
A First Amendment rights group is concerned about Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry’s push that colleges mandate all student-athletes be present during the national anthem, or risk losing their athletic scholarships.
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression Director Alex Morey says Landry’s request ties students to support his beliefs and views.
“There's this subtext that they must feel the exact same way as Governor Landry does about the national anthem and people who have served under the flag,” said Morey.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the First Amendment protects students from being required to pledge allegiance or salute the U.S. flag in public schools.
Morey says what’s more concerning is that LSU may possibly comply with Landry’s request. She says students are free to choose how or whether they want to demonstrate patriotism.
“Government actors can’t put those words in student-athlete mouths. They can not say if you do this it means that you express a particular sentiment. The first amendment prohibits that instead student athletes have their own expressive rights,” she said.
Morey says there is nothing less patriotic than government actors forcing their personal views on citizens.
“It makes a poor estimation of why people would want to be patriotic in the first place if we have to force them to be patriotic, that says something about our American system,” said Morey.