September 15, 2023
REF: Eastern Montana Ranch Rodeo Association
On September 14, 2023 The Custer County Board of Commissioners were made aware that a racially derogatory term was included with a team name that was allowed to compete at the Eastern Montana Fairgrounds in Custer County.
On September 9th, 2023 during the Eastern Montana Ranch Rodeo State Finals there was a team from an Eastern Montana community that was allowed to use the name. Prior to this event this team had competed under the same name at a qualifying ranch rodeo in Montana.
The Eastern Montana Ranch Rodeo Association is not affiliated with Custer County in anyway. They had leased the fairgrounds for their event. However, this promotion by allowing the use of a racially offensive team name is in violation of basic human rights and discrimination in Title 49 of the Montana Code Annotated, to be free from discrimination in the use of governmental property (Eastern Montana Fairgrounds) to promote discrimination based upon race.
Together the Board of Custer County Commissioners and the Eastern Montana Fair Board denounce this behavior.