WASHINGTON (CIRCA via STORYFUL) — A Kentucky boys' school is receiving backlash after videos of students mocking a Native American demonstration in Washington, D.C., went viral online.
The young men were on a field trip from Covington Catholic High School for the March for Life, protesting abortion, which coincided with the Indigenous Peoples March. Footage from the incident at the Lincoln Memorial shows a group of teenagers mocking an Omaha elder, Nathan Phillips, as he drums. Phillips is the director of the Native Youth Alliance and a veteran of the Vietnam War.
Hunter Hooligan, who shot footage of the incident, says the boys crowded around the group of marchers for about 10 to 15 minutes. He said he wasn't aware of any chaperone present until a woman came forward once police were called.
A statement reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer from the high school and Diocese of Covington says:
"We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general, Jan. 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."
Natalie is a Multimedia Journalist and Weekend Show Host for Circa. She is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in broadcast journalism. While there, she reported and an...