Bluefield College loses match after suspending players for kneeling for anthem | Launderer report

The Bluefield Rams men’s basketball team lost their game to Reinhardt on Thursday after several players were suspended for kneeling during the national anthem.

By David M. Hale of ESPN, President of Bluefield College David Olive issued a statement on the decision.

“The basis for my decision stemmed from my own awareness of how some in our country perceive kneeling, and I didn’t think a number of our alumni, friends and college donors would view the act of s ‘kneel down during the hymn in a positive manner,’ said Olive.

Hale noted that the players took a knee before “several games” in January and February, despite Hale’s insistence that they stop doing so, prompting him to issue suspensions.

Jewels Gray, a football player at Bluefield, told Hale the school was contradicting itself after informing the basketball team that they would be allowed to kneel if they chose to do so.

“Why would our school contradict what they said?” Gray said. “We had pre-season meetings with [the athletic director] and the president, and they said we could kneel down and they would support and be behind us, 100%. “

According to Hale, Olive has learned that the Rams players knelt for the anthem ahead of four straight games from Jan.23 to Feb.2. Head coach Richard Morgan kept his players in the locker room ahead of their February 4-6 games. “avoid new controversies. “

Olive told student-athletes of various sports–including men’s and women’s basketball, soccer and women’s football… that their First Amendment rights did not apply to this situation during a videoconference discussion.

“We are a private entity, not a government entity,” Olive said in her statement. “We have policies and guidelines throughout the student manual and academic catalog that limit certain rights you may have elsewhere, such as your home or in a public place.”

Bluefield’s next scheduled game is Monday at home against Milligan University.