Several of the Kennesaw State cheerleaders who took a knee during the national anthem at a football game last fall will not be back on the field this upcoming season.
Five KSU cheerleaders faced national controversy last year after adopting NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s practice of protest and kneeling during the national anthem before a September 2017 football game to bring attention to issues with police brutality in the U.S.
A source close to the matter said that four out of the five cheerleaders that kneeled during the national anthem last year did not make it back onto the cheerleading team after tryouts this academic year.
KSU’s athletics department said in a statement that 33 prospective cheerleaders did not make it onto this year’s cheerleading squad after tryouts — 7 of whom were on the team last year.
“The success of our football team and that of the cheer squad, which won the 2018 NCA Collegiate Nationals, resulted in a substantial increase in applicants for this year’s squad — from 61 applicants in 2017, to 95 in 2018 — creating more competition for the 52 available spots on the roster,” the statement said.
“Similar to all KSU sports teams, multi-year spots on rosters are not guaranteed and all student-athletes must earn their position on a team,” it continued.
The kneeling protests gained national attention again this month after Miami Dolphins wide receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson took a knee during the national anthem before the team’s preseason opener on Thursday, Aug. 9, according to USA Today. President Trump posted tweets the following day criticizing the NFL players, much like he did during last year’s season.
It is unsure whether any of the members of the KSU cheerleading team plan to protest in this upcoming season. None of the five cheerleaders who kneeled during the anthem last year responded to requests for comment.
When asked how she would respond to students kneeling in protest during the anthem this year, KSU President Pamela Whitten said her focus is on the future of the university.
“As we begin a new academic year and welcome back fall athletics, I look forward to working together to further our successes and help our students achieve their fullest potential, both in the classroom and on the field of play,” Whitten said.
When asked further questions, Whitten referred back to the statement that the University System of Georgia issued about the matter during last year’s controversy.
“While we respect the First Amendment rights of individuals, it is the University of System of Georgia’s belief that everyone should stand to honor the National Anthem,” the statement said. “However, the Office of the Attorney General of Georgia has advised that the First Amendment protects students who kneel or sit during the National Anthem. Therefore, USG institutions cannot prohibit or interfere with those expressions.
“The Board of Regents respects and is grateful for the values that our flag represents which guarantee the very right to free expression that allows these students to engage in these activities,” the statement continued.
Students held protests on KSU’s campus in support of the five cheerleaders last year in October after the cheerleaders were kept off the field until after the national anthem. University officials said that the decision to keep the cheerleaders off of the field was part of a game day schedule change and did not relate to the protest. On Oct. 8, then KSU President Sam Olens reversed the decision.
Later in October 2017, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained text messages that suggested that Olens may have been pressured by Cobb County Sheriff Neil Warren and state Rep. Earl Ehrhart to keep the cheerleaders off of the field during the anthem, prompting the Georgia Board of Regents to conduct a review of the university’s decision. Olens later announced his resignation from the university on Dec. 14, 2017.
Once the cheerleaders were allowed back onto the field in November 2017, they chose not to take a knee during the national anthem, and eight of the cheerleaders instead linked arms as an acknowledgment of Veterans Day.
The first game of this upcoming football season will be next week Thursday, Aug. 30, and the first home game will be Saturday, Sept. 15.
