Kansas Metropolis is now within the crosshairs of a serious investigation into doable human rights violations after the firing of Harrison Butker, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
Missouri Legal professional Common Andrew Bailey has taken a firmer stance, asserting an investigation below the Missouri Human Rights Act to uphold liberties assured by the Structure.
“My workplace is demanding accountability after Kansas Metropolis doxed Harrison Butker final evening for daring to specific his spiritual beliefs,” AG Bailey introduced.
“I’ll implement the Missouri Human Rights Act in order that Missourians are usually not focused for his or her free train of faith.”
BREAKING: My workplace is demanding accountability@Kansas City doxxed @buttkicker7 For daring to specific his spiritual beliefs final evening.
I’ll implement the Missouri Human Rights Act to make sure that Missourians are usually not focused for the free train of their faith.
Keep tuned.
— Legal professional Common Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) May 16, 2024
Bailey has issued a proper demand to Kansas Metropolis Mayor Quinton Lucas for the speedy launch of all paperwork and communications associated to a controversial submit made on social media platform X.
The submit in query leaked private particulars about Butker after his speech at a commencement ceremony, the place he shared his Christian beliefs. This act of doxing is a direct assault on his proper to specific his spiritual views.
The submit was later deleted. Nonetheless, the screenshot has already been taken.
“Missionaries of religion need to know why Kansas Metropolis officers determined to assault Mr. Butker for his deeply held spiritual beliefs,” stated Legal professional Common Bailey.
In response, Kansas Metropolis issued an apology saying, “We apologize for our earlier tweet. Shared by mistake.”
We apologize for our earlier tweet. Shared by mistake.
— Kansas Metropolis (@KansasCity) May 16, 2024
Learn Bailey’s letter to Mayor Lucas beneath:
It has been reported that the town of Kansas Metropolis retaliated in opposition to a revered native resident and member of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs after he spoke out about his spiritual views. Your workplace’s X account could have launched residential location data on a non-public citizen, Harrison Butker, in an try to retaliate in opposition to him for expressing his sincerely held spiritual beliefs at a non secular faculty graduation ceremony—to an viewers that largely shares his views.
The usage of authorities social media to retaliate in opposition to a person based mostly on their spiritual beliefs quantities to discrimination that’s not tolerated below our Structure or Missouri legislation.
Our nation was based on a dedication to the free train of faith. Moreover, Missouri legislation particularly prohibits faith-based discrimination in opposition to Missouri residents. But, your workplace clearly believes that it’s applicable to censure a religious Catholic for commenting on his personal religion in a non secular faculty.
The speech I am referring to was given by All-Star kicker Harrison Butker, head of Benedictine Faculty, a non-public, spiritual faculty. The school brazenly affirms that it’s “dedicated to these faiths and pure ideas that kind the framework of the Judeo-Christian custom, and it’s additional dedicated to these specific points of religion within the Roman Catholic custom…” But, chatting with a bunch at a non-public faculty is a The commencement ceremony prompted a retaliatory social media submit out of your workplace to fellow Catholics about theological points necessary to their shared religion.
Missouri’s Human Rights Act prohibits authorities actors from discriminating in opposition to residents based mostly on their sincerely held spiritual beliefs. Along with the Kansas Metropolis assault on Mr. Butker, efforts are underway to compel his employer to take disciplinary motion in opposition to him. To any employer or public official contemplating such motion, I guarantee you that I’m ready to make use of the authority offered by legislation to guard the precept of free spiritual expression.
Missouri legislation states the next:
Each time the Legal professional Common has affordable trigger to consider that any particular person or group of individuals is engaged in a sample or follow of resistance to the total enjoyment of any proper granted by this chapter or that any group of individuals has been denied any proper granted by this chapter, and such denial elevating a problem of normal public significance, he could convey a civil motion in any applicable state court docket.]Part 213.126.1, RSMO.
This isn’t the one associated and probably unlawful conduct. Whereas your workplace’s official account has recognized the place Mr. Butker lives, it’s believed that Kansas Metropolis authorities officers misused authorities assets and data to find Mr. Butker’s metropolis of residence. This was irresponsible at greatest and sure a violation of Missouri legislation. Missourians deserve higher from our elected leaders.
Mr Butker was nicely inside his rights to debate his spiritual views – views that are shared by hundreds of thousands of members of his religion custom. Sadly, historical past is full of examples of individuals of non secular religion being focused by authorities officers for his or her beliefs. Please see the connected request for data relating to your workplace’s retaliatory social media posts.
In the meantime, the NFL has distanced itself from Butker’s statements that criticized President Joe Biden’s management and opposed some progressive insurance policies. Jonathan Bean, the NFL’s senior vice chairman and chief range and inclusion officer, emphasised the league’s place, saying, “Harrison Butker gave a speech in his private capability. His opinion shouldn’t be that of the NFL as a corporation. The NFL stands by our dedication to inclusion, which solely makes our league stronger.”