A high school hockey team in Minnesota became the subject of criticism after fans made a hand symbol that some say represents white power.
Fans of New Prague High School flashed the controversial symbol behind the team’s coach at the Minnesota Boys High School Hockey Tournament while a camera panned over the team’s bench.
The fans were a pair of upper elementary students who were making the “OK” symbol, New Prague Superintendent Tim Dittberner said.
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Dittberner did recognize that the symbol has been used to represent white supremacy but said the students had no understanding of that usage, according to a report.
This is the third racist incident involving New Prague in weeks, Super said this tonight: “When questioned the students did not understand what the signal meant. They were mimicking something they saw at an earlier hockey game on the big screen..(1/2) https://t.co/WDgtIDvXpQ
— janashortal (@janashortal) March 10, 2022
“While we know this is very upsetting to many, please be assured we feel confident that the students were not intending to send a message of white supremacy when they made the gesture,” he said.
The students had seen the symbol used at a previous game, and school officials do not think the young fans understood the gesture’s supposed racist sentiment, according to Dittberner.
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This is not the first allegation of racism to hit New Prague, Minnesota, and school administrators said they have been instructing students through listening sessions, the report noted.
