One of Lee’s Summit’s newest School Board Members, Bill Haley, gives an exclusive interview to the Lee’s Summit Tribune.


Lee’s Summit Tribune Staff sat down with Mr. Haley in response to the social media criticism he is receiving from a group of people for his choice in team name and his table decor at a recent fundraiser trivia event for the Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation held at the newer Bridge Space event center located in Downtown Lee’s Summit.

According to Haley, he purchased the gold level table when the announcement first came out several weeks ago.  He thought it would be a great fun event for him and his family, while contributing to a terrific cause.  During the sign up, he and his wife were trying to come up with a fun team name.  

“I am a redneck.  During the campaign, at a forum, I was told I looked like a ‘dumb redneck’ because of the way I was dressed. I was just poking fun at myself, so we chose The Redneck Renegades.”  The term redneck sometimes has pejorative connotations, but Haley wears it as a badge of honor.  “I grew up dirt poor in the hills of Arkansas.  I received a public education, and through hard work and perseverance, I am living the American Dream.”  

He sincerely apologizes to anyone who was offended.  Haley also states there was absolutely no malice intended.

When asked what Haley’s opinion is about inclusivity, he believes it means recognizing and addressing the unique challenges faced by different communities while working together to create a more just and equitable society for everyone.    

When asked about having bullets and ammunition on his table, Haley said: “There were absolutely no bullets nor live ammunition anywhere near nor on the table.”  He further stated he and his wife went on-line and searched for ideas for “redneck party decorations”.  They purchased those items, and used items they previously had for decorations, such as Christmas ornaments from the On Target Ammunition Christmas tree.

When they got to the venue early to set up, they saw several people they knew at other tables.  They spoke to several people, shook hands, and socialized. Two other School Board members, the school superintendent and his wife, along with several others were in attendance, too.  They walked around and voted for other people’s table decorations, ate bbq and participated in the trivia night and the games. When asked if they won the contest, Haley stated: “We didn’t win, but we didn’t finish in last place!”  

The event lasted several hours.  He received a photo from another attendee of their redneck decorated table, and he went in to post on FB about the amazing time they had.  Everyone had a good time, and were taking pictures. Had one single person approached the event sponsors, or let Haley know they were offended by his table decorations, he would have immediately put anything deemed offensive away.

When asked, “Were you trying to make a political statement about Black Lives Matter with your table clothe?”  Haley answered: “No.”

So, where do we go from here? Haley said: “We are going to move forward the way successful organizations always move forward – with collaboration from all stakeholders involved.  How about we call for unity among diverse groups by addressing the specific challenges faced by different communities.  This way we can work towards a more inclusive society. We must get away from this mob mentality where one is offended, and they create a social media firestorm rather than sitting down and discussing it. Haley looks forward to the opportunity of sitting down with all the stakeholders in LSR-7 for its improvement in the future. He is continuing what he started during his campaign by inviting all stakeholders to sit down and have a cup of coffee with him, to discuss the continuing improvement of LSR-7.