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Kansas Man Arrested After Clapping at Data Center Hearing

Police said Lux Claridge was arrested after continuing to clap despite warnings, and the city later approved the 1,000-acre data center project 5-0.

  • Last week, Emporia High School physics teacher Lux Claridge was arrested at a Lyon County, Kansas, meeting after clapping in support of speakers opposing the proposed 1,000-acre Flint Hills Digital Campus data center.
  • The Emporia City Commission meeting focused on zoning changes for the facility, where officials warned attendees that 'clapping' and 'snapping' would be considered disruptive behavior subject to removal.
  • After ignoring a final warning, the 37-year-old teacher told officers to 'drag me out,' leading four badged personnel to carry him from the room to a police Dodge Charger.
  • Claridge, charged with interference with law enforcement, told KWCH he remains undeterred, saying 'It's not really deterring me from speaking out or I guess, clapping.'
  • The First Amendment Coalition argues that officials cannot label harmless applause as a breach of decorum, stressing that 'actual disruption means actual disruption' when determining if removal is legally justified.
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Lean Right

In a controversial incident in Emporia, Kansas, a high school teacher was arrested for applauding a speaker who opposed a data center. This event highlights issues of free speech at public gatherings. The arrest of the high school teacher for applauding anti-data center activists raises questions. If you are among the millions of Americans who oppose energy-intensive data centers in your town, you may want to be cautious about exercising your Fi…

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KCRG broke the news in Cedar Rapids, United States on Monday, July 27, 2026.
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