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Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is following through on his vow to pursue action against the city of Kansas City after a social media account run by the city revealed the residence of Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, in what Bailey says was an act of “retaliation” for his religious beliefs.
Speaking to “OutKick the Morning” with Charly Arnolt, Bailey said his office has requested records and documents related to the management of the city’s social media account after a post on X last week revealed the city where Butker lives.
Harrison Butker, #7 of the Kansas City Chiefs, arrives at Allegiant Stadium before Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
The post came amid a wave of backlash Butker faced after he gave a commencement speech at a private Catholic school in Kansas, where he spoke from his position as a Catholic.
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“We have demanded certain records from the city related to their management of that social media account that doxed Harrison Butker in retaliation for his free expression of religious beliefs,” Bailey told Arnolt in an episode aired on Thursday.
“Let’s paint this with the proper brush – that is government retaliating against an individual for the expression of their sincerely held religious beliefs. That could not be more of a clear case of a violation of his constitutional freedoms and the Missouri Human Rights Act.”
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey listens during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Butker, 28, has come under fire following his commencement speech at Benedictine College. In his address, he made specific references to female graduates embracing their “vocation” as a “homemaker” and President Biden’s stance on abortion as a Catholic. He also made references to the LGBTQ community as it relates to Pride month.
“At the end of the day, I support his right to free expression of religion. If you listen to what he said and you actually drill down on the words he used – this is a man of Catholic faith, speaking to a Catholic audience at a Catholic university, expressing his sincerely held religious beliefs,” Bailey continued.
“I’m always going to stand up and fight for athletes or anyone else who wants to express their religious beliefs and are protected by the constitutional law to do so.”
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas addressed the controversy after the post was deleted last week, calling it “clearly inappropriate.”
“A message appeared earlier this evening from a City public account. The message was clearly inappropriate for a public account. The City has correctly apologized for the error, will review account access, and ensure nothing like it is shared in the future from public channels.”
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas talks about a ballot measure to determine funding of the Kansas City Police Department on Oct. 20, 2022, in his office at City Hall. (Emily Curiel/Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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Bailey expressed concern that the review by the mayor’s office could be an attempt to close the records to the attorney general’s office.
“We’re not going to be stonewalled by the city in our demand for accountability in this instance.”
Bailey called for anyone involved in posting the message to be “fired and terminated immediately.”
“We’ve demanded certain records and documents in relation to how that account is managed and intend to look into that matter and hold any wrongdoers accountable. I think Harrison Butker himself has a cause of action against the city and I’m deeply concerned that they don’t have sufficient controls in place to prevent government from being weaponized to violate individual rights.”
The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Paulina Dedaj is a Sports Reporter for Fox News Digital.
