If you’re very patriotic and plan on watching some football in South Carolina don’t except to get a war welcome. That’s because the state recently announced the American Flag is not welcomed, At least not at one high school for now. School officials’ decision to ban students from displaying the American Flag at a recent football game is creating controversy in a South Carolina school district. On Friday, Travelers Rest High School principal Lou Lavely banned students from carrying American flags into a football game against Berega High School, because a lot of students at Berega are Hispanic. Lavely contends the American flag could have been used to taunt those students, WNCN reports.

“Some events at last evening’s football game have resulted in concerns being raised in our community. I am writing to assure that any decisions made regarding American flags being permitted into the game were made in the best interests of all attending the game and in the spirit of patriotism and respect for our flag,” Lavely wrote in response to Facebook backlash about the ban, which turned away several students who came to the game with American flags. READ MORE