WTF?! A lot of people don't like data centers – you could go as far as saying that they hate them. But you might want to be careful how you express these feelings. Just ask the teacher who was recently arrested for clapping in support of an anti-data-center speaker.
There have been claims that pushback against data centers hurts the economy and national security, and that it's even a campaign fueled by China. Fox News compared it to protesting against tank and plane factories during World War II.
The situation has come under the spotlight again after high school physics teacher Lux Claridge was carried out of a public meeting in Lyon County, Kansas, last week when he clapped to show his support of an impassioned speech opposing a proposed gigawatt-scale facility – the 1,000-acre Flint Hills Digital Campus data center.
At the meeting, which was held by the Emporia City Commission and focused on zoning to enable construction of the data center, attendees were warned against "clapping" and "snapping."
After one speaker finished her speech with the line "we are the people, and the table belongs to us," Claridge clapped his hands five or six times, which hardly seems like it would incite a riot.
The presiding officer was not pleased by Claridge's shocking outburst, telling police chief Ed Owens, "Chief, will you take the next person out that claps or anything. Thank you."
The video shows Claridge saying that he has the right to clap, prompting the police to swarm him. He then says he'll have to be "dragged" out, though he ends up being carried out in handcuffs.
– Jason Bassler (@JasonBassler1) July 26, 2026
After being arrested and charged, Claridge told local channel KWCH that he was "glad to be out – but this is an inconvenience, really. It's not really deterring me from speaking out or I guess, clapping."
The Emporia Police Department told KWCH it "remains committed to ensuring public meetings are conducted safely and in an orderly manner, while also respecting the rights of all citizens to participate in the civic process."
The First Amendment Coalition writes that a city council may not treat all applause as disruptive by definition. Clapping can justify removal only when it actually disturbs or impedes the meeting. Brief, non-disruptive applause during public comment may therefore be protected expression, particularly if the council allows clapping for views or events it supports but suppresses applause for criticism. It stresses that "actual disruption means actual disruption," meaning officials cannot simply label harmless clapping a breach of decorum.
It seems the protest, if you can call it that, had no effect. The city approved the zoning change required for construction of the data center.
Teacher arrested for clapping in support of speaker opposing data center
