Covington Catholic Teens Get An Apology From Their Bishop For Rushing To Judgment Over Life March Controversy
The bishop of the students at Kentucky’s Covington Catholic High School has apologized for rushing to judgment last weekend, after video appeared to show one of the students behaving disrespectfully to an elderly Native American man, NBC News is reporting. Later video showed a clearer picture of what happened that day, and the teen and his colleagues appear to have actually been victims that day.
Last weekend, several teenagers from Covington Catholic arrived in Washington for a pro-life March. Some wore the white-on-red “Make America Great Again” hats, the symbol of the Donald Trump administration. Others chanted “build the wall.” Not long afterwards, video and photos from the rally surface that appeared to show one of the students, later identified as Nick Sandmann, smirking at and showing disrespect to an elderly Native American man, later identified as Nathan Phillips.
Internet users, including several celebrities, journalists, and politicians, were quick to jump on Sandmann and condemn his actions. Back in Kentucky, even his bishop, the Most Reverend Roger Foys, condemned the teens’ actions, via a statement through his diocese.
“We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general, January 18, after the March for Life, in Washington, D.C. We extend our deepest apologies to Mr. Phillips. This behavior is opposed to the Church’s teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person.”
Middle school teacher on leave after doxxing Covington Catholic student who wasn't even on the March for Life https://t.co/FcfoWE9zdG
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 25, 2019
However, since the event, more video and information has emerged, and as it turns out, the teens may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Specifically, it has been revealed that when the teens arrived at the Lincoln Memorial, there were already several men present claiming to be “black Hebrew Nationalists.” The men shouted “crackers” at the boys, said they were “born of incest,” and similar taunts. One of the Nationalists, identifying himself to the New York Post as “Chief Ephraim Israel,” said that he was proud to have taunted the boys.
By the time Sandmann and Phillips had gotten into each other’s presence, both were trying to “defuse” the tense situation, as both would later claim.
Foys wants Sandmann to know that he’s sorry for prematurely rushing to judgment.
“I especially apologize to Nicholas Sandmann and his family, as well as to all CovCath families who have felt abandoned during this ordeal.”
Meanwhile, some Covington Catholic students and their families say they’ve been receiving death threats since the incident.
