CASPER — What started as an inflammatory protest that shocked a small Wyoming community has turned into a one-sided verbal battle between an Evansville resident and the town’s mayor.
A protest of the mayor’s support for the LGBTQ+ community early last week turned into a heated email exchange between Jeremy Brown, the resident, and Evansville Mayor Candace Machado.
Brown has spent much of this week advocating for Machado’s removal from office, while also reaffirming his desire to collaborate with the town on drafting an ordinance prohibiting the display of symbols such as Pride flags on town property.
On June 9, after placing approximately 20 Pride flags on the lawn of the Evansville Municipal Building, Brown drew dozens of chalk swastikas on the walkways surrounding the town hall and police department.
Shortly after, Brown spoke at a regularly scheduled town council meeting, where he criticized the placement of the Pride flags, described the council as “toxic” and “like a cancer,” and threatened to escalate his actions if the council did not meet his demands.
Brown stated in an interview with the Star-Tribune on June 10 that the flag display was “projecting hate and allowing hate.”
“It opens the doors, because then I can put my swastikas, because it’s like a free speech thing,” he said when asked if Pride flags are hateful.
On June 10, the day after Brown drew the swastikas on the town hall’s sidewalk, Machado described the display as “supporting unity, love, and compassion for all constituents in the town, not just some constituents in the town”.
Brown ordered small Nazi flags and stated that if the council failed to remove the Pride flags before his order arrived, the Nazi flags would be planted on the municipal building’s lawn alongside the Pride flags.
The Pride flags remained, so on June 11, Brown carried out his promise.
The Nazi flags were quickly removed by a passer-by and handed over to the town’s chief of police, resulting in a “interesting exchange” between the chief, Brown, Machado, and an officer, the mayor said.
Following the removal of those flags, Machado emailed Brown to propose a compromise: the city would remove the Pride flags and collaborate with Brown to draft an ordinance to address Brown’s concerns about the town’s endorsement of “ideology” in exchange for Brown ceasing his protests.
The deal
The contents of Machado’s agreement with Brown have been posted to Facebook in a private group, revealing a polite conversation laced with underlying tension.
“I’d be honored to play a role in resolving this issue. I believe that between you, me, and everyone involved in this conversation, we can find common ground and get Evansville back on track.
“This whole fiasco has gone off the rails, and it’s time we get it back on track,” Brown wrote in an email to Machado.
In a Tuesday interview with the Star-Tribune, Machado emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety of city employees, public officials, and their families. She declined to comment on whether she or any other town officials had received credible threats from the public.
Machado stated that she removed the flags shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday, ahead of the 5 p.m. deadline she agreed upon with Brown.
Machado said on Tuesday that she was preparing to return the donated Pride flags to Casper Pride.
She decorated her office with iridescent streamers, pinwheels, and a rainbow piñata, visible from the street.
“I am a very bright and colorful person on a regular basis. “The theme will most likely change as the theme progresses,” she wrote in an email to Brown.
On Tuesday, she didn’t explicitly state that the redecoration was a Pride display, but she did reaffirm her support for the movement.
“I do feel like I’m sending a clear message that I am fully in support of Pride,” she told me.
“Casper Pride and I had a conversation beforehand,” she told me. “They were fully supportive of me taking down the flags so that inciting of violence or aggression would not continue in the town.”
“While I appreciate that the flags have been removed from the front lawn, I see that Candice [sic] continues to play games by hanging pride flags in the window to be displayed. This completely undermines the point I was making.
There are zero ideologies on display in a government building. “Thanks for spitting in my face, Candice [sic], and for showing your true colors, pun intended,” Brown wrote in an email to Machado on Sunday.
Brown also posted a series of comments on the mayor’s Facebook page calling for Machado’s resignation, stating that “the games are just beginning.”
The comments are no longer visible, and Brown’s Facebook page was not found by late Thursday afternoon. It’s unclear whether he was suspended or deleted his account.
Brown did not return a request for comment Thursday afternoon.
On June 16, Evansville resident Luke Onderko started a Change.org petition to recall Machado as mayor.
“The citizens of Evansville, Wyoming, deserve a mayor who embodies our values and prioritizes our community’s needs. The petition states that Mayor Candace Machado has demonstrated a lack of commitment to these principles.
On Thursday afternoon, Brown and another Evansville resident, Ryan Perry, set up chairs on the town hall lawn with signs reading “Machado must go,” soliciting signatures on paper petitions.
Wyoming elected officials can be removed from office by gathering enough signatures in a community to equal 25% of registered voters.
The petition, which has since been removed, had nine verified signatures as of Thursday.
“The present administration under Mayor Machado has faced criticism on numerous fronts, including decision-making that lacks transparency, inadequate responsiveness to community concerns, and policies that do not reflect the welfare and desires of Evansville’s residents,” according to a Change.org petition.
Machado told the Star-Tribune she will not resign.
The Ordinance
Machado told the Star-Tribune that the city had started drafting an ordinance to limit the types of flags that can be flown at the Evansville Municipal Building.
“Safety is going to be of the utmost importance when we’re trying to find middle ground,” Machado explained her motivation for reaching an agreement with Brown.
The specifics of the ordinance were not immediately available, but Machado asked Brown for feedback on model ordinances that he believes the city should consider.
In his emails, Brown provided examples from Hamtramck, Michigan; Tacoma, Sunnyside, and Spokane, Washington; San Jose, California; and Montana and Utah state bills.
Machado said Thursday that the town is working on the ordinance, but there is no estimated completion date.
