The Georgia Board of Regents will conduct a special review of how Kennesaw State University responded to the decision by five African-American cheerleaders to kneel during the national anthem in silent protest of police misconduct and racial inequality.
“The University System of Georgia is conducting a special review to look into recent allegations raised about athletic processes at Kennesaw State University,” the board said in a one-sentence statement after a special called meeting Wednesday afternoon.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Tuesday that Cobb County Sheriff Neil Warren and state Rep. Earl Ehrhart boasted in a series of text messages about pressuring KSU president Sam Olens into keeping the school's cheerleaders off the field during the national anthem after they knelt during the anthem for the first time during the Sept. 30 game.
Olens previously said in a written response to questions from the AJC that the decision to keep all cheerleaders off the field during the anthem was made by the university’s athletics department.
Some National Football League players — beginning with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick — began taking a knee during the anthem to raise awareness about police brutality and racial inequality across the nation. President Donald Trump has blasted players who kneel, calling it disrespectful.
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