Ku Klux Klan group tries to use House Bill 2 to recruit members

Roxboro police are investigating Ku Klux Klan flyers distributed this week that encourage supporters of House Bill 2 to join the group.

ABC11 posted a copy of the flyers, which call transgender people an “abomination” and say that “these freaks are jeopardizing the safety of our bathrooms all across the nation for our women and children.”

House Bill 2 requires transgender people to use bathrooms in government buildings that correspond to the gender on their birth certificate.

A Facebook post from the Roxboro Police Department says investigators are pursuing charges against the people responsible for the flyers. The flyers include a website for the Loyal White Knights of the KKK, a group that lists its headquarters in Pelham, a community in Caswell County just south of Danville, Va.

“Investigators are working leads to determine who is spreading these deplorable messages of hate and intimidation,” Police Chief David Hess said in a news release. “The police department is asking the public to provide information of those who hide under the veil of darkness.”

Mayor Merilyn Newell said the city in Person County won’t tolerate intimidation. “While these types of groups have First Amendment protections for their recruitment or message, we stand by our city's mission to be a safe and fair place for all who choose to live here,” she said in the news release.

This story was originally published May 26, 2016 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Ku Klux Klan group tries to use House Bill 2 to recruit members."