A viral story about some Kentucky high school students in MAGA hats confronting Native Americans during their Indigenous People’s March on Friday is now being questioned as a possible hoax.
Videos are now surfacing on Twitter and YouTube that show Native American activist Nathan Phillips was the one to approach the teenagers and get in their faces first. For transparency’s sake, I have no way of knowing if these have been edited, but a local Cincinnati TV reporter shared this statement from the students, who provided links to the videos.
Response from Cov Cath student who says he was present at the event in question in Washington.@Local12 pic.twitter.com/nqLD1pJY2u
— Adam Clements (@AClementsWKRC) January 20, 2019
Watch some of the clips below.
“Covington Catholic student bothering elder man” yet here is evidence of the man approaching them during their school cheer not disturbing anyone. Doesn’t make sense pic.twitter.com/SRYRJOIoKf
— Maria Judy (@mariajudy_) January 19, 2019
https://twitter.com/kutz98/status/1086904261064249344
https://twitter.com/PolishPatriotTM/status/1086955744556171266
Here’s the almost four minute video that went viral on YouTube and prompted outrage over the students’ behavior.
The school responded by apologizing and saying their behavior is opposed to the Church’s teachings “on the dignity and respect of the human person.” Officials are reviewing the incident and students could be expelled.
Mr. Phillips maintains his side of the story and says they also chanted “build that wall.”
https://twitter.com/McKayMSmith/status/1086768589691076609
So what’s the truth? Without being there, it’s hard to say, but if the full videos are any indication, these students didn’t come up to the Native American marchers and start anything. It does show that they were, in fact, harassed by some anti-Israel groups before the alleged confrontation happened with Mr. Phillips.
The new video evidence shows that the boys didn’t chant or harass the man. If anything, they were just really confused. https://t.co/otyFgjqqsl
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) January 20, 2019