A football official sparked intense controversy on social media and within the community after kneeling during the National Anthem Friday evening at an area football game.
The Daily News reported that the incident occurred right before the beginning of the Southwest-Croatan (NC) High School football game, inciting little reaction on the field or in the stands that night.
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“I just think it’s not right to do that at a high school football game, especially for a official paid by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association,” N.C. General Assembly Representative Phil Shepard said Saturday.
Residents and community members quickly took to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter after photos of the incident spread.
“Whether you agree with whats going on or not, he’s officiating a local ball game where young men and women are watching,” Shepard said.
However, Shepard said the move was “disrespectful.”
“Military men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country and I believe it’s disrespectful to the country, everybody in the country and what it stands for,” Shepard said.
The football official has not yet been identified.
