Nova Scotia man pleads not guilty to promoting hatred with 'Redneck Hangout' sign

A Halifax-area man has pleaded not guilty to wilfully promoting hatred after he was arrested in September 2020 for allegedly displaying a sign, shown in a handout photo, that featured a picture of a noose and the words "Redneck Hangout." (THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Angela Bowden)

BRIDGEWATER, N.S. — A Halifax-area man has pleaded not guilty to wilfully promoting hatred after he was arrested in September 2020 for allegedly displaying a sign that featured a picture of a noose and the words "Redneck Hangout."

The RCMP in southwestern Nova Scotia say they received a complaint about the sign on Sept. 8, 2020.

Eight days later, the Mounties charged 46-year-old Mark Andrew Kozlowski of Dartmouth, N.S.

Police say the sign, attached to a small building near a cabin, was visible from the road near Buckfield, which is west of Bridgewater.

Kozlowski's lawyer, Victor Goldberg, says he's confident his client has done nothing illegal and will be exonerated in court.

On Wednesday morning, Goldberg pleaded not guilty on his client's behalf during a brief hearing in Bridgewater provincial court.

Kozlowski's trial is scheduled for March 27-28, 2023.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 19, 2022.