“I tried to respond to hatred with humor” by dressing as an anti-mask protester – The Lawrence Times

Former Douglas County Deputy Prosecutor Joshua Seiden said he was trying to “meet hate with humor” by disguising himself as a Lawrence man known for his anti-mask protests and frequent public comments.

Footage from the lobby of the Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Center Friday morning shows Seiden dressed as Justin Spiehs, known in the Lawrence community for his anti-mask protests during the COVID-19 pandemic and his frequent comments public at local government meetings. Spiehs also ran as a Republican for a seat on the Douglas County Commission in 2022.

Seiden in the video holds a phone as if to record interactions with people, as Spiehs often does. Seiden’s boss, Douglas County Prosecutor Suzanne Valdez, can be seen laughing in the footage. Seiden and Valdez entered the courthouse lobby momentarily and interacted with deputies working court security before returning to the prosecutor’s office.

Here’s an enlarged view of the video (larger version below):

“Ultimately, my actions had a bad impact on the office. I have placed the District Attorney in an extremely difficult position,” Seiden said in a message Tuesday. “The District Attorney’s Office does serious and essential work and I apologize for turning away from it.”

Seiden is no longer employed by the DA’s office.

Seiden said he was “recently confronted” by Spiehs. “He stared at me while holding a Nazi sign,” Seiden said.

Spiehs had appeared at a candidate forum the previous Saturday, June 15, at the Lawrence Public Library. He held a sign that read “Nazis work here,” with a swastika, and another that read “Democrats are racist.” Spiehs sometimes booed Valdez as she answered questions.

“Being of Jewish descent, I took this extremely personally,” Seiden said Tuesday. “By wearing this costume, I tried to respond to hatred with humor. It was still a bad decision on my part.

The Douglas County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the video and seeking clarification on whether Seiden would continue to serve as Valdez’s campaign treasurer.

Valdez is currently seeking re-election after her first four-year term as DA. She will face two other Democrats, Tonda Hill and Dakota Loomis, in the August 6 primary election. The winner will face Republican Mike Warner in the November 5 general election.

Spiehs, reached by text message Tuesday, said he would be available to speak later in the day. This article will be updated.

The video was provided Tuesday by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in response to an open records request. The Sheriff’s Office is the agency that maintains security footage for the Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Center.

Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister was notified of what happened shortly after it happened Friday morning. A deputy with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office took a photo of Seiden at that time “so the deputy could inform his supervisors of what was happening,” the DGSO said in a statement.

MPs were rumored to pose for photos with Seiden.

“The Sheriff’s Office does not currently have any information to suggest that any deputies posed with Mr. Seiden, but if additional information comes forward, it will be addressed promptly and in accordance with Sheriff’s Office protocol,” according to the release.

Here’s a wider view of the video:

Mackenzie Clark (she/her), journalist/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark (at) lawrencekstimes (dot) com. Learn more about his work for The Times here. Check out his team bio here.

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