A high school football team in Los Angeles County, California, will no longer carry the "Thin Blue Line" flag onto the field during games after individuals shared that the symbol made them feel "uncomfortable and unwelcome," according to the school district.
Mike Kuhlman, superintendent of the William S. Hart Union High School District, wrote in a letter to parents Wednesday that the Saugus High School football team will no longer fly the black, white and blue flag, which many have used as a symbol to support law enforcement, following a three-day investigation and speaking with the team’s head coach.
Kuhlman wrote that "some individuals" have expressed concern that the flag is "divisive" and that some players on the team "might not be entirely enthusiastic" about the flag being used to represent the whole squad since the team never held a vote on the matter.
"In deference to his commitment to inclusivity, kindness and respect (just loving people), and because the team never voted as a unit to carry this banner, Coach (Jason Bornn) decided to discontinue this practice," Kuhlman wrote.
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Kuhlman said that despite the decision to no longer carry the flag, the entire district still supports law enforcement while also fostering a "culture of inclusivity, kindness and respect."
He continued to emphasize the importance of supporting law enforcement, writing that "those of us with first-hand memories of November of 2019 will never forget their heroic response and can be nothing but thankful for their selfless acts of service."
Kulhman was referring to the incident on Nov. 14, 2019, during which law enforcement rushed into the school to save students after a student armed with a pistol shot five classmates, killing two.
However, many parents were outraged that the school will remove the black, white and blue flag.
"For some people to say the flag is divisive shows their ignorance because these are our heroes that come in while everybody runs away," parent Christine Ruiz told FOX11 Los Angeles.
Brandy Roggentien, whose daughter attends Saugus High School, told the station that one of the parents who dropped their child off at the time of the 2019 shooting was a first responder who immediately rushed inside and "saved some lives."
"The fact that the school is not honoring that is mind-blowing and disgusting," Roggentien said.
Other students and parents told the station that they supported the district in removing the flag from campus, saying that to change the colors of the American flag is to change its meaning and therefore disrespectful.
"It’s no longer the "Stars and Stripes," it’s whatever they want it to be, so it’s a false flag," D’Ante Von Wright told the station. "Flying it during a school event or any event is disrespectful to the country and the servicemen and women that came before."
Meanwhile, another parent suggested that the school take a vote to decide the matter.
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