Hateful flyers promoting the Ku Klux Klan were found in several central Ohio neighborhoods Tuesday, including near schools in Clintonville and Worthington.
Worthington police confirmed that flyers were placed around the city Monday night. On Tuesday morning, similar flyers were found near World Language Middle School and Indian Springs Elementary School in Clintonville, according to WOSU. Flyers were also reported in other central Ohio communities, including Upper Arlington.
The flyers contained KKK imagery and racist messaging, along with references to neighborhood surveillance. WOSU reported that the materials were attributed to the “Trinity White Knights,” a faction that has distributed similar flyers in Ohio in the past.
The discovery near schools was particularly concerning for families and community members.
One Clintonville resident, Simon Buehrer, told NBC4 he encountered the flyers while riding his bike near World Language Middle School Tuesday morning. He began picking them up after realizing what they were and said he did not want children or parents encountering the material on their way to school.
“It’s not acceptable in our neighborhood, in our community, in our society,” Buehrer told NBC4.
Columbus City Schools condemned the flyers, saying that schools should be places where students can “learn, grow, and feel safe.” The district also said it would continue working to ensure students and staff are treated with dignity and respect.
Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin also spoke out about the incident, noting that he sends his own son to school each day with the expectation that educators and staff are helping create a safe and welcoming environment.
“Today’s reports of KKK flyers circulating around a Clintonville school go against those values,” Hardin said. “That message of hatred has no place anywhere in Columbus.”
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther called the flyers a hateful intrusion into Columbus neighborhoods.
“This hateful intrusion goes against everything that the City of Columbus stands for,” Ginther said in a statement provided to NBC4. “It is despicable behavior, and I am angry and saddened that children, families and all residents get exposed to this garbage.”
In Worthington, police recovered many of the flyers and disposed of them, according to a statement from the city.
The city said the incident was an attempt to promote “fear, hate, and racism” and emphasized that such efforts do not reflect Worthington’s values.
“At the City of Worthington, we want to be clear that this attempt at intimidation and other efforts to stir hate, racism, or discrimination have no place in our community,” the city said. “We will continue to provide a supportive, protective, and welcoming environment for all people.”
Worthington school leaders also condemned the flyers after some were found near schools. Superintendent Trent Bowers, Board President Amber Epling-Skinner and Board Vice President Stephanie Harless said the district’s administrators, counselors and security teams were aware of the situation and would remain vigilant in supporting students and staff.
The flyers are not the first KKK-affiliated materials to appear in central Ohio. WOSU reported that the same faction distributed flyers in Franklinton in 2023.
For now, local officials are asking residents to report any additional incidents rather than engage with those responsible.
