An Alabama high school quarterback died suddenly after suffering from a traumatic brain injury during the season-opening game on Friday night, according to multiple reports.
John T. Morgan Academy’s first game of the 2024 season was held on Friday against visiting Southern Academy in Selma, Alabama.
'My son was an exceptional athlete. But the thing he loved the most was to talk about Jesus.'
Caden Tellier, a 16-year-old junior, was the quarterback for John T. Morgan Academy. During the third quarter of the game, Tellier suffered an injury from a freak accident.
The Alabama Independent School Association executive director Michael McLendon said those in the crowd watching the game "likely did not witness anything unusual" in the heartbreaking last play that he described as "routine."
McLendon said, "While we may not know the full story for some time, initial reports are that Caden likely suffered a ruptured blood vessel in his brain following a routine play in which he was tackled and made contact with the ground."
Tellier was taken off the field and airlifted to the University of Alabama Birmingham Hospital in critical condition.
McLendon told CNN that it could be "quite some time before we have more information about the injury and overall incident."
Caden's parents — Arsella Slagel Tellier and Jamie Tellier — revealed that their son had passed away in a Facebook post shared on Saturday.
Our boy, Caden Tellier has met Jesus face to face. We appreciate all of your prayers and we covet them for the hard days ahead. Everyone who knows Caden has known kindness, generosity, and love, and true to his nature, he is giving of himself one more time. Lives have been touched by the way he lived and now lives will be saved through his passing. We will walk out these next few days alongside him in his earthly body knowing that his spirit is rejoicing in heaven.
The grieving parents provided an update on social media on Tuesday morning, where they thanked the medical staff who cared for Caden. The heartbroken parents also revealed that Caden was an organ donor and "his final wish to give the gift of organ donation" was realized.
"Caden is still fighting hard in his earthly body as he prepares for this final act of generosity to bring new life to others," the parents said. "We continue to pray for those whose lives will be forever changed by his gifts."
The parents added, "Our hope is that God will be glorified through our story. His love will be evident, and that Caden’s impact will touch the lives of many."
Caden's father, Jamie Tellier, said, "I could tell you a lot about who my son was, who my son is. My son was an exceptional athlete. But the thing he loved the most was to talk about Jesus."
The parents were "overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and generosity from our friends, community, and even those who have never met us in person."
'His legacy will live on and we thank God that we had the opportunity to love him and be loved by him.'
Dr. Bryan Oliver — the headmaster of John T. Morgan Academy — said in a statement on social media:
It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that Caden Tellier has gone to be with his Lord and Savior. Caden loved the Lord with all his heart and was a shining light every day he graced the halls of Morgan Academy. He was a student, a friend, an athlete, and most important, a Christ follower. There are no words to describe how we feel as a school community and family. We will come together and support Jamie, Arsella and Lyla with our whole hearts. We offer our deepest sympathy to the Tellier’s extended family as well. I want to thank all the schools and individuals that have reached out during this difficult time. Caden will never be forgotten for who he was and what he means to Morgan Academy.
Oliver stated that the school would cancel all athletic activities for the next week because of the sudden death tragedy.
Nearby Hooper Academy quoted the Psalms 147:3 Bible verse in a Facebook post: "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
“Hooper Academy extends its sincerest thoughts and prayers to the family of Caden Tellier, a standout student-athlete at Morgan Academy who tragically lost his life after an injury Friday night," the school stated. "The AISA is truly a family, and we will stand in the gap in prayer for his friends, loved ones, and the entire student body of MAS in the days and weeks to come."
Auburn University football coach Hugh Freeze said at a press conference on Monday, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Caden Tellier over at Morgan Academy in Selma, and Coach (Jacob) Webb as they deal with the tragic loss of one of their teammates and a son. I just can’t imagine the difficulty that they’re going through. So our thoughts and prayers are with them."
Tellier threw a touchdown and rushed for a touchdown in the first half before his injury, according to the Selma Times-Journal.
A GoFundMe campaign was launched to help cover medical and funeral expenses for the family. At the time of publication the crowdfunding campaign had raised more than $100,000.
"Caden is best known for his kindness, generosity, and love," the GoFundMe listing read. "True to his nature, he is giving of himself one more time to save the lives of others through the donation of his organs. His legacy will live on and we thank God that we had the opportunity to love him and be loved by him.
Alabama High School Athletic Association medical director James Robinson said football is "still safe."
