Editor’s Note: It is the Daily Egyptian’s policy to censor racial slurs as they appear in writing, the original notice did not censor this word. 

The Southern Illinoisan newspaper published an uncensored “pubic notice” about a “N***** Nazi Agenda Board” in print and online, dated Oct. 21.

As of the publication of this article the notice was still available on the Southern’s website.

(See more: Pubic Notice- is hereby given).

A censored version of the notice can be viewed here:

“Pubic Notice- is hereby given that on October 21, 2020 A.D., a certificate was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of Jackson County, Illinois setting forth the names and addresses of all of the persons owning, conducting and transacting the business known as: N***** Nazi Agenda Board (Consulting) located at 516 South Rawlings St. Apt. A414, Carbondale, IL 62901. Dated this 21st day of October, 2020 A.D. Frank L Byrd, Jackson County Clerk.”

The Daily Egyptian was directed to Donna Denson, the Southern’s president and director of local sales and marketing for comment.

“The word you are referring to was published as part of the name of a business in a required legal notice, after filing with the Jackson County Clerk’s office,” Denson said. “We would refer you to that office or to the named owner of the business for further comment.”

Jackson County Clerk Frank Byrd said he has notified the state’s attorney of the incident. He said he always follows the law and couldn’t deny this name because that would be an infringement on this citizen’s rights.

“I can’t police names like if you came in and I didn’t like your name I would be infringing on people’s rights,” Byrd said. “I am not allowed to do that and I wouldn’t do that. So we’re just waiting for the return of the information and then we can go from there. I am not sure what’s going to happen, I am getting a lot of emails and phone calls and I’m trying to explain to people and they are understanding that you know I follow the law and the law asked me to give this person and serve this person just like any other citizen.”

Byrd said he doesn’t have any information on the specifics of the business or the individuals involved.

“The public needs to follow up on it and they need to follow up with the proper authorities if they feel like, if they’re concerned with it,” Byrd said. “I can’t, in my capacity I have only the things that I can do, an average citizen can maybe do more and maybe they can contact authorities that deal with that stuff and see what they’re take is on it, as it is for me I’m just the person that gives this person the paperwork to file these assumed names for a so called business that they’re saying that they’re starting.”

Byrd also made the following post in the WTF? Carbondale Facebook group, where community members were expressing their concerns over the notice:

“There are many things in life that are hard to understand or things we may not agree with but there are laws and freedom of speech still rings loud. I assure you all that I will always follow the law and serve all the people of Jackson County. We must look past our differences and come together with words of kindness and not words of hate. I have a vision where we can all be friends and neighbors and help heal the wounds that divide us, one day my friend we will be there.”

Illinois’ Newspaper Legal Notice Act (715 ILCS 10), requires the printing of legal notices in print publications in exchange for some government funding. However, Byrd said some publications would not accept this notice.

(See more: 715 ILCS 10 Newspaper Legal Notice Act).

“Some papers wouldn’t take that name,” Byrd said. “I’m not going to name who they were but apparently a paper did.”

Byrd said it is his job to serve all of the citizens of Jackson County.

“It’s not my job to judge people and to judge their businesses and their names,” Byrd said.

Editor-in-Chief Kallie Cox can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @KallieECox.

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