Will FWISD have a policy for players planning to protest during national anthem?
Fort Worth Independent School District will have a formal policy regarding its players and teams that want to protest during the national anthem, but it’s not exactly sure how to phrase it all.
Fort Worth ISD athletic director Todd Vesely, who was formally hired in June, said he has discussed with FWISD coaches how to handle this. Right now, he said, they are formulating a “game plan.”
It does sound like there will not be a strict policy forbidding it.
Fort Worth Dunbar football coach Todd Lawson said last week some of his players have expressed an interest “doing something” during the national anthem to raise awareness about social inequalities. Lawson said he wanted to be sure to include parents and administrators before moving forward with any action before a game.
The first week of the high school season begins at the end of this month; Dunbar’s first game is Sept. 1 against Dallas Kimball at Clark Stadium.
“What we really want is for the coaches to talk to their kids through a team meeting; everyone has a right and a belief to their opinions,” Vesely said. “Respect is paramount, either way. For those who do protest, they need to be respected and those who do not need to be respected. We don’t want to create a disruption, or do anything that is not peaceful. That’s our position. We want to use common sense.
“The most important thing here is what will the students gain by being a part of this, and the lessons learned.”
The protest movement, started by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick years ago, continues to be a major point of contention between NFL players, NFL owners, and President Donald Trump.
There is no middle ground on this, and some players well outside of the NFL have joined this movement.
In the first preseason games of the 2018 season, several NFL players protested during the national anthem.