Robinson told AL.com, "If you look at the data from the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, you will see that death rates remain at a fairly stable level. In 2023, there were 16 deaths at all levels. Ten were medically related, three were traumatic and three were not football-related or unknown. At the high school level, four were medically related and three were related to traumatic head injuries. This is out of 4.2 million participants at all levels."
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An assistant coach for a Catholic high school football team in Florida was caught on video punching a player during a game last week — and that coach is now out of a job.
The unnamed assistant coach for Jesuit High School in Tampa was seen striking one his players on the helmet as the player ran off the field toward the sideline during Friday night's contest against rival Tampa Catholic, WTVT-TV reported.
The defensive player wearing a number 94 jersey appeared to be trying to exit the field of play before the ball was snapped, the Tampa Bay Times said, adding the assistant coach appeared to strike the player with a closed hand.
— (@)
Jesuit High's head coach, Matt Thompson, did not identify the assistant Saturday night and would say only that “the matter is being addressed," the paper reported.
However, school president Rev. Richard C. Hermes, S.J., issued the following statement about the incident:
I am writing to make you aware of an incident that occurred this past Friday night during the Jesuit home football game. Between plays on the field, one of our part-time assistant coaches struck a Jesuit player on the helmet as the player was coming off the field and onto the sideline.
This behavior contradicts what the school stands for and is completely contrary to the expectation we have for coaches, moderators, and faculty members, who are to be role models for our students and mentors in their development as young men.
We have reached out to the student, who was not injured in the incident, and to his family. We have met with the coach and informed him that he will no longer be coaching Jesuit football or assisting the school in any other capacity.
The mission of Jesuit is to provide a Christian formation and education for our students. This requires that we maintain an environment for them that is safe, supportive, and conducive to their well-being and growth. This standard applies to all activities, inside and outside the classroom. We are reviewing our internal procedures and staff training to ensure that this standard is upheld by all Jesuit personnel, full-time and part-time.
Thank you for your prayers and encouragement in helping us to better fulfill our mission.
Jesuit won the game 66-35 and will host Pinellas Park (6-4) in the opening round of the Class 3M, Region 2 playoffs Friday, the Times reported.
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A former Washington state coach and veteran who served 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Joe Kennedy, is no stranger to religious discrimination.
As the clock ran down at the end of his team’s homecoming game back in 2015, Kennedy took a knee to pray. As he did so and spectators stormed the field, his team gathered around him and got to their knees as well.
For many, it was a beautiful moment. But rather than congratulations to the coach on a job well done, he was fired.
Six years later, Kennedy took his case to the U.S. Supreme Court, where he argued that the Bremerton School District violated his First Amendment rights.
He won the case, and the school re-hired him.
However, it hasn’t been without punishment, and he has now retired.
Coach Kennedy and his attorney Michael Berry of the First Liberty Institute joined Glenn Beck to discuss Kennedy’s story and why he chose to retire instead of waiting to get fired again.
Berry explains that Kennedy is “probably too humble to admit” that even though they pulled off a historic Supreme Court victory as well as a court order directing Bremerton School District that it cannot retaliate against him in any way, the district did so anyway.
According to Berry, administrators refused to issue Kennedy a coach’s locker, wouldn’t issue him a coach’s shirt like all the other coaches received, wouldn’t list him on the athletic department website, and refused to list him on the coaching roster for the game.
They also refused to issue him a play card before the game.
“They ostracized him, they made him out to be a pariah. They wouldn’t even let him participate in the traditional pregame meal with, you know, the opposing team coaches,” Berry continues.
“We’re still investigating,” Berry says, adding that “they may even have directed the players to stay away from him during the game and not have anything to do with him. So, really poisoning the well, you know.”
While Kennedy tells Glenn that he was expecting the retaliation, Glenn is shocked that the school did retaliate, considering that it’s against the law.
First Liberty Institute is investigating to see if administrators were retaliating, and if so, the organization is prepared to do what it can to fight for Kennedy again.
“We’re prepared to do what we need to do, you know, if we need to suit up again with Coach,” Berry tells Glenn.
Berry explains that as a Marine himself, he always has Kennedy’s back, adding that Marines “don’t fight alone.”
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A rising high school football star in Georgia was sadly killed before he ever had a chance to pursue his dreams.
