The animosity over whether a Confederate flag was displayed at a football game between Manual High School and Weld Central on Friday won’t get resolved until both sides can agree upon the facts, said commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green of the Colorado High School Activities Association.
“We have conflicting statements about what happened,” Blanford-Green said. “And until there’s an agreement that something did or did not happen, communication moving forward will be tough.”
On Saturday, the morning after Weld Central’s 48-12 victory over the Thunderbolts in Denver, Manual principal Nick Dawkins sent accusing the Rebels of displaying a Confederate flag during the first quarter of the game, noting “the tension created by the flag led to conflict on and off the playing field,” such as player injuries and racial slurs.
Weld Central countered the next day in which principal Dan Kennedy and district superintendent Greg Rabenhorst denied Dawkins’ claims, saying there was no Confederate flag displayed and that “our team and community were unfairly represented with what appears to be significantly inaccurate information presented to the Manual community and the media.”
“At any time (CHSAA) is asked to come in and serve as a mediator, and as a facilitator, we will make ourselves available to any school,” Blanford-Green said. “But we haven’t been asked.”
After Weld Central’s denial, Denver Public Schools responded with a statement saying that “we are reaching out to the Weld Central High School community to jointly discuss the events of Friday night and how we can all move forward in a collaborative and positive spirit.”
Meanwhile, Manual, in conjunction with the Whittier Neighborhood Association, at the start of school Monday morning as a show of support after the drama of the weekend.
All the while — and amid DPS talk of “a collaborative and positive spirit” — Blanford-Green also emphasized each school needs to continue to focus on its internal investigations.
“The Colorado High School Activities Association feels like there are some questions that are being asked right now that have gone unanswered,” Blanford-Green said. “Our role is to let the investigation by the two schools continue.”
