One of Gov. Laura Kelly’s latest Kansas State Fair Board appointees, who a newspaper this month extolled as “an exceptional voice for the fair,” has been accused of an alcohol-fueled homophobic rant at a fair event Saturday.

Jason Probst, who Kelly recently appointed to the fair board, allegedly profanely assailed state Rep. Kyler Sweely at the Boots and Bling fair fundraiser at the Kansas State Fairgrounds.

Sweely, who defeated Probst in the House District 102 election in November, tells the Heartlander he was speaking with a local elected official and her husband when Probst approached them.

“And he just said, ‘Kyler, I didn’t recognize you without the cock in your mouth,’” Sweely says.

“We kind of just looked at each other and we all looked at him and then he kind of kept going on about how I just apparently suck cock and suck dick and he doesn’t recognize me without the cock in my mouth and all of this – just completely unprovoked.”

Sweely, who is, in fact, heterosexual, is nonetheless sad for the homosexual community at Probst’s alleged homophobic outburst.

“I think it’s unfortunate that somebody that says they support that group and protects that group would make comments like this,” he tells The Heartlander. “I think it’s unfortunate for them. And I think it would be unfortunate for the Kelly administration to continue to say that they support these groups [when] they have administration appointees that talk like this in public and act like this in public. 

“I mean, we’re talking about a charity event, a nonpartisan charity event. No one even thinks about, you know, Republican/Democrat. We’re talking about a charity event to raise money for the State Fair that’s such an impactful thing in our community, and it turns into some hate-filled rage for no reason. Unprovoked.”

“Not an isolated incident”

Sweely says the rant and earlier provocations by Probst are all the more bizarre because he’s repeatedly invited Probst to work with him for the benefit of the central Kansas district.

Sweely says at one point during Probst’s homophobic rant the other elected official’s husband stepped in front of Probst, blocking him physically from approaching Sweely and telling him, “OK Jason, you’ve said too much.” Sweely says Probst nonetheless continued railing at Sweely over the man’s shoulder before the man and several others surrounded Probst to end the incident.

Sweely says Probst had a drink in his hand, smelled of alcohol and appeared inebriated.

The Heartlander has reached out to Probst and Gov. Kelly’s office for comment.

Sweely advised Gov. Kelly of the incident in a letter he emailed her and her staff Monday afternoon.

“Mr. Probst made disturbing sexual comments, directed homophobic remarks at me, and had to be physically restrained by friends due to escalating and aggressive behavior,” the letter reads. “He reeked of alcohol and was clearly unfit to participate in a public event in any official capacity. 

“This is not an isolated incident. It marks the second time in the past month that Mr. Probst has launched a rant filled with homophobic comments toward me personally. His repeated conduct raises serious concerns about his fitness to serve in any official role representing the state of Kansas. 

“Regardless of political affiliation, such behaviour is disgraceful, unacceptable, and damaging to the reputation of the Fair Board and the State of Kansas. 

“I urge you to immediately review this matter and take appropriate action regarding Mr. Probst’s continued service on the Kansas State Fair Board.”

“Exceptional voice for the fair”

Remarkably, Probst’s appointment to the fair board was celebrated as “good news”  in an opinion article in the Hutchinson News earlier this month.

“One of the really positive developments for Hutchinson and the Kansas State Fair was the recent appointment by Gov. Laura Kelly of Jason Probst to the state fair board. The former state legislator who lives in Hutchinson will be an exceptional voice for the fair, helping to shape its progress and preserve its history.

“If justice and logic were still in fashion, Probst would still be a House of Representatives member …”

Sweely says Probst certainly seems to think so – and says that may be why Probst keeps assailing him.

“I don’t think he’s very happy about the results,” Sweely says of his defeat of Probst in the Nov. 5 election. “Pretty much every time I see him in public, he makes some sort of comment, not just always sexual or anything like that, but something that’s hate-filled.”

Sweely says in another incident Probst not only verbally abused him but walked to his car and back to do so again.

“Totally unhinged”

Another state representative from the Hutchinson area, Paul Waggoner, applauded Sweely for speaking out against Probst’s behavior — noting similar verbal abuse from him after an event at the Fox Theater in Hutchinson this spring.

“As the crowd was heading out to the exits,” Waggoner recounted on Facebook, “Probst caught up to us and started a bizarre tongue-lashing/finger-pointing incident (in public mind you) of myself for supporting Kyler Sweely in 2024.

“He walked away two times and then came back to loudly berate me even more.

“I was dumbfounded by his antagonistic (and frankly threatening) behavior. I had no sense that Probst had been drinking (though alcohol is served at the Fox) but just a deep sense that this guy is totally unhinged and my only regret is that I didn’t pull out my cellphone to record his rants.

“Other persons have lost elections and gotten over it. Probst clearly hasn’t and his actions show incredible bitterness and animosity.

“Probst[‘s] behavior Saturday at the Fairground is fully believable. Jason Probst is truly unfit for public service and I concur with Sweely on all accounts.

“Reno County, and the state of Kansas, deserve better than Jason Probst.”

What should the governor do?

What would Sweely like to see happen?

“I think it’s unfortunate that this happened. I think it’s a blatant disrespect to the state of Kansas and the fair,” he says. “I think it’s an insult to this entire community. I just don’t think that someone who would act like that at a charity event should be continuing to serve on that board.”

Kansas Republican Party Executive Director Rob Fillion agrees.

“He is on the State Fair Board, which is very concerning, considering that’s one of the biggest attractions for our state,” Fillion tells The Heartlander. “And if this is a behavior that’s he’s going to portray there, he needs to go away. He needs to resign.

“And the the hypocrisy is that the Republican Party gets labeled as the homophobe, the racist, et cetera, et cetera, and then Gov. Kelly puts somebody on a State Fair board – which is a family oriented event that draws people across the state – and he’s saying these things about a sitting state rep.

“Whether it’s Democrat or Republican, it doesn’t matter. I mean, you can’t be saying these things in a public venue.

“If a Republican would have said the same things that he said he’d be crucified. He’d be on every news outlet in America. But the Democrats are allowed to do this. The hypocrisy is just astounding.”