LEXINGTON, Ky. — Junction City Mayor Jim Douglas has been accused of using a racial slur in referring to a Black law enforcement officer in a conversation that was captured on video and posted to Facebook Saturday.

Douglas, who has been mayor for 18 years, told the Herald-Leader he is speaking in the video, but insists he did not use a racial slur. The video has been shared hundreds of times as of Monday evening.

“It looks like I did say it, but I did not say it,” Douglas told the Herald-Leader. He also called the accusations “a bunch of garbage,” and a political “conspiracy.”

“It’s been altered. I’ll just put it that way,” Douglas told the Herald-Leader about the video.

Douglas said the conversation was in reference to Boyle County Deputy Sheriff Charles Parks, a school resource officer. Douglas said Parks is “a friend of mine.”

In a message to the Herald-Leader Monday, Parks said he had heard the slur used often in his decades as a police officer.

“I’ve been a police officer 48 years,” Parks said. “How many times do you think I heard that word?”

He said he wouldn’t make any further comment.

In claiming that there was a political conspiracy involved, Douglas mentioned that large number of candidates were running for local office in November.

“There’s four people running for mayor of Junction City,” he said. “There’s 15 running for the council.”

Douglas, meanwhile, told the Herald-Leader he had a close relative who is biracial and repeatedly insisted he would not use a racial slur.

_____

©2026 Lexington Herald-Leader. Visit kentucky.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.