Worthington police confirmed fliers advertising the Ku Klux Klan were placed in Worthington Monday night. Several other central Ohio neighborhoods are also reporting similar fliers being found.
WOSU also confirmed KKK flyers were found Tuesday morning in Clintonville near World Language Middle School and Indian Springs Elementary School. Posts online claim flyers were also found in Upper Arlington, and in Hillsboro in southwest Ohio.
In a statement, the NAACP Columbus branch condemned the flyers.
“The Klan wants attention. If they truly wish to be acknowledged, they should take off the hoods, show their faces, and stand in the daylight. Instead, they hide behind paper and anonymity. That is cowardice, and cowardice does not earn our attention,” the statement said.
“Without faces or names, the only people living in fear are the ones who left these flyers. We have nothing to fear. Their words are as empty as their threats," the statement said.
The flyers included an image of a Klan member and a Flock Safety camera, with text advertising a “Neighborhood Watch.” Under the images, the flyer said “No NEED for FLOCK When Were [sic] on the Block. You can sleep Sound tonight The Klan is AWAKE.” The flyer also included a website address and a P.O. Box in Aberdeen, a town in Brown County along the Ohio River.
Columbus City Schools also released a statement about the flyers.
“Hate has no place in Columbus City Schools or in the communities we serve. There is nothing acceptable about negatively targeting people because of who they are. Our schools should be places where students come to learn, grow, and feel safe,” the statement said.
“We will continue to stand against hate and work to ensure everyone in our school communities is treated with dignity and respect. Our schools are strengthened by the many cultures and backgrounds represented across our District," the statement said.
Worthington Superintendent Trent Bowers, Board President Amber Epling-Skinner and Board Vice President Stephanie Harless put out a joint statement online strongly condemning the flyers. The statement also said flyers were found near schools.
“In Worthington, we welcome ALL. What we won’t accept are people who spread their hate under the cover of darkness. And we won’t tolerate this,” the statement said. “We have no reason to believe the cowards who left these flyers plan to do any more than litter, but their attempt to intimidate will not be minimized or overlooked by this District, School administrators, counselors and our security teams are aware of this situation and will be both vigilant and ready to support students and staff.”
The flyers were attributed to the "Trinity White Knights,” a faction of the white supremacist group that previously distributed flyers in Franklinton in 2023. The leader of the faction, William Bader, was cited in 2025 for littering after spreading similar flyers in Lincoln Heights, a historically Black village near Cincinnati.
The Southern Poverty Law Center identifies the faction as one of only 10 that remain in the U.S. An article by the center said groups like the KKK try to spread propaganda through flyers because it’s a cheap and low-risk way to cause panic in communities and appear larger and more organized.
The NAACP said if people find flyers they should photograph them and send the images to info@naacp614.org.
