A California district superintendent recently announced that a high school football team was no longer allowed to display the Thin Blue Line at its games, but that didn’t stop Saugus High School players.
When most of the team ran onto the field Friday night, the tradition of the Thin Blue Line Flag was absent. Two players then came onto the field carrying an American flag and a Thin Blue Line flag, even after Superintendent Mike Kuhlman announced they weren’t allowed to show the flag supporting law enforcement, according to the Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
WATCH:
The Thin Blue Line flag flew again at the Saugus High School football game on Friday night in a show of support for law enforcement after the Hart district’s superintendent announced it would no longer be allowed. pic.twitter.com/1RYYeUM42L
— SignalSCV (@SCVSignal) October 29, 2022
According to the local news report, Kuhlman announced the decision to ban the team from displaying the flag without the Hart District School Board hearing the issue. The district reportedly received complaints about Saugus High School players carrying the flag onto the field before games because people found it divisive.
According to Kuhlman’s letter explaining the decision, the head football coach was the one who made the decision to stop the tradition of carrying the Thin Blue Line flag onto the field.
“Given that some individuals have expressed concern that they interpret the Thin Blue Line flag to be divisive, it occurred to (the coach) that it’s possible that some players on the team might not be entirely enthusiastic about a symbol that is being used to represent the entire team,” Kuhlman wrote, Fox News reported.
“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 decided to discontinue this practice,” Kuhlman added.
Saugus defeated Golden Valley 31-13 Friday, giving them eight wins to their two losses on the season.