According to reports, 18-year-old Elijah DeWitt of Jefferson, Georgia, was having a fun night out on October 5 when he was shot in the parking lot of a Dave & Buster's at Sugarloaf Mills Mall in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
"I was at Dave & Buster's," said one unidentified man on a 911 call. "I heard people screaming. I looked towards my right, and I see someone lay down. I've never seen anything like this, man."
"He's barely breathing," said a manager of Dave and Buster's, who frantically attempted to revive DeWitt while speaking with 911 operators. "No response, no response."
DeWitt died shortly thereafter.
Police have since arrested Kemare Bryan, 18, and Chandler Richardson, 19, both from Lawrenceville. Bryan and Richardson were found approximately 75 miles away in Anderson County, South Carolina, though they are expected to be extradited back to Gwinnett County on Monday. Both have been charged with felony murder, malice murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of certain felonies.
"Detectives are still working to investigate the motive behind this incident," said a statement from Gwinnett police released on Friday. "It appears that the suspects and the victim were familiar with each other and when they encountered each other in the parking lot, an altercation took place and then the shooting."
The shooting has devastated the small town of Jefferson, Georgia, approximately an hour northeast of Atlanta. On Sunday, many of DeWitt's friends and classmates at Jefferson High School gathered for a vigil held in his honor.
"We feel a very, very, very big, lonely void," said Elijah's mother, Dawn DeWitt. "We loved our son beyond measures, and our hearts are broken."
"I just want people to remember him as Elijah DeWitt, who was a motivated, talented, sweet, kind soul," she added. "He is a gentle giant."
DeWitt stood 6'2" tall and played wide receiver for Jefferson High School. He had dreams of playing college football and was scheduled to visit the University of Georgia this weekend. Instead, a funeral will be held for him on Wednesday, and many of his organs have already been donated to others in need.
"He cared more than anyone I’ve ever met," said Bailey Reidling, DeWitt's girlfriend of nearly five years. "That’s why I loved him so much. Because he reminds me of my daddy."
The terrified crowd at a high school football game in Ohio are seen on video scrambling for safety when gunfire erupts.
During the fourth quarter of the football game between Whitmer High School and Central Catholic, gunshots rang out into the air. The alarmed audience, players, referees, the marching band, and high school students frantically attempted to take cover from the shooting.
Video shared by WTOL sports director Jordan Strack shows a man on the ground shielding a young child from the shooting. Others are huddled behind a barrier to protect themselves from the gunfire.
\u201cThis was the scene at the Central Catholic-Whitmer game when shots were fired outside the stadium. We've confirmed that 3 people have been shot. Conditions are still unknown. A really scary scene.\u201d— Jordan Strack (@Jordan Strack) 1665197752
WTOL reported, "More than 12 gunshots were heard at the southwest corner stadium near the main entrance during the game and people in the stands were seen fleeing. Several bullet casings were seen scattered on the ground behind the field house."
The shooting – which happened around 9:30 p.m. on Friday – took place outside of the Whitmer High School football stadium, but gunshots were clearly heard during the broadcast of the game.
\u201cBREAKING: Gunfire erupts during high school football game in Toledo, Ohio. At least 3 victims\u201d— BNO News (@BNO News) 1665196167
Washington Local Schools spokesperson Katie Peters said a Whitmer High School student and two adults – one male, one female – were shot on Friday night outside the football stadium.
They were transported to a local hospital for their injuries, that police say are non-life-threatening.
The Toledo Police Department said two people are in custody in connection with the shooting, and that two other individuals could be linked to the incident.
"No guests were injured in the evacuation and we could not be prouder of our students, staff, Whitmer fans, and our guests from Central Catholic," Peters said.
Washington Local Schools Superintendent Kadee Anstadt released a statement regarding the shooting, according to WTVG.
"We are deeply saddened that a fun rivalry tonight was disrupted by an act of violence in the streets surrounding our event," Anstadt said. "What we know at this time is limited, and we will not speculate until further details are known. An event like this is every school district's worst nightmare, and we ask that you keep both Central and Whitmer in your thoughts as we attempt to figure out this atrocious act."
The game between Whitmer High School and Central Catholic High School was ended prematurely with six minutes left to play. The game will not be finished – giving Central Catholic a 46-16 win.
Kevin Parkins – head of Central Catholic High School – said junior varsity and freshman football games for Saturday are canceled.
Parkins added that the Central Catholic student body will gather on Tuesday to "talk to them, support them, but also pray."
A Los Angeles Unified School District mandate went into effect Sunday that requires students who want to play sports to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the Los Angeles Times reported.
