https://katv.com/news/local/arkansas-state-trooper-resigns-after-racist-texts-surface-in-divorce-michael-austin-kennedy-hispanic-black-muslim-and-lgbtq-saline-county
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — An Arkansas State Trooper has resigned after divorce records revealed racist text messages he sent to his wife.
In April of 2026, Michael Austin Kennedy's wife filed for divorce, asking for joint custody of their two young children.
However, in an amended complaint filed in May, Kennedy's wife claims that he is "a white supremacist and as such is going to poison the minds of the children with his views and actions," going on to request sole custody of the children with visitation offered.
Attached to the new complaint were at least 30 screenshots between him and his wife, where Kennedy uses slurs aimed at Hispanic, Black, Muslim, and LGBTQ communities.
A few instances in his texts, he compares Black people to gorillas and monkeys, also calling for the Muslim holiday of Ramadan to be banned in Arkansas.
He also sent hate speech memes and photos of himself posing with a suspect who was arrested while he was working as a trooper, referring to the suspect using Hispanic slurs
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