The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear an appeal by fired Nebraska State Trooper Robert Henderson.

Henderson was fired by the state in March of 2006 after an investigation determined he'd joined the Knight's Party, a group associated with the Ku Klux Klan.

Attorney General Jon Bruning says he's pleased with the decision. He adds, "We’ve argued all along that a man who embraces white supremacy shouldn’t be allowed to carry a gun and a badge."

Henderson told an investigator he joined the Knights Party in June 2004. An arbitrator said Henderson First Amendment rights had been violated, but a state judge overturned that decision.

In February of 2009 the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled Henderson voluntarily associated with the racist group, and that his involvement with the group undermined his sworn duty to serve and protect all citizens.

Henderson was an 18 year veteran of the patrol.