The decal, which realistically depicted a woman tied up in the bed of a pickup truck, was removed from a Hornet Signs employee’s vehicle and burned. The company also announced that it had donated $2,500 to the Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children in Waco.

On Monday, Hornet Signs owner Brad Kolb released a video response addressing the controversy:

Following the release of the video, Kolb said the decal has been destroyed.  The decision to remove the decal came after negative feedback on social media and news websites, as well as local backlash and even threats called into the company, he said.

In response to threats made to the business, Kolb told a Waco news station, “While the negative publicity we have received is not unwarranted, we would like to respectfully remind the public that threats and personal attacks on our employees are also a form of abuse that many of our critics have voiced such outrage and concern over.”

Kolb said the company plans to make further donations to the advocacy center and encouraged other local businesses to do the same.

The offensive decal was created using a photograph of a female employee who volunteered to be tied up, and Kolb says neither he nor his employees advocate violence or abuse.

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