Scoop: Employee sues KC over Harrison Butker tweet response
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City Hall in Kansas City, Missouri. Illustration: Axios Visuals
A senior Kansas City social media staffer is suing the city — asserting she was wrongly blamed for an official post that went viral, harassed online, and sidelined by the city when she asked leaders to defend her.
The big picture: Andrea Watts' lawsuit stems from a May 2024 social media post that shared the town where Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker lived — drawing national backlash, an apology from the mayor, and the firing of a staffer.
- Watts, who is Black, says in the suit she was falsely blamed for the post, became the target of doxxing, and suffered racist and sexist threats.
The petition states that city officials failed to publicly acknowledge that she was not responsible for the post, despite her repeated requests to have her name cleared.
- People accessed Watts' LinkedIn and shared "her identity, pictures of her, pictures of the entryway of one of her addresses, and personal identifying information," per the court filing.
- A statement recently provided to Axios by the office of Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says, "The Mayor publicly shared his admonitions that bad actors looking to capitalize on the story should leave our Black female city employees alone."
State of play: Filed last month in Jackson County circuit court, the petition accuses the city of discrimination and retaliation — alleging officials denied her basic safety requests, gave her work to others, and excluded her from meetings after she voiced her concerns.
Context: The public version of the lawsuit does not show Butker's name — Missouri court rules require redacting non-party names from public filings. But the events described reference last year's viral post about him.
Catch up quick: Butker delivered a graduation speech in May 2024 at Benedictine College that ignited a national controversy and rebukes from some Benedictine nuns.
- Butker told women graduates that while some might pursue careers, many were likely more excited about marriage and motherhood.
- He criticized President Biden's abortion stance and COVID response, and argued against "dangerous gender ideologies" and the "tyranny of DEI."
- Butker invoked Catholic values and stood by his remarks. Supporters called him brave; critics called the speech divisive and regressive. The NFL distanced itself.
- Four days later, Kansas City's official X account posted the suburb where Butker lived, and while it was taken down shortly after, the post nonetheless went viral.
Butker's street address was not shared, but critics said the post crossed a line, and they accused the city of doxxing him.
- Watts says in the petition that online harassment began that same night.
Between the lines: The city later fired the employee who made the post. Their name was not made public.
Friction point: One of the loudest voices to take up the issue was Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who threatened legal action against the city and demanded records related to the post about Butker.
The other side: Asked for comment about Watts' petition, a spokesperson for Lucas, a Democrat, did not address the substance of the allegations, but criticized Bailey's response to the post in 2024.
Watts, who is still employed by the city, is seeking back pay, emotional damages, and a declaration that the city violated the Missouri Human Rights Act.
- Watts' attorney, Erin Vernon, and the city did not provide additional comment.
What's next: The city has until June 21 to file a response in court.