Ohio HS Reinstates 2 Suspended Football Players

Two suspended football players from Little Miami (OH) High School have had their suspensions from the team reversed following running on to the field carrying a “thin blue line” flag and a “thin red line” flag, according to a report from the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Prior to Little Miami’s game on September 11, two members from the football team ran on the field with the rest of their teammates during pregame introductions carrying the aforementioned flags in conjunction with another player carrying an American flag.

The players were, at first, suspended for their actions as the two flags have been politicized in association with the pro-police group, Blue Lives Matter.

Video of the players taking the field went viral on social media and after the players’ suspension was announced a change.org petition to overturn the suspensions received more 19,000 signatures.

Two Little Miami football players pay the price for civil disobedience. They were told not to carry onto the field thin blue line and thin red line flags at their 9/11 game. They did anyway. The school has now suspended them from the team indefinitely. #ThinBlueLine #ThinRedLine pic.twitter.com/19y9GAvaxr

— David Winter (@DavidWinterTV) September 14, 2020

Soon after, according to information obtained by the Enquired from the Little Miami Board of Education, school board president Bobbie Grice has reinstated the players after an internal review.

“The results show that there were no political motivations behind this display of support for first responders on 9/11, but there were stances of insubordination,” Grice told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Moving forward, Little Miami is returning the players to active status and this matter will be addressed as an Athletic Department Code of Conduct issue, with any potential consequences to be handled by coaching staff.”

The review showed that the players, who are reportedly the sons of police and firefighters, were told not to run on to the field with the flags, but did it anyway, according to the Enquirer.

Grice went on to tell the Enquirer that only flags that will come through the tunnel the rest of the season will be the American flag and the Little Miami spirit flag.

» ALSO SEE: Michigan HS AD Resigned in Objection to Sports Resuming

“Little Miami Local Schools is saddened to see this story take such a negative turn,” Grice said to the Enquirer. “The district enjoys an outstanding relationship with our local police and fire agencies.”

To read the full story from the Cincinnati Enquirer on the Little Miami High School players getting reinstated to the football team, click here.