CORAOPOLIS, Pa. — Fallout from several Cornell High School cheerleaders’ decision to kneel during the national anthem at a recent football game has resulted in the cancelation of the school’s homecoming dance this weekend.
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Channel 11 News learned Wednesday that the backlash ramped up significantly after Cornell School District board member Barbara Pessey posted a doctored video of a news story about the incident on social media in which superintendent Aaron Thomas was directly called out. Pessey simply shared the video from another post and did not create it.
The current situation also prompted district officials to cancel this weekend’s homecoming dance and reschedule Friday’s football game.
She said her personal protest of the incident backfired, resulting in hundreds of threats being made against Thomas and his family. The Coraopolis Police Department has doubled its presence at the high school and is now patrolling Thomas’ neighborhood.
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Thomas issued the following statement to Channel 11 News:
Pessey said she never imagined that the video she shared on social media would ignite such hatred toward the school from all over the country.
“I thought I was doing a good thing,” she said.
Pessey told Channel 11 News that some are asking for her to resign from her seat on the school board.
“I have no intention (of resigning). I have a responsibility to my community who voted me in,” she said.
School officials said Friday night’s football game will likely be moved to Friday afternoon, and only players and their families will be allowed to attend. No students, band members or cheerleaders will be permitted to watch the game.