After high school suspends football players for carrying Thin Blue, Red Line flags, a local group awards scholarships to the two teens



An Ohio nonprofit group has awarded a scholarship to the two Little Miami High School football players who were suspended from school after carrying a Thin Blue Line flag and a Thin Red Line flag before a Sept. 11 game.

What's a brief history here?

Brady Williams, whose father is a sheriff's deputy, and Jarad Bentley, whose father is a fireman, insisted that they wanted to honor those killed in the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

Following the move, school authorities suspended the two and in a statement said that the teens were turned down when they initially requested to fly the flags before the game.

Superintendent Gregory Power said, "We can't have students who decide to do something anyway after they've been told they shouldn't be doing it. ... We did not want to place ourselves in a circumstance where another family might want a different flag to come out of the tunnel, one that may be [one that] other families may not agree with from a political perspective."

Following outcry, the administration rescinded the suspension order and permitted the teens to return to school.

Two Little Miami football players pay the price for civil disobedience. They were told not to carry onto the field… https://t.co/xIlsNPIF9d
— David Winter (@David Winter)1600119515.0

What are the details?

On Friday, an Ohio nonprofit group called "Holiday for Heroes" announced it would be awarding the teens a scholarship for their support of police officers and firefighters.

In a statement, the group said, "Brady and Jarad are true PATRIOTS, they did something last Friday that showed they are far beyond their years. These men stood up for a cause they believe in. As they took the field with flags in hand it reminded us how we felt 19 years ago, heartbroken yet strong and united."

According to Fox News, "Holiday for Heroes" has not yet disclosed the scholarship amounts.

Previous scholarship awards have been issued in the amounts of $2,500 and $5,000, according to the group's website.

Last week, the two told "Fox & Friends" that they found a lot of support in the community following the dust-up.

"We wanted to carry out flags to honor the first responders who went towards danger instead of running from it 19 years ago, and we were told 'No' and we kind of took that to heart and we still wanted to honor them and so we did," Williams said during the appearance.

Bentley said he felt compelled to carry the flags "because if it was my dad that had died trying to save those people, I wanted someone to honor him in that way as well."

High school indefinitely suspends football players for carrying Thin Blue, Red Line flags in 9/11 tribute



At least two Ohio high school football players have been suspended for carrying flags honoring police and fallen firefighters ahead of a recent game.

What are the details?

According to WKRC-TV, Little Miami High School in Morrow, Ohio, opted to suspend Brady Williams and Jarad Bentley after they expressed their support for first responders before a Sept. 11 football game.

Brady, a senior cornerback whose father is a police officer, said that he was not trying to make a political statement at all in carrying the Thin Blue Line flag.

"I was just doing it to honor the people that lost their lives 19 years ago," he said.

Jarad — whose father is a firefighter — carried the Thin Red Line flag and told WKRC that he was thinking about his father at the time.

"I was all for it," he said. "Because my dad is a firefighter, and if it had been him killed on 9/11, I would have wanted someone to do it for him."

The station reports that Brady and Jarad requested permission from the school ahead of time, but were reportedly denied.

Brady said that he felt it was more important to honor the memories of first responders on 9/11 than it was to worry about suffering any possible consequences.

"Listen, I don't care what my consequences are," he told the station. "So long as my message gets across, I'll be happy."

The two discovered their fate on Monday: an indefinite suspension.

You can watch a video report on the incident here.

Divisive political symbols

Superintendent Gregory Power told the station that he was sticking firmly to the decision.

"We can't have students who decide to do something anyway after they've been told that they shouldn't be doing it," Power said, arguing that the apparently divisive flags were symbols of political controversy.

"We did not want to place ourselves in a circumstance where another family might want a different flag to come out of the tunnel, one that may be [one that] many other families may not agree with from a political perspective," Power reasoned.

In a generic statement, the district added, "Little Miami Local Schools is saddened to see this story take such a negative turn. While we understand these students' desire show their support of our first responders, they did not obtain permission from district officials. Administrators must act when students break the rules."

"Little Miami always has — and always will — support our first responders, our veterans, and all who sacrifice to maintain our freedoms," the statement promised.