And with that, Crenshaw High School's football team — which possesses a storied history as five-time city champions — saw its season abruptly end, the paper said.
The mandate states that football teams need at least 18 fully vaccinated players to compete, the Times said, but Crenshaw has only 13 players who are fully vaccinated. And that's "insufficient eligible players," according to a LAUSD statement, KTTV-TV reported.
The Cougars were supposed to face South East in the first round of the City Section Division 1 playoffs Friday, but that game isn't happening, the paper said, adding that South East automatically advances to the quarterfinals.
One Crenshaw player who did not get vaccinated told KTTV that the LAUSD vaccine mandate "kind of messed me over for scholarships and things like that."
"Yeah, playoffs especially championship games, that's really where everything gets seen, and that's what i was hoping on," he noted to the station before looking dejected and shaking his head. "But fell short."
Crenshaw coach Robert Garrett told the Times he was informed Tuesday night that the Cougars didn't have enough eligible players to continue fielding a team.
"They knew last week that I was not going to have 18 kids," Garrett noted to the paper. "I played 15 kids. The other kids are there so they won't be on the street. They're there for social and emotional development."
Parents aren't happy about what's transpired.
"It should be a free choice if you're gonna be vaccinated or not," parent Lala Brown told KTTV. "And if they are not vaccinated, there are people who don't agree with the vaccine but at least do some type of testing, and if people are negative then they should be able to play."
Another parent said the vaccine mandate forced Crenshaw to "throw it all away for nothing" after a season of hard work, the station said.
A high school football coach's advice to one of his varsity players has divided the internet after he encouraged the teen to quit the team.
According to a Friday Newsweek report, the coach in question is Kurt Hines, head football coach at Coronado High School in Coronado, California.
Hines shared a clip on social media Thursday explaining what he told a young football player who came to see him with intentions of quitting the team.
"I just had a young man come in and quit," a smiling Hines said in the beginning of his video. "I truly could not be happier."
He continued, "This young man was struggling all season with making it to practice, with committing. Never looked happy; some stuff going on. But I couldn't be happier because he came in, things washed, shook my hand, I said, 'Sit down for a minute.' He started to explain how his family has always been a football family. 'They've always loved it, my father, my brother.' I stopped him, I said, 'Do you love it?'"
Hines said that the unnamed student, clearly relieved to be honest with the coach, heaved a great sigh of relief and responded in the negative.
"I said 'I'm proud of you,'" Hines recalled. "I just saw his whole countenance change. He just smiled from ear to ear. I said, 'You're doing the right thing.'"
He continued, "Football is not for everyone. I couldn't be happier. Coaches, support your players if they want to be great. And if they want to be great in something other than football, support them just the same."
Hines' video has since gone viral and amassed more than 1.6 million views at the time of this reporting.
Just had a young man come in before practice and quit, and I couldn’t be happier! https://t.co/P0zsmbUQzU
— Coach Hines 🇺🇸 (@CoachKurtHines) 1631747804.0
Social media users lit up Hines' post, and at the time of this reporting, the video has more than 900 remarks.
For every negative comment saying that Hines ought to have encouraged the teen to finish the season before quitting, there were an equal number of comments supporting the coach's decision to support the teen in leaving behind something that was not in his heart.
According to the report, one fellow high school football coach from Ohio wrote, "What did he do in its place? If he is doing nothing then being part of a team, learning work ethic and learning life lessons is more than just quitting. The easiest thing to do is quit. I believe that being part of something even if the love is not there is better."
Newsweek also quoted a former football player, who added, "I quit 2 times, 1st before Sr yr of high school but a great coach talked me back, it was best move of my life. 2nd during 2 a days Jr. yr of college, I've regretted it ALL my life! Quitting's easy — keeping on is hard! Bad lesson to teach. I strongly disagree with your position."
The outlet added that one particularly turned-off commenter responded, "Sir, I am a youth football coaching legend, and when my kids quit my team, I tell them their life will be all downhill moving forward and that I hope to never see them again."
Another wrote, "When I was a sophomore in high school, I walked into my basketball coach's office and told him I quit. He basically told me no chance. It was a long road, but I ended up playing at university of Hawaii after high school. Then played 7 years pro overseas. I grew to love the game."
Other users pointed out that they believed his support of the student was constructive and positive.
