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Cheerleaders from a North Carolina high school were placed on probation after being photographed under a Trump banner during a football match on social media, reports the Charlotte Observer newspaper.
On Monday, Stanly County schools announced that the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) had placed the North Stanly High School cheerleading squad on probation for the remainder of the season. Because the NCHSAA "has not defined the terms of probation," the team can continue to applaud, officials said.
"Friday night football games should be focused on our students – players, cheerleaders, group members – not politics," they said. "For this reason, we hope that the situation will be resolved and that our student athletes will be able to live a beautiful autumn season."
On August 30, a photo of at least seven cheerleaders posing with a banner: "Trump 2020: Make America Great Again" circulated on Facebook, sparking a lively political debate among users.
"It's very sad and you have to write who ever had this idea!" a person wrote. "The fact is that it is a football match at school and not a political campaign !!! I do not know any of you but I hate the election year so much. not enjoying a good evening / day at home watching TV without the constant reruns of political advertising allowed us at least to spend an evening at a football match without the political campaign interfering! !! My God !! "
The next day, the school district issued a statement confirming that the school and its staff had not endorsed the law.
"We are currently investigating this case but this morning we determined that it was not an act planned or approved by the school or its staff," the statement said. . "A student attending the event brought the flag to the game, which was not present at the gate entrance. The photo was taken before the start of the event. "
In a separate statement to the McClatchy press group on Monday, NCHSAA Commissioner, Que Tucker, said that probation was not a form of punishment, but warned that the association would impose fines and a suspension if the Team continued to perpetrate similar acts.
"It's a behavioral or action opinion contrary to the policy of the NCHSAA handbook or contrary to the expectations of sportsmanship and appropriate behavior," he said. about probation.
Several residents and groups have since expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of NCHSAA, accusing the organization of trying to stifle freedom of expression.
"The North Stanly High School cheerleaders from Stanly County NC were put on probation for the rest of the football season for brandishing a TRUMP 2020 banner!" NC Conservatives wrote on Facebook last Saturday. "People have said it hurts them uncomfortably," but this high school athletics association is the same non-profit organization that just voted to allow boys access to the schools. women's sports teams. They have an agenda and it's bad for our students. Come show their support to these children's teams expressing their 1st amendment rights !! "
Republican Rep. Richard Hudson also sent a letter to NCHSAA officials last Thursday asking them to reconsider their decision, report observers.
"As a representative of Stanly County, I am shocked that these students are being punished for exercising their right to freedom of expression at the First Amendment," he wrote.
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