Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says that 鈥渋nflammatory rhetoric鈥� from Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has ignited a wave of violent and racist online harassment against female employees at City Hall.
It鈥檚 the latest fallout from a controversial Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker delivered last weekend to graduates of Benedictine College, a private Catholic college in Atchison, Kansas.
Butker鈥檚 speech was met with . In it, he criticized abortion and COVID policies, told male graduates to be 鈥渦napologetic in their masculinity鈥� and urged the female graduates in the audience to embrace the title of 鈥渉omemaker.鈥�
On Wednesday, Kansas City account: 鈥淛ust a reminder that Harrison Butker lives in the City of Lee鈥檚 Summit.鈥� The city quickly took the post down and , saying that it was 鈥渟hared in error.鈥�
鈥淚t was not an appropriate post for the City of Kansas City,鈥� Lucas posted from his . 鈥淚t should not have ever been up.鈥�
Bailey, a Republican who is currently campaigning for this year's attorney general race, subsequently against Kansas City for 鈥渄oxxing鈥� Butker.
鈥淚 will enforce the Missouri Human Rights Act to ensure Missourians are not targeted for their free exercise of religion,鈥� Bailey said.
is the term for intentionally revealing a person鈥檚 private information 鈥� such as phone numbers, home address, ID numbers or other sensitive data 鈥� online without their consent, usually with the intent to provoke intimidation or harassment.
Kansas City鈥檚 social media account did not post Butker鈥檚 address, beyond saying he lives in Lee鈥檚 Summit 鈥� a city of 100,000 people.
In a letter to Lucas on Thursday, Bailey Kansas City of retaliating against Butker for his religious beliefs, and that Lucas turn over all documents, records and communications relating to Kansas City鈥檚 post on X about Butker.
鈥淭his was irresponsible at best, and is potentially a violation of Missouri law,鈥� Bailey wrote.
Bailey made several surrounding the issue.
Lucas said that Bailey鈥檚 actions have led to harassment of their own.
鈥淭he growing online rhetoric on this issue, for which you are fanning the flames, has made City employees targets for online hate mobs and put their personal safety at risk, including leading an employee to leave her home for her safety,鈥� Lucas said in Friday鈥檚 letter.
Lucas said that Black and female employees of the city, 鈥渨ho had no involvement in the objectionable tweet,鈥� are being with racist and sexist slurs and death threats. His letter cites one post that shows an employee鈥檚 street address next to an image of a Black person hanging from a noose.
鈥淚f you object to posting the mere city in which a public figure lives, then you should condemn even more strongly the posting of a municipal employee鈥檚 name, photo, and home address alongside racist and genuine threats of violence,鈥� Lucas said.
In his letter to Bailey, Lucas said that the city has launched a Human Resources disciplinary process.
On Thursday, Kansas City Council member Nathan Willett, who represents the Northland, introduced a resolution directing the city manager to give a presentation on social media policies and practices. That ordinance is waiting to go through normal council processes.
Lucas sent a separate letter to city employees addressing the targeted online harassment. He said his administration contacted the Kansas City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report the threats made to employees and ensure the safety of staffers.
Lucas also said he directed city administration to 鈥渆nsure appropriate actions be taken to prevent such incidents from reoccurring in the future.鈥�
鈥淥ur city is committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for all employees, regardless of their race or background,鈥� Lucas said in the letter to employees. 鈥淣o individual should have to endure the kind of vitriol that was directed at our colleagues. It is essential that we stand together in solidarity against racism and bigotry in any form.鈥�
