Former classmates of state Senate candidate Charles Beckham III bought a full-page ad in the Magnolia Banner-News on Wednesday opposing his candidacy as they continued to speak out over an incident in high school in which Beckham dressed in Ku Klux Klan regalia.
Also Wednesday, a number of local and statewide advocacy groups spoke out against Beckham and asked him to drop out of his race against state Sen. Bruce Maloch, D-Magnolia.
"Who is Charles Beckham?" read the former students' ad, which was overlaid on a black-and-white picture of the Republican candidate for Senate District 12.
Underneath the picture, the ad makes claims about Beckham's treatment of others and says his decision to wear a Klan outfit "terrorized Black students."
The ad continues, "We are former classmates and witnesses who have come forward independently to confirm and alert the public about Charles Beckham. ... The Charles Beckham that we all knew is not the kind of person who should hold any authority over important decisions and legislation that could affect the lives of thousands of people."
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The ad is signed by six former classmates at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science.
Beckham was dismissed from the school in 2000 after he and two friends dressed up as Klansmen during a school-sponsored Halloween event, according to court records obtained last week by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
The Arkansas Times earlier published an account based on recollections of the incident from five of Beckham's former classmates, who said they felt "petrified" and intimidated by Beckham's actions.
When asked by the Democrat-Gazette about the allegations, Beckham initially denied them before admitting to "mistakes" when confronted with court records that corroborated his former classmates' recollections.
"I do sincerely apologize for any angst or grievances that I have caused anyone as a minor, as that is not the man that I am today," Beckham said in an emailed statement last week. "I continue to unequivocally denounce the KKK and any like minded hate groups and the rumors that I am or have ever been part of the KKK are absolutely ridiculous."
Beckham did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.
Eric Seymour, one of Beckham's former classmates who has spoken out in interviews and attached his name to the ad in the Banner-News, said Thursday that he and his classmates "want to make sure this story is heard."
Conversations about running an ad began before publication of any news accounts about the incident involving the Klan outfit, Seymour said.
He added that he was personally disappointed to see Beckham's initial claims that the allegations were the work of "Democrats" trying to win the election.
"He tried to smear us collectively," Seymour said. "It speaks volumes that when given the opportunity to address the issue, he denied it, which was an outright lie, and then to smear those of us who were brave enough to come forward."
The groups that urged Beckham to drop out include the Arkansas Public Policy Panel, Arkansas Citizens First Congress, Arkansas United, the Arkansas NAACP, Concerned Citizens groups in Prescott and Waldo, and the Magnolia Community Awareness Council.
"Certain actions in life disqualify you from elected office. High on that list is dressing up as a Ku Klux Klan member and terrorizing black youth. Even if it was done as a Halloween prank. Even if it was in high school. Mr. Beckham made it worse when he lied and denied the first-hand account of his victims when they first came forward," said a public letter signed by the groups.
Beckham has ignored calls to drop out of the race.
Several prominent Republicans, including Gov. Asa Hutchinson, have condemned Beckham's actions but have not joined the calls for him to drop out.