Nebraska state trooper Robert Henderson was fired in 2006 after it was discovered that he was a member of the Knights Party, a group that has strong ties to the Ku Klux Klan. Henderson and lawyers acting on his behalf argued against his dismissal before an an arbitrator, the Lancaster County District Court and the Nebraska Supreme Court. In late February of 2009, the state Supreme Court upheld the firing.International Herald Tribune: Neb. court upholds firing of trooper for Klan link (February 27, 2009) KETV.com: Case Of Trooper Involved With KKK Site Goes To Supreme Court (March 4, 2008)
Group Involvement
Henderson admittedly joined the Knights Party in 2004 after his wife left him for a Hispanic man. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation was alerted to his membership in October of 2005 after Henderson posted several messages to the site's message board. In the messages, he identified himself as a white supremacist and expressed interest in chatting with other like-minded individuals. In August of 2008, Henderson's lawyer said that his client was no longer a member of the Knights Party and regretted ever joining. He said that Henderson's activity with the group had been exaggerated and stated that Henderson "never brought any of the activity to the work force."KETV.com: Bruning Appeals Decision On Trooper Associated With KKK (August 25, 2006)
References
Fast Facts
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Former Nebraska state trooper
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Employed as a state trooper for 18 years
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Member of the Knights Party
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According to their website, "The Knights Party is the ONLY legitimate Klan association in the United States"Official Site: The Knights Party
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On December 13, 2006, a Lancaster County District Judge overturned the arbitrator's decision, ruling that Henderson should not be reinstatedKETV.com: Attorney General Files Brief On Dismissed Trooper (April 20, 2007)
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