High School Football Team Takes a Knee During Anthem, Referees Respond with Unusual Lesson

After former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality, the gesture spread widely.

Monroe High School’s football team joined the movement, with many players taking a knee before a game. In response, referees Ernie Lunardelli and his son Anthony walked off the field in protest, stating they could not support what they saw as disrespect to the flag and armed forces.

Ernie, who had warned the league he would quit if players knelt, believes the game should not count due to the lack of officially trained referees.