Kansas City is being investigated for potential human rights violations following the doxxing of Harrison Butker, the kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has taken a firm stance, announcing an investigation under the Missouri Human Rights Act to uphold constitutional freedoms.
“My office is demanding accountability after Kansas City doxxed Harrison Butker last night for daring to express his religious beliefs,” AG Bailey announced.
“I will enforce the Missouri Human Rights Act to ensure Missourians are not targeted for their free exercise of religion,” he added.
BREAKING: My office is demanding accountability after@KansasCity doxxed @buttkicker7 last night for daring to express his religious beliefs.
— Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) May 16, 2024
I will enforce the Missouri Human Rights Act to ensure Missourians are not targeted for their free exercise of religion.
Stay tuned.
Bailey has issued a formal demand to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas for the immediate release of all documents and communications related to a controversial post on X.
The post leaked personal details about Harrison Butker following his speech at a graduation ceremony where he shared his Christian beliefs. This act of doxxing is seen as a direct attack on his right to freely express his religious views.
Although the post was subsequently deleted, screenshots had already been captured.
Kansas City later apologized, absurdly claiming that it was posted “in error”: “We apologize for our previous tweet. It was shared in error.”
We apologies for our previous tweet. It was shared in error.
— Kansas City (@KansasCity) May 16, 2024
Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s letter to Mayor Lucas below:
It has been reported that the city of Kansas City has retaliated against a well-respected local resident and member of the Kansas City Chiefs after he spoke about his religious views. Your office’s X account likely publicly released residential location information on a private citizen, Harrison Butker, in an attempt to retaliate against him for expressing his sincerely held religious beliefs at a religious college’s commencement ceremony—to an audience that largely shares his views.
Use of government social media to retaliate against an individual based on their religious beliefs amounts to discriminatory behavior that is not tolerated under our Constitution or Missouri statute.
Our nation is founded on a bedrock commitment to the free exercise of religion. In addition, Missouri law specifically prohibits faith based discrimination against Missouri residents. Yet, your office apparently believes it is appropriate to denigrate a devout Catholic for comments he made about his own faith at a religious college.
The speech I am referencing was given by Chiefs all-star kicker Harrison Butker at Benedictine College a private, religious college. This college openly affirms that it “is committed to those beliefs and natural principles that form the framework of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and it is committed further to those specific matters of faith of the Roman Catholic tradition…” Yet, speaking to a group of fellow Catholics about theological issues important to their shared faith at a graduation ceremony at a private college prompted a retaliatory social media post by your office.
Missouri’s Human Rights Act prohibits government actors from discriminating against citizens because of their sincerely held religious beliefs. In addition to the city of Kansas City’s attack on Mr. Butker, there is an effort to force his employer to take disciplinary action against him. To any employer or government official considering such a move, I assure you that I am prepared to use the authority provided in statute to defend the principle of free religious expression.
Missouri law states the following:
Whenever the attorney general has a reasonable cause to believe that any person or group of persons is engaged in a pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of any of the rights granted by this chapter or that any group of persons has been denied any of the rights granted by this chapter, and such denial raises an issue of general public importance, he may bring a civil action to any appropriate state court|.] Section 213.126.1, RSMo.
That is not the only concerning and potentially unlawful conduct. Given that your office’s official account identified where Mr. Butker may reside, it is plausible that Kansas City government officials misappropriated government resources and information to find Mr. Butker’s city of residence. This was irresponsible at best, and is potentially a violation of Missouri law. Missourians deserve better from our elected leaders.
Mr. Butker was well within his rights to discuss his religious views—views which are shared by millions of members of his faith tradition. Sadly, history is filled with examples of people of religious faith being targeted for their beliefs by government officials. Please see enclosed demand for information related to your office’s retaliatory social media post.
The NFL has officially distanced itself from Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, following his commencement speech at a private college in Kansas. During his address, Butker encouraged female graduates to embrace the role of “homemaker” and made pointed criticisms of the LGBTQ community, as well as Joe Biden’s abortion and lockdown policies.
Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, told People magazine, “Harrison Butker spoke in his personal capacity. His views do not reflect those of the NFL. We remain committed to promoting an inclusive environment, which strengthens our league.”
The NFL is silent all the time when their players beat their wives, get arrested and act like lunatics but go to a Catholic college and give a commencement speech that just adheres to conservative values and they’ll condemn you.
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) May 16, 2024
Absolutely insane. pic.twitter.com/Ge2z3VkZh0
