Superintendent apologizes after students hold ‘Trump’ sign, turn backs on 'predominantly black' team

A Missouri school district’s superintendent has apologized to the community after students turned their backs on a rival school’s basketball team in what some are calling a racially motivated display.

According to KSHB-TV, during a basketball game between Warrensburg High School and Center High School, Warrensburg students turned their backs on Center’s team as the school’s starting roster was announced. One of the students held up a campaign sign for President-elect Donald Trump.

The Kansas City Star described Center's basketball team as "predominantly black."

“Where it went over the line is when they held up the [Trump] sign,” Warrensburg R6 School District Superintendent Dr. Scott Patrick told KSHB. “There’s no reason for that to occur at a basketball game so they just took it too far and it was insensitive and not appropriate.”

Patrick added that he has personally apologized to Center School District officials.

Video of the incident quickly gained attention online after it was posted on Facebook by Antonia Nunn, 20, a graduate of Center High School. Social media users slammed the students’ conduct as unsportsmanlike and racist.

Nunn told KSHB that she believes the students’ actions were racism.

“I was like wow, you guys are playing an all-black basketball team and you’re all white and it’s just, you turned around, hold up a Trump sign and I thought it was very racist,” Nunn said. “It was rude. I didn’t like it at all. It wasn’t ok.”

Nunn said some Warrensburg High School apologized for their classmates’ behavior on social media.

The school district also apologized for the incident on Facebook.

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This post has been updated.