How could this be more embarrassing? The event was Constitution Day.

Anne Halliwell and Morgan Eads of the Kentucky Kernel reported.

An unexpected lesson in freedom of speech

A group that included high school students got an unexpected lesson in the messiness of freedom of speech Wednesday during Constitution Day celebrations in the Cat’s Den.

Write-in U.S. Senate candidate Robert Ransdell’s microphone was cut during a speech to promote his 2014 “With Jews We Lose” campaign platform at the third day of Constitution Week events, which were sponsored by the First Amendment Center’s Citizen Kentucky Project and organized by UK’s Citizen Kentucky class.

Ransdell, a self-described pro-white candidate, discussed his platform that says American policy favors Israel over its own citizens and that there is a bias against white Americans in crime coverage and policy.

He was invited to speak by a student who helped organize the event, according to an article on WUKY.org. A quick Google search of Ransdell shows multiple articles and posts detailing the write-in candidate’s pro-white platform.

As of Wednesday night, it was unclear if organizers of the event had known Ransdell’s platform.

First Amendment Center director Mike Farrell said that he needed to speak to professor Buck Ryan, the Citizen Kentucky project director, before commenting.

Ryan was not available to the Kernel for comment.

The event featured several other speakers, including decorated Marine Matt Bradford. DuPont Manual journalism teachers Jamie Miller and Liz Palmer were awarded the Enoch Grehan Prize.

“Constitution Day is not about politics, it is a celebration of the principles of the Constitution,” wrote UK spokeswoman Kathy Johnson in a statement released by the university Wednesday evening. “All speakers are asked to focus on those principles. Unfortunately, Mr. Ransdell included his political beliefs and platform in his comments. Many of those in attendance felt his comments were inappropriate, especially for an audience that included high school students. The University of Kentucky was not aware of the content of his remarks prior to him speaking and does not condone or endorse any political platform or agenda.”