A physics teacher in Emporia, Kansas, was arrested and briefly jailed after clapping in support of a speaker who opposed zoning changes for a proposed hyperscale datacentre, despite commissioners' repeated warnings against audience reactions. The incident, which drew national attention, highlights the growing tension between AI infrastructure developers and local communities over the impact of huge datacentre projects, and raises questions about the limits of free expression at public meetings.

Lux Claridge, 37, was one of more than 30 residents who signed up to speak at a meeting about the "gigawatt-scale" Flint Hills Digital Campus, with opponents citing strain on power and water resources and supporters pointing to jobs and investment. After Claridge clapped, the commission chair ordered police to remove him; when he refused to leave voluntarily, four officers carried him out, and he was booked into Lyon County Jail on suspicion of disorderly conduct and interfering with law enforcement before being released on bond. He plans to plead not guilty in September, and the First Amendment Coalition has questioned whether clapping alone can legally be treated as disruptive. Despite the row, the commission voted 5-0 to approve the zoning changes.