A Lee’s Summit R-7 School District board member issued a public apology on Thursday for a controversial table display he constructed at a recent district event featuring the slogan “Redneck Lives Matter.”
Along with used shotgun shells and tiny American flags, the display also featured a novelty sign reading “WARNING: You are entering a REDNECK AREA. You may encounter American Flags, Armed Citizens, The Lords Prayer, & Country Music. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK.”
“Our table decorations were quite offensive to a number of members of our community, and for that, I’m genuinely sorry,” Haley said at a meeting of the Lee’s Summit R-7 school board on Thursday evening. “There was never any intent to be provocative or to make a political statement.”
The elaborate “REDNECK AREA” appeared at an Aug. 9 trivia night fundraiser for the Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation, which coordinates private fundraising efforts to support district programming. Foundation director Chrissy Symes also offered an apology at Thursday’s meeting.
“The table decorations displayed by attendees at our trivia event have caused hurt and frustration, and did not reflect the atmosphere of respect that we strive to create at our events,” Symes said. “For this, we are truly sorry.”
An online petition calling for Haley’s resignation, created on August 15, collected 371 signatures in the first week. Several parents and community members also called for Haley’s resignation in statements to the school board Thursday.
Adriana Paez, a mother to two current LSR-7 students, is among community members calling for Haley to be taken to task under existing district policies. At Thursday’s meeting, Paez questioned how similar behavior may have been received by the district if the “Redneck Lives Matter” display were instead created by students.
“Should we hold district leaders to lower standards than our students?” Paez said. “Mr Haley’s behavior is either a gross demonstration of his ignorance, or a blatant and gross disregard for the duty he swore to uphold.”
At Thursday’s board meeting, Haley insisted that the display did not have “nefarious motives” and was not intended to make light of the Black Lives Matter movement, which the slogan “Redneck Lives Matter” appears to parody.
“Anyone who accuses me of racism does not know my family,” Haley said. “... I will not apologize for who I am or the way I conduct myself.”
To some community members, the apology came too late.
“Your words carry weight and have the potential to shape the educational environment and values imparted on students,” district parent Emily James said on Thursday, addressing Haley directly. “By using a phrase like ‘Redneck Lives Matter,’ you sent a message that downplays legitimate concerns of racial injustice and equality. And instead, you contributed to the culture of misunderstanding and intolerance.’”
In her statement to the board, James compared the fallout of Haley’s display to a 2019 incident in which Lee’s Summit choral students were asked to sing ‘Pick a Bale of Cotton,’ a folk song glorifying slavery and containing racial epithets.
“Hear me clearly when I say we are not going backwards,” James said. “If you are tired of having these conversations, stop provoking us in your role.”
Lee’s Summit school board member must apologize for ‘Redneck Lives Matter’ display | Opinion
Haley, a longtime competitive shooter, is also the owner of On Target Ammunition, an ammunition manufacturing company based in Grain Valley. On Target, founded in 2007, sells bullets, firearms and ammunition loading machines to clients including the United States military and law enforcement officers.
Aisha O’Malley, another LSR-7 parent, slammed Haley on Thursday for using the display to promote his company. To O’Malley, bringing gun paraphernalia into a school environment sent a mixed message about gun violence in schools.
“He said he was there to promote his business, but he had empty shell casings and holiday lights … promoting his business of killing as a private citizen,” O’Malley said. “I’m asking that from the board tonight, for Mr. Haley’s formal resignation. We need you all to work together, use your brains and demand that he resign.”
However, some community members have defended Haley’s display, praising the school board member for exercising his rights to free speech.
“Bill’s the best thing that happened to this school board in the last year,” Garry Hocker, a former LSR-7 parent, said Thursday. “I’m ashamed of everyone else in this room. … He’s shown leadership. He’s shown the guts that he’s not afraid to stand up and do what he knows is great.”
In his statement to the board on Thursday night, Haley claimed that he would have taken the display down if he had been approached by any member of the public about it on August 9. Haley also said he had made a previous apology to fellow board members and offered to meet privately with any community member still holding concerns.
Meanwhile, some parents said they have had a hard time reaching school board members to discuss the display over the last two weeks. Christy Grimes, a parent of three LSR-7 students, said she received a “lackluster” response to emails she sent demanding an apology from Haley.
No member of the school board has spoken publicly about the incident outside of Haley’s apology on Thursday.
“Each and every one of you have the power to individually and/or collectively denounce inappropriate actions or behaviors from your fellow board members,” Grimes said on Thursday, addressing the board at large. “In this instance, silence speaks volumes.”
Haley was elected to the Lee’s Summit school board in April, with the backing of Abundant Life Church and We the People of Eastern Jackson County, a local political advocacy group with conservative leanings.
The new board member also shared photos of the table display to his campaign Facebook page earlier this month.
Previous reporting by The Star’s Toriano Porter was used in this article.
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