****Story Update # 1:
The Missouri State High School Athletic Association is responding to a situation involving a Camdenton Football Player and the American Flag.
The issue stems from a comment made by a parent Friday on social media, stating her son was told by a MSHSAA official that carrying the flag was a “political statement” and wasn’t allowed in their bi-laws.
Officials with MSHSAA say they have no no bi-laws that states a player cannot carry the Flag onto the Field, and whoever made that comment wasn’t a MSHSAA member.
“There were no MSHSAA staff present at that preseason jamboree and there was no one, outside of school personnel, who would have the authority to make such a statement” says Communications Director Jason West, “The underline information that needs to be shared with everyone is that there is NO language in MSHSAA bi-laws that says carrying an American Flag onto a football field is a violation. There has never been any language to that, there has never been an consideration to making language to that, so the interpretation that it was a MSHSAA violation to carry the flag on to the field before the football game is false and in-accurate.”
He tells KRMS News that both they and the Camdenton R-3 School district are looking into who made the comment “We’ve spoken with members of that school’s administration and to our knowledge, there was no one from that school that said that as well.”
Camdenton school board officials tell KRMS News they are aware of the situation and believe the comment happened in the school’s parking lot.
At this time, it’s unknown who made the comment that sent social media into a massive uproar on Saturday but MSHSAA officials and the Camdenton School Board are investigating “We would like to know if there is someone who’s trying to impersonate or act like they know what the MSHSAA bi-laws are, or trying to provide interpretations of those MSHSAA bi-laws without any type of consent from the MSHSAA office or staff. At this time there are no legal actions we can take, other than asking that person to cease and desist.”
This remains an ongoing story and we’ll continue to bring you latest as it comes in.
Mr. West also provided this statement to KRMS…..
American Flag Allowed at High School Football Games
Columbia, Mo.- The Missouri State High School Activities Association has been made aware of false statements being spread on social media. Earlier today, a story was reported by KRMS in Camdenton, Mo. claiming the Association told a student-athlete he could not carry an American Flag onto the football field prior to his team’s pre-season jamboree as it was against MSHSAA By-Laws.
This claim is false. The Association’s member schools have never had or considered by-law language that would consider carrying an American Flag on to a football field a violation. At no point in the history of the Association has a member of its staff told anyone from a member school, a parent, a student or any member of the public that carrying an American Flag on to a football field is a violation.
****A note from the News Department:
KRMS would like to also point out that the statement that a MSHSAA official told the student he “could not carry the flag” was made by the parent, and not KRMS. We are simply relaying what the parent stated in the social media post that was made yesterday.
****Previous story:
There’s a viral post on social media that’s catching the eye of Lake Area parents and residents.
The post shows a Camdenton Laker Football player and student carrying the American Flag onto the field, a tradition for every start of the season game for the Lakers.
However, in the post, the mother of the student Amber Brandt indicated that her son, Garrett, was told he could not carry the flag for this year’s jamboree.
The reason, a Missouri State High School Activities Association rule banning “political ventures” without written consent of a school administrator, that according to the MSHSAA handbook (“4.1.7 Representing the School: Participants shall not represent the school (appearing in school uniform, school-named clothing, at school facilities, or with mascot/school colors) to endorse or promote a product/service, commercial venture, political venture, etc. without prior, written consent by a school administrator.” ).
Brandt says an association member told her son that carrying the flag was a “Political Statement” and it wasn’t allowed.
KRMS has reached out to the Association, Garrett’s Mother and the School Board for comment and we’ll relay any updates on the story as they come in.
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