A Missouri school district has apologized for the “unsportsmanlike” and “insensitive” conduct of its white students after one of them displayed a Trump sign before a boys basketball team Monday night.
The incident took place during player introductions of the opposing team from Center High School, where all of the players are black or biracial, according to the Kansas City Star.
In a video that has more than 6,800 shares on Facebook, the white students are seen turning their backs as the black students are being introduced.
The Warrensburg Missouri school district issued the following statement on Facebook:
Members of our student body acted inappropriately and were insensitive toward our opponents. The Warrensburg R-VI School District does not condone these actions and apologizes to anyone who was offended by the actions of these students. We will do everything we can to keep incidents like this from happening again.
The Warrensburg district’s superintendent Scott Patrick said in an interview with the Star that the tradition of the student section turning its back on the opposing team is a longstanding one, but that this incident was different.
“I think in this case, (the Trump sign) was really the difference in what took this from something that was unsportsmanlike to something that was insensitive, not necessary and inappropriate,” Patrick said.
Warrensburg senior Gunner Joyner told KMBC that the incident was “uncalled for and not needed.”
Despite the incident, the students from Center High School went on to win the game, 66-62.
