Youth football coach says players taunted with n-word for kneeling during anthem

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

Last weekend, tensions were so high at a Woodland Hills and Bethel Park football game between 12- and 13-year-olds that police had to be called.

According to Woodland Hills head coach Marcus Burkley Sr., who posted about the game on Facebook, the tensions skyrocketed when some of the players made the decision to kneel during the national anthem.

“It seemed like everything started once the national anthem started. Two or three of my players took a knee,” he said. “Once they took a knee, you see cameras and people taking pictures. And out of nowhere you hear, ‘If the little N-word want to take a knee, they shouldn’t be able to play.”

— Football coach reportedly threatens to lynch black players for misbehaving —

He said the comment came from the stand, but his players told him they were hearing it on the field.

But he went on to say that not only the players but also the parents were then treated differently.

“They just said, ‘We’re not serving you Woodland Hills people. This is for Bethel fans, it’s our senior day.’ But with all that going on, it seemed like another attack,” Burkley said.

While Woodland Hills won the game, police had to be called in before the game was over to stand guard to keep the peace.

“It was a sad night, and we were glad to get out of there,” he said.

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