A high school baseball player from Powell Valley (Va.) High School publicly urinated on the field during the singing of the national anthem on a dare from teammates.
The report out of the Bristol Herald Courier says the incident occurred on April 30. The Wise County Schools superintendent, Dr. Jeff Perry, confirmed the incident but would not release the player's name.
"This kid did nothing that he considered unpatriotic," Perry told the Herald Courier. "It was a stupid mistake; he has accepted responsibility. … He’s going to pay for it, but we don’t have to behead him, we don’t have to crucify him."
Citing several unnamed sources, the Herald Courier named the offender as Jacob Huff, a sophomore who quarterbacks the football team in addition to being a varsity pitcher and outfielder for the baseball squad.
While Joe Rasnick, commander of Big Stone Gap’s Veterans of Foreign War, was quick to say he did not blame the player, it was clear that he considered the act very unbecoming.
"It’s just very disrespectful to the flag, and especially to us guys who served our time," he said.
Rasnick has suggested that, as punishment, the offender make a public apology and present a report on patriotism.
"I bet that someday, when he matures, he’ll realize that he did a very hurtful and distasteful thing," Rasnick added.
