KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV/Gray News) – Last week, a tweet about Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker was posted and then deleted by the city of Kansas City. The employee responsible for the tweet has since been fired.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas confirmed in an interview with KCMO Talk Radio on Thursday that the individual who sent the tweet was no longer employed by the city.
Additionally, during Thursday’s City Council meeting, the city planned to read a resolution apologizing formally to Harrison Butker and affirming that Kansas City is welcoming to people of all religions.
A spokesperson for the mayor released a statement on Thursday afternoon:
“The employee has been separated from the City workforce for violating City policy by posting outside the scope of authorized City communications. The City will have no further comment on the post or the individual employees involved.”
Butker gained attention for his commencement speech at Benedictine College, where he discussed topics such as motherhood, COVID policies, and Pride Month.
The city had tweeted on X that Butker resides in a different municipality, but the tweet was deleted from the city’s official @KansasCity account after nearly 30 minutes.
The mayor of Kansas City responded to a tweet inquiry about the deletion, stating it wasn’t suitable for the city. Harrison Butker, a devout Catholic, has openly discussed his views on abortion and family. In his commencement address, he highlighted his wife’s fulfillment as a homemaker. Subsequently, Butker’s jersey sales surged, making his No. 7 one of the top sellers in the NFL.
Hunt, the wife of Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, along with her daughter Gracie and Chris Jones, expressed their backing for the Chiefs’ kicker. Head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes reaffirmed their support for Butker’s character and emphasized the importance of everyone having the freedom to express their opinions.
