The Covington Catholic High School student wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat and seen smirking at Native American veteran Nathan Phillips says the now-viral video does not tell the whole story.
Nick Sandmann, a junior at the school, says he and his classmates have been unfairly accused of harassing Phillips. The video appears to show the students mocking Phillips and his fellow protesters from the Indigenous People’s March. Sandmann is seen standing face to face with him, smirking, as Phillips chants and beats his drum.
The video sparked outrage and led school officials to consider whether some students should be expelled. But Sandmann has issued a statement explaining his side of the story. He says the students, who had participated in the March for Life, were waiting for their buses to arrive when a small group of protesters started shouting things at them.
Sandmann says their chaperones gave them permission to sing their school spirit song in response. While they were singing, he says Phillips and his fellow protesters approached them. Other videos appear to back up his claim. Sandmann insists he was not trying intimidate or harass Phillips. He says he felt like Phillips was trying to incite a confrontation and he only stood there smiling to show that he would not engage him.
Fasho Thoughts:
- The school is considering expelling some of the students, so it’s important to get to the bottom of what really happened.
- This whole thing may have been one giant misunderstanding. The students were chanting their school spirit song which Phillips and his fellow protesters may have misinterpreted as taunting or mocking.
- Even if Phillips tried to incite a confrontation, the students should have ignored him and their chaperones should have done something to break it up.
- But still, it’s hard to look at the kid’s smirk and not want to wipe it off his face.
Source: CS / CS
CATHOLIC SCHOOL: Smiling Student In Video Tells Different Story was originally published on rnbcincy.com
