North Dakota Father Disowns White-Supremacist Son In Letter To Newspaper

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — After learning that his son took part in Saturday's deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., a North Dakoka father decided to publicly disown his son.

Pearce Tefft renounced his son's action by writing a letter published in The Forum, a paper in Fargo, N.D.

"I, along with all of his siblings and his entire family, wish to loudly repudiate my son's vile, hateful and racist rhetoric and actions. We do not know specifically where he learned these beliefs. He did not learn them at home," Tefft wrote in the letter. "I have shared my home and hearth with friends and acquaintances of every race, gender and creed. I have taught all of my children that all men and women are created equal. That we must love each other all the same. Evidently Peter has chosen to unlearn these lessons, much to my and his family's heartbreak and distress."

"Peter Tefft, my son, is not welcome at our family gatherings any longer. I pray my prodigal son will renounce his hateful beliefs and return home," the father added.

Peter was identified on the "Yes, You're Racist" Twitter account as a participant in the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. In July, he wrote his own letter to The Forum about why he planned to attend the rally.

"I am going to the Unite the Right event in Charlottesville, Va., on August 12th to stand up for rural, traditional Americans. We will be rallying around the statue of General Lee, one of many statues the left is bent on demonizing and dismantling, with their sights set on Thomas Jefferson and George Washington next," Peter wrote.

Peter's nephew took to social media to plead with his uncle to distance himself from the family. Jacob Scott wrote on Facebook: "Peter, if you are reading this, PLEASE CHANGE YOUR NAME IMMEDIATELY. You are bringing shame and ignominy on your whole family."