County School Supt. Dr. Kirk Kelly said Brainerd High School players will not protest the National Anthem on Friday night, and he said they never planned to.
He said the principal and players said they did not know anything about a boycott until a newspaper article on Friday morning.
Dr. Kelly said:
1) The players knew nothing about a plan for a protest.
2) The principal knew nothing about a plan for a protest.
3) It was not until the article came out that players and the principal became aware of the situation.
"To confirm, there is no plan for the players to protest this evening at the Brainerd football game. Assistant Superintendent Zac Brown has made two visits to Brainerd High today to meet with players, coaches and administrators. He has also spoken with school administrators in Marion County. Assistant Superintendent Lee McDade has spoken with Marion County and Hamilton County law enforcement to ensure a safe environment for tonight’s game.
"Teachers and coaches are entitled to their personal views on matters of public concern. However, they are not permitted to use their position as school system employees as a platform to express those views, nor are they permitted to use their position as authority figures to impress those views on students.
"Several members of our leadership team (myself, Zac Brown, Jill Levine and Justin Robertson) plan to attend the game tonight to support the team. Our focus will be on the students and what we expect to be a great football game.
"Thank you for your concern and input. Please reach out to us as needed with additional questions and comments."