Miss Kitty's bar in Des Moines faces backlash after Nazi costume incident, Drake University coach dismissed
On Friday, a man identified as local business owner Donnie Gardner appeared at the Iowa bar wearing a Nazi costume.
Miss Kitty's Country Bar and Nightclub in Des Moines, Iowa, is under fire after a man dressed as a Nazi attended a Halloween event at the venue, prompting outrage on social media.
The controversy
On Friday, a man identified as local business owner Donnie Gardner appeared at the bar wearing a Nazi soldier uniform, complete with a swastika, an iron cross medallion, and a cropped mustache. Photos of Gardner in the costume quickly circulated online, sparking criticism.
Donnie Gardner's response
In a text to ABC affiliate WOI-DT, Gardner acknowledged the costume was “very controversial” but said he did not “idolize or worship the man or anything he did” and wore it solely “for shock value."
He also issued an apology "to anyone caught in the crosshairs and suffering from photos or interactions with me Friday night," saying, "any and all hatred should be pointed at myself and myself only."
He added, "I take full responsibility for the repercussions and will continue to face them head on."
Bar owner's response
A video from the bar shows a patron confronting owner E.J. Myers about Gardner’s costume.
“Do you know that you have a guest here with an actual Nazi costume on,” the patron asked.
“Yeah, but I am not doing anything about it,” Myers replied.
The patron pressed further, "You’re okay with Nazis being here."
Myers responded, “No, but it’s a costume.”
In an interview with WHO13, Myers said he later realized the costume was making people uncomfortable. He spoke with Gardner, who was leaving the bar, telling him, "I think your costume is creating too much controversy."
Reflecting on the situation, Myers said, "It wasn’t the right response, I probably should have just said ‘Thank you for making me aware. Give me a few minutes and I’ll take care of it. It wasn’t the right response."
He added that he had not noticed the swastika initially and apologized to those offended.
“I didn’t see the swastika. He just looked like a guy in kind of a black suit,” said Myers. “I want to apologize to everyone who it offended and it certainly was not my intention. And we genuinely support a lot of things, whether it be trans or gay or whatever. They’re all welcome. And I don’t want people to feel like they have to worry about something like that. So we will certainly address that issue moving forward.”
Myers confirmed that bar policies will be updated moving forward.
Hockey coach dismissed
Drake University dismissed volunteer hockey coach Jessie Rudin after photos surfaced of her posing with Gardner while he performed a Nazi salute.
In a statement, the university condemned her actions.
"Drake University unequivocally condemns all forms of hate speech and discriminatory symbolism. Such behavior stands in direct opposition to our values of respect, inclusion, and integrity, and it has no place within our community," the university said.
The Drake Hockey Club also released a statement saying it "was alarmed to learn of this situation and immediately notified university leadership, who took swift action to dismiss our volunteer coach."
"We hold out players to the highest standards as representatives of Drake, and we expect no less from our coaches,” the club added.
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Jewish Federation responds
Jarad Bernstein, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines, called the incident deeply offensive.
"Hitler is not a costume. This is on him for making a terrible mistake. But two, what we saw from the bar owner and his response that was captured on video and later public statements, also not acceptable," Bernstein said.
