A Platte County mom has sounded the alarm after her son reported he may have been the target of racial profiling and discrimination at the Seven Bridges Clubhouse south of Platte City last week
According to Chandra Bradley, after weeks of staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic, her teenaged son went to visit a friend who lives in the Seven Bridges subdivision, owned by Barth Development. For several days, the boys played basketball at the clubhouse, until Thursday, June 4, when she said her son was asked to leave.
The boy complied, but told his mother the incident made him uncomfortable and he felt he had just experienced racism.
“My response was, ‘please don’t start that just because of what is going on,’” Bradley said. “He stated, ‘No mom really.”
Bradley said a clubhouse employee told the boys that if they did not leave she would call the police.
Bradley said she called the clubhouse to speak to the woman who asked her son to leave — and her manager.
“Her kicking them out was not my problem, but her comments were,” Bradley said. “She stated to another youth that she had to kick out several black boys because they did not live in the area, that because they were black, she knew they did not live there, those boys could have brought in guns, knives or any other weapon, that’s why these black boys are getting shot. This does not set well with me. You singling black kids out in your rich neighborhood.”
She felt her concerns were unaddressed by the call, so Bradley filed a report with the Platte County Sheriff’s Office. The Citizen has contacted the Sheriff’s Office but has not received a response before press time.
On Sunday, June 7, Bradley took her cause to social media with posts to Facebook and Next Door, stating the post was her form of peaceful protest until the situation is rectified.
Since, her posts have received hundreds of comments, most of which are in support.
Tuesday, June 9, the Citizen received a statement from John Barth of Barth Development.
“Currently, like many other subdivisions in the area, the homes association has been carefully following the restrictions on gatherings in indoor and outdoor spaces imposed by the orders issued by Gov. Parson and the Platte County Health Department,” according to the statement. “In an effort to be in compliance with these orders, the association previously announced to residents that the use of facilities at Seven Bridges is, and remains, temporarily restricted to residents only. In addition to the announcement, the association posted signs at the facilities identifying this temporary status.”
Barth said the incident is “concerning” due to the organization's anti-discrimination policy and is under internal investigation by the homes association. That investigation is still ongoing.