Topeka Mayor Spencer Duncan addressed criticism on October 28, 2026, over his choice of words during a previous City Hall press conference where he criticized social media rumors surrounding a city resignation. Speaking at the monthly mayor and city manager press conference inside City Hall, Duncan defended the substance of his message while acknowledging that his phrasing created an unwanted distraction from the message he was really trying to give.
The Origins of a Controversy at City Hall
The friction traces back to October 21, 2026, when Duncan called a press conference following the abrupt resignation of city manager Robert Perez the night before. Rumors had flooded social media platforms, particularly Facebook, claiming that Perez’s departure stemmed from corruption, malfeasance, or wrongdoing.
During that October 21 address, Duncan sought to set the record straight on those rumors while aiming his frustration directly at online critics. As reported by the Topeka Capital-Journal via Yahoo, Duncan stated during the briefing:
“I want to make it clear to all the anonymous keyboard morons who think that they know and have insight about things, who like to post things about how there must have been wrongdoing or corruption or malfeasance, that that is absolutely 100%, not the case. Robert showed up every day to his job. He did his job to the best of his abilities. He cared about this city.”
Duncan noted that Perez had moved him and his wife there to serve Topeka for the previous three years, praising his tenure and pushing back against speculation.
Context, Headlines, and the Battle Over Wording
The fallout intensified after the press conference. According to reporting from the Topeka Capital-Journal, a broadcast media outlet ran a headline featuring the phrase “keyboard morons” while omitting both the full phrase and the surrounding context. Duncan subsequently took to Facebook to challenge the coverage, arguing that the broadcast studio did not use the whole phrase nor include context within the story.
During the October 28 follow-up press conference, Duncan revisited the controversy. “I do understand how that phrase I used that day was misconstrued, especially since most people didn’t actually see the full context of the comments I made that day,” Duncan said, as detailed in the Topeka Capital-Journal report. “Some could argue that I should have used different words. I’m not going to make that argument, except for the fact that maybe I shouldn’t because it distracted from the message I was really trying to give.”
Duncan Criticizes Anonymous Posts Targeting City Staff
When elaborating on what he meant by the original remark, Duncan clarified that he was criticizing those who hide behind an anonymous post to actively harm others.
“Using anonymity to bully, body shame, invent lies and pretend to have inside knowledge, which is false, is cruel, dishonest and just, quite honestly, unacceptable,” Duncan said during the October 28 briefing. He emphasized that the posts targeted not only him, but also city staff, Topeka City Council members, and private residents.
The mayor maintained that those individuals deserve basic decency, even if you don’t agree with them at times. He also asserted that knowingly false claims do not become acceptable simply because they are posted anonymously, adding that targets should not be expected to stay silent.