Newsweek reported that one user wrote, "Awesome job coach! Thank you for being accepting of the young man's decision and supporting him. I know it was hard for him to do that. To everyone saying 'He shouldn't quit' or 'Should've made him finish them he could quit' what the hell is wrong with y'all?"
"The whole 'always finish what you started, never quit' mentality is why we have so many people stuck in jobs and relationships that make them miserable," another user tweeted. "In turn, they end up making others around them miserable as well. Know yourself. Trust your gut and do what you believe in."
Another chimed in, "Great Coaching! The best coaches and mentors support people in figuring out what they want & don't want to chase with their time and energy. And I bet you're the kind of guy who'd also help him find his next coach or mentor when he wants one. You Rock!"
"Lotta negativity in this thread but I'm supporting this 110%," one user wrote. "It's not 'quitter' mentality. It's finding yourself. Watch this kid he's talkin' about do something extraordinary. Can the internet give a round of applause for anything?"
A Massachusetts public high school football coach was fired from his job last month after complaining to school district officials as well as parents about the left-wing curriculum in his daughter's middle school class, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday by Judicial Watch.
The lawsuit claims officials at Dedham Public Schools retaliated against former coach David Flynn for exercising his constitutionally protected free speech rights as well as his right to petition the government. The lawsuit is demanding compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys' fees and costs, and a jury trial.
Flynn — who became Dedham High School's head football coach in 2011 and attended the school himself — raised issues last fall about his seventh-grade daughter's World Geography and Ancient History class, which the lawsuit says had been billed as covering "geography and civilizations, Rome, Europe, Africa, Latin America, North America, and South America."
But Flynn and his wife discovered the class was teaching far different things, the lawsuit adds.
"Instead, the instruction concerned issues of race, gender, stereotypes, prejudices, discrimination, and politics, among others," the lawsuit claims. "In one assignment, Plaintiff's daughter was asked to consider various 'risk factors' and 'mitigating factors' that two people — one identified as 'white' and the other identified as 'black' — purportedly might use to assess each other on a city street. Included among the various factors were skin color, gender, age, physical appearance, and attire. 'Black,' 'aggressive body language' and 'wrong neighborhood' were among the 'risk factors' purportedly assessed by the person identified as 'white.' 'White' and 'Police officer' were among the 'risk factors' purportedly assessed by the person identified as 'black.'"
Image source: Judicial Watch press release
The lawsuit also says Flynn and his wife saw in the instruction materials a "cartoon version of their daughter's teacher — a 'Memoji' — wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt," which the couple "reasonably interpreted as the teacher expressing support for the Black Lives Matter movement during class time."
Image source: Judicial Watch press release
Image source: Judicial Watch press release
The lawsuit says Flynn and his wife contacted the teacher and the principal, adding that while the principal responded, the couple didn't feel their concerns had been adequately addressed
On Oct. 14, Flynn and his wife emailed Superintendent Michael J. Welch stating their concerns, asking for his assistance, and noting that other parents shared the couple's concerns, the lawsuit states. Flynn also forwarded the same email to three members of the Dedham School Committee: Vice-Chairperson Tracey White, Steve Bilafer, and Mayanne MacDonald Briggs, the lawsuit adds.
Flynn and his wife met with Welch at his invitation on Oct. 23 to discuss their concerns, the lawsuit says, but the couple still didn't feel their concerns were adequately addressed. So that day Flynn emailed the same Dedham School Committee members he previously contacted and summarized the couple's concerns and Superintendent Welch's response.
The lawsuit notes how Flynn concluded his email:
The Superintendent has had the opportunity to make sure the Dedham teachers conduct themselves as professionals and to teach the courses objectively and without biased opinions. He chose not to. I believe that the real men and women in the world are the ones who have the ability to compromise, especially in extremely controversial situations. Compromise allows people to experience life as a team. This is where unity brings individual pride together and relationships begin to strengthen. I believe all relationships are based on compromise. The Superintendent was not willing to compromise. I explained to him that if the teacher teaches the course objectively and removes the BLM logo from the class, people will soon get over the fact that the class was purposely created without notifying parents and without having a visible course curriculum, syllabus and learning objective. Apparently, it does not mean much to him that the Dedham Public School System is losing two wonderful students.
In addition, the lawsuit says Flynn also forwarded his Oct. 23 email to about 20 other concerned parents, adding that "on information and belief, Vice-Chairperson White and committee members Bilafer and Briggs knew other parents had received Plaintiffs email."
