School where fans displayed Trump flag pulls out of MLK game

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MINNEAPOLIS — Jan 20, 2019, 4:15 PM ET

A Minnesota high school where fans displayed a President Donald Trump re-election flag has pulled out of a basketball invitational hosted by a Minneapolis school on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The Jordan High School boys' basketball team was scheduled to play Minneapolis Henry on Monday in the MLK Showcase at Minneapolis Roosevelt.

Some Jordan fans displayed a Trump banner when Roosevelt visited Jordan last week. Jordan is a rural, overwhelmingly white community. Roosevelt's coach says his team is predominantly black.

Henry coach Jamil Jackson says organizers of the invitational were told Jordan feared something might happen to the players if they came to Roosevelt to play.

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Trump flag fallout: Jordan HS team pulls out of game at Minneapolis Roosevelt

Jordan was to have played Minneapolis Patrick Henry at the invitational event hosted at Minneapolis Roosevelt, but Jordan feared "something happening to the players."

By Paul Walsh Star Tribune JANUARY 20, 2019 — 3:27PM

The fallout continues from last week’s dispute over a Donald Trump re-election flag being displayed by fans of the Jordan High School boys basketball team during its game last week against visiting Minneapolis Roosevelt.

Jordan has pulled out of an invitational basketball event scheduled for Monday — Martin Luther King Day — being hosted by Minneapolis Roosevelt.

Jordan was to have played Minneapolis Patrick Henry at 5 p.m., but “fear of something happening to the players if they came to Roosevelt to play,” was the reason given to the invitational organizers, said Henry coach Jamil Jackson. “It’s totally unjustifiable.”

Jordan School District Matthew Helgerson countered that “fear was not our reason” and offered different rationale for the about-face, saying in an e-mailed statement: “Given recent events, we believe the participation of our team in the event will detract from the hard work of the athletes and the upbeat focus of the MLK Showcase.

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