They Were Wrong

A Kansas Indian Tribe was wrong for firing two gaming regulators. Both sued the tribe in District Tribal Court. The tribe claims if they didnt fire them it would lead to a shutdown of the casino which would have hurt the bottom line significantly.

Kansas Kickapoo Nation officials have been told they violated a federal standard this summer when they improperly fired two gaming commissioners who regulate the tribe’s Golden Eagle Casino near Horton, Kan.

In a letter this week to Tribal Chairman Steve Cadue, John Peterson, acting director of enforcement for the National Indian Gaming Commission, threatened formal enforcement action against the tribe it if does not “correct these violations.” The federal agency this summer subpoenaed tribal records in a formal investigation of the incident.

Fred Thomas, one of the fired commissioners, said today he felt vindicated by the federal agency’s action this week. “We were illegally removed,” he said. “Our rights were violated.”

Besides complaining to the federal agency, Thomas and Bear sued Cadue and others in Kickapoo Nation District Court.