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Attendee asked to leave after urging National Anthem at Greene County meeting
Summary
At the May 21, 2026 Greene County commissioners meeting, John Stafford of Columbus began speaking about veterans and asked attendees to sing the National Anthem; he was asked to leave for disrupting the meeting. The board proceeded to routine business.
During the opening of the Greene County Board of Commissioners’ May 21, 2026 session, John Stafford of Columbus began speaking about veterans and asked people in attendance to sing the National Anthem. Meeting staff asked Stafford to leave for disrupting the meeting, and the record shows the board then proceeded to approve minutes and move into routine agenda items.
Pastor Joe Godwin of Patterson Park Church offered the opening prayer earlier in the meeting; the transcript does not record any further public comment from Stafford nor any disciplinary action beyond his removal for disruption. The commissioners — Tom Koogler, Sarah J. Mays and Richard D. Gould — continued with the scheduled resolutions after the incident.
