Owensboro made headlines across the globe after local father Bryant Goldbach dressed his 5-year-old son as Adolf Hitler and himself as a Nazi soldier at the City of Owensboro’s Trail of Treats event last Thursday. A photo of the two in costume first spread across Facebook, causing many Owensboro citizens to question Goldbach’s motives for depicting the historical figure responsible for the Holocaust.
City Manager Nate Pagan released a statement on the “City of Owensboro KY – Mayor’s Office” Facebook page Monday after he said the city received over 500 voicemails on the City Action line in the last two days from across the world concerning the costumes worn to the city’s Halloween event.
Pagan said the city agrees with many of the social media comments received, calling Goldbach’s costume choice inappropriate and offensive. According to Pagan the costumes “invaded” the family event and contradicted the beliefs of the city.
“To say we believe the costumes to be unacceptable is an understatement,” Pagan wrote. “We find them to be vile and repugnant.”
While the statement was released on the City of Owensboro KY – Mayor’s Office Facebook page, the statement was written, signed and posted by Pagan.
“The mayor reviewed my statement,” Pagan said. “Everyone here generally agrees with the premise.”
Pagan said the City “cannot ban speech or costumes during public events on public property, regardless of our opinion of what is being said or worn.” Pagan said this is often the reason “hate groups” choose public locations and events.
Owensboro Times reached out to city attorney Steve Lynn for comment on the first amendment rights of citizens at the city-sponsored event, but he was unavailable for comment.
“In such situations, governments are forced to accommodate offensive views typically in conflict with the communities in which the events are held,” Pagan wrote. “That was the case at our event. The costumes in no way represent the values or beliefs of our community.”
Mellow Mushroom, the downtown Owensboro pizza restaurant whose logo was prominently shown in the controversial photo, has also posted a statement to Facebook today regarding the photo of Goldbach and his son.
According to that post, Mellow Mushroom “denounces hatred toward any religion, race or gender.”
“We do not condone his family’s choice of ‘costumes’ or the beliefs associated with them,” the Mellow Mushroom post read. Management of Mellow Mushroom declined any further comment.
