"Poison the Minds of the Children" Arkansas State Trooper Resigns After Wife Reveals Racist Text Messages During Divorce

SALINE COUNTY, Ark. — Michael Austin Kennedy resigned from the Arkansas State Police after racist text messages became part of a divorce and custody matter, exposing views his estranged wife argued could shape how their children see the world.

Alana Delaney Kennedy asked for sole custody and described her husband as a white supremacist whose beliefs could "poison the minds of the children," according to divorce records. Her petition transformed years of written exchanges into material reviewed during the custody matter.

Attachments included racial slurs, anti-Black remarks, sexist comments and insults directed at several groups. Some entries were paired with photographs Kennedy allegedly captured while serving as a state trooper.

Many of the written remarks focused on ordinary family disagreements. Others portrayed Black Americans through racial stereotypes and dehumanizing comparisons, becoming a central issue in the disagreement over the couple's children.

Beyond the marriage breakdown, the disclosures raised broader trust questions. State troopers routinely interact with people from every background during traffic stops, roadside emergencies, crash investigations and criminal inquiries, placing added attention on attitudes reflected in the writings.

What started as a family breakup soon evolved into a professional crisis. Documents released through the divorce matter prompted scrutiny over whether someone expressing those views could continue wearing a badge.

Kennedy did not deny authoring the writings. Through his attorney, he acknowledged the language and accepted responsibility for the words he used.

"The defendant explicitly acknowledges, takes full responsibility for, and deeply regrets the highly offensive and unacceptable language used in the referenced past communications," a filing from his attorney stated.

Arkansas State Police later confirmed Kennedy's resignation. Agency reviewers examined traffic stops and citations and said they found no indication that conduct reflected in the writings appeared in enforcement work.

The divorce matter remains unresolved. What began as private correspondence between spouses ended a law enforcement career and pulled Kennedy's personal beliefs into the open.