A week later, Flynn and his wife removed their children from the district and believed the issue was over, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit says Flynn met on Jan. 20 with Welch as well as the principal of the high school, Jim Forrest, and Athletic Director Stephen Traister. At the meeting, the lawsuit claims, Welch handed Flynn a copy of the Oct. 23 email he sent to the Dedham School Committee members and noted that one of them asked the superintendent, "What are we going to do about this?" Welch then asked Flynn if he had sent the email to other parents, after which Flynn said he did, the lawsuit adds.
With that, Flynn at the meeting was told the district was "going in a different direction" with the football program, the lawsuit notes, adding that minutes after the meeting ended — and before Flynn "even returned home" — Welch, Forrest, and Traister publicly released a letter they signed to DHS football players and families stating that Flynn was out as head coach.
"We met with Mr. Flynn today because he has expressed significant philosophical differences with the direction, goals, and values of the school district," the letter said, according to the lawsuit. "Due to these differences, we felt it best to seek different leadership for the program at this time."
The lawsuit also claims the "letter plainly had been prepared in advance of the meeting with Plaintiff" and that Flynn "has never been provided any indication about the reason for his firing and/or the nonrenewal of his contract other than Superintendent Welch's comments at the January 20, 2021 meeting about the October 23, 2020 email, and Plaintiff is aware of no other reason."
In the aftermath, Flynn "suffered loss of earning, emotional distress, loss of reputation, and harassment as a result of being firing and/or the nonrenewal of his contract by Superintendent Welch, Principal Forrest, and Athletic Director Traister," the lawsuit adds.
After Flynn's firing last month, a group of students, athletes and some parents gathered outside Dedham High School to show support for him, WCVB-TV reported.
"Everyone loves coach; he gets kids to play football," Kevin O'Leary, a former Dedham High School football player, told the station.
O'Leary added to WCVB that "Coach Flynn is an awesome guy and we're all devastated that they fired him. Coach Flynn and Dedham football — it's like broccoli and cheese sauce: Can't have one without the other."
TheBlaze on Thursday reached out Denham Public Schools for comment on the lawsuit, but there was no answer at the district offices — and the district's website indicates schools are taking a "February vacation" this week. TheBlaze on Thursday emailed the district's communications coordinator for comment and will add the coordinator's response to this story in an update in the event it is offered. School districts typically do not comment to the media about lawsuits.
Dedham students protest football coach changeyoutu.be
(H/T: The Daily Wire)
A Louisiana high school principal is under fire after a text he allegedly sent saying that football players should stand for the national anthem or quit the team.
Rob Howle — principal of Liberty High School in Baton Rouge — is on administrative leave after allegedly texting a suggestion to make it "mandatory that the players stand for the national anthem or this team will never get [any more] support from the administration," WBRZ-TV reported.
The station said a handful of students took a knee during the anthem at the first game. WBRZ added that the text in question also said "that was embarrassing. Playing football is a privilege not a right. If they don't want to stand they can turn in their equipment and we will refund their money."
An image of the text message, dated Oct. 1, was posted on social media and came to the attention of the East Baton Rouge Parish school system on Thursday, the Advocate reported.
Taylor Gast, a spokeswoman for the school system, told the Advocate the message appears to be real and that the recipient of the text also works for the school system — but Gast would not identify that individual.
The Advocate also said the district issued a statement Thursday saying it launched an investigation and that "… as a result, an administrator has been placed on administrative leave." Gast identified the administrator as Howle, the outlet said, adding that Howle did not return a message seeking comment.
The district told WBRZ it "respects students' rights to freedom of speech and expression" and cited the following policy concerning the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem:
At the beginning of each school day, time shall be permitted for those students and teachers desiring to do so to observe a brief time in silent meditation (not intended or identified as a religious exercise), which shall not exceed five minutes, and for reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
Every assembly or meeting in each school should begin with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and with the playing or the singing of the National Anthem, and all students shall be encouraged to learn the words of the National Anthem. Throughout the playing (singing) of the National Anthem and/or the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, students shall be encouraged to exhibit respectful behavior.
Liberty High is a new name for the school. The Advocate said its old name — Lee High — was tossed in July amid the nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd in late May in Minneapolis. The outlet added that Lee High opened in 1959 as Robert E. Lee High School, named after the Confederate general.
Howle is starting his third year as principal, the Advocate said, adding that soon after he took over he relaunched the football program that had been dormant for a decade.
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