copeland allegedly gave a private statement to the website, claiming that his behavior was a "hobby" for "getting rid of stress".

[20][22][23] Leaders in some of the state's Baptist associations responded to the article with a statement that they had "serious concern" about Copeland's "alleged unbiblical behavior".

"[18][24] Speaking at First Baptist Church on November 1, Copeland said "Yes, I have taken pictures with my wife in the privacy of our home in an attempt at humor because I know I'm not a handsome man nor a beautiful woman, either.

"[26][23][27] Shortly after the article's publication, Copeland told former Phenix City School Superintendent Larry DiChiara, a friend of his, that he was experiencing "dark days."

[32][20] Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones later said that the circumstances of Copeland's death were under investigation, though his social media posts were not.

Lee County Democratic Party Chairperson Jamie Lowe called Copeland "the backbone of Smiths Station" and condemned "the use of discriminatory and hateful rhetoric to target the personal lives of individuals."