A KKK FLYER left in and around Midway during the night of Oct. 21 or early morning of Oct. 22. (Photo by Liles Taylor)
Sometime during the night or early morning hours of Oct. 21-22, a group calling itself the “Trinity White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan” distributed flyers in Midway saying “LEAVE NOW – AVOID DEPORTATION” and “WE MUST SECURE THE EXISTENCE OF OUR PEOPLE AND A FUTURE FOR WHITE CHILDREN.”
The flyer lists the organization as having its national headquarters in Maysville, Kentucky, with “realms” in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
A call to the phone number provided on the flyer was answered by a voice message stating, “Greetings from the Trinity Knights of the Ku Klux Klan,” and went on to leave an Aberdeen, Ohio, mailing address where a membership application could be obtained for $1.00. The message concluded saying, “Until then, we will forever hold true to the faithful principle of white supremacy.”
The message box was full. The Sun made five calls to the number to obtain a comment or confirmation from the organization, but no one answered.
Mason County Attorney John Estill, where Maysville is located, confirmed with the Sun that Mason County law enforcement is familiar with the organization, and the leader resides in Aberdeen, Ohio.
According to WKYT-TV, on Oct. 22, these flyers were also left in areas of Frankfort and the Frankfort police department is investigating it as an “appalling act of littering.”
The incident was first reported to the Sun by Woodford County Fiscal Court Magistrate Liles Taylor, who said he found them on a sidewalk in Midway at a flashing light, and was told the flyers were also found in the Northridge neighborhood and downtown Midway. Midway City Councilperson Ian VanSteenbergh told the Sun the flyers were left at homes on Turner Street.
“The hateful, racist messages promoted by the KKK have absolutely no place in Midway or Woodford County,” Taylor said. “Our community stands united against bigotry and is committed to being a welcoming home for all people . . . (the flyers) are clearly distributed by out-of-town provocateurs (who) will be met only with our firm and unwavering rejection.”
Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift, after becoming aware of the flyers, posted this statement on Facebook, while declining to post an image of the flyer to avoid inadvertently promoting it: “Make no mistake: there’s no place for this in Midway. A few hateful people are no match for the thousands of good and welcoming folks who call Midway home. Any hate you misdirect will be met with an abundance of loving, caring and welcoming people.”
Woodford County Judge-Executive James Kay told the Sun in a phone interview, “This is just plain wrong, and all of Woodford County rejects this message and this out-of-county group. There is zero room for hate or racism here. These kinds of activities will always be met with a peaceful, yet forceful, rejection.”
Versailles Police Chief Rob Young texted this to the Sun: “VPD is aware of unknown actor(s) that distributed anti-immigrant flyers in several areas of Woodford County last night (Oct. 21-22). While the flyers may be concerning in their content, the messaging is protected by the First Amendment. These are the same flyers that were distributed in Northern Kentucky earlier this year. Such acts are designed to create fear and anger, and we should not allow such antagonists to succeed. As always, residents are encouraged to report any suspicious activity to VPD at 859.873-3126.”
This is an ongoing story. Check the Sun’s Facebook page for updates.