Cheerleaders vs. sheriff and lawmaker

USA - The pregame protests in the NFL drawing attention to racial inequality have become increasingly routine. Those at the lower levels of football, however, are anything but.

The latest clash over the national anthem and American flag vs. the Constitution is going on at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, and it involves cheerleaders, an elected official and a Cobb County sheriff.

And now a national civil rights group is chiming in. On Sept. 30, five Kennesaw State cheerleaders kneeled during the national anthem prior to a football game against North Greenville University. They were subsequently restricted to a stadium tunnel during the playing of the anthem, and an explanation was given by the school that the new procedure was unrelated to the protest and already in the works. Some investigative work by Georgia news outlets, including 11Alive, found text messages between state rep. Earl Ehrhart and sheriff Neil Warren indicating they were “furious” about the protests. Ehrhart reportedly criticized KSU president Sam Olens for “coddling” the cheerleaders and Warren responded, “Let me know what I can do to help you stop this BS on taxpayer-funded college campuses.” Further exchanges reported by 11Alive suggest the elected official and the law enforcement leader had indeed pressured the school president into making a decision involving free speech. “My private comments with Sheriff Warren regarding the cheerleader protest at Kennesaw State expressed my personal feelings,” Ehrhart said in a statement to Yahoo Sports on Wednesday. “I stand by them. I urge President Olens to stand firm against any student publicly disrespecting our flag at a football game or any college event. I say that as a private citizen.” A spokesman for Warren, reached by phone on Tuesday, said, “We will not be commenting for any further news stories.” Olens, the school president, has apologized for the way he handled the situation. It’s unclear if the cheerleaders will be on the field during the anthem at future home games. A spokeswoman for Kennesaw State released this statement on Tuesday: “Kennesaw State University believes it is important to honor the national anthem. It is equally as important to respect the rights of individuals as protected under the first amendment.” The situation escalated on Tuesday, as the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law wrote an open letter to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia to “express grave concerns regarding punitive actions that appear to violate the constitutional rights of cheerleaders at Kennesaw State University.” The Board of Regents has begun a review of the situation. The team’s next home game is scheduled for Nov. 11 – Veterans Day.

(myajc)