Right about the time a crowd began gathering on Chardon Square to show support for police on the evening of Sept. 4, Chardon Schools released a media clarification regarding its announcement student athletes would no longer be allowed to carry a “Thin Blue Line” flag onto the field during football pre-game ceremonies.
Right about the time a crowd began gathering on Chardon Square to show support for police on the evening of Sept. 4, Chardon Schools released a media clarification regarding its announcement student athletes would no longer be allowed to carry a “Thin Blue Line” flag onto the field during football pre-game ceremonies.
“First, the district did NOT ban the Thin Blue Line Flag — or any flag — from athletic events,” the statement said. “People attending tonight’s game will likely have flags in the stands, including the Thin Blue Line Flag. What the district enforced was its existing board policy — common to most school districts and public bodies — that governs staff participating in perceived political activity.”
The statement said after the Aug. 27 display of the flag, some members of the community expressed concern over the issue, which the district reviewed with legal counsel prior to taking action. In an Aug. 31 statement, Superintendent Mike Hanlon said flying the flag could be interpreted as a racially-motivated action and, therefore, not acceptable in a school community.
The district’s statement created a social media firestorm, to which Austintown resident Eric Downing responded by organizing a Facebook event titled “Support Chardon Football Players – Thin Blue Line.”
The event grew into a rally, which took over both the square and a “Free Speech Zone” set up in front of Chardon High School. Earlier Friday, the district and Chardon Police Department issued a joint statement announcing a partnership to ensure the safety of rally-goers — several openly carrying firearms — and families attending that night’s football game versus Willoughby-South.
Although the rally began as a response to Hanlon, it grew into a movement to honor the memory of Cleveland Police Detective James Skernivitz, who was shot and killed in the line of duty on Cleveland’s West Side the night of Sept. 3.
As the event started, about 30 Cleveland police officers arrived on a bus to cheers and applause from the crowd of hundreds, many of whom had also traveled from outside Geauga County. Police Chief Scott Niehus told attendees the Cleveland forces would lead the group as it marched toward the school, flying Thin Blue Line flags alongside others, including the Gadsden flag and flags celebrating President Donald Trump.
Under a pop-up canopy on the soccer field in front of CHS, and after a moment of silence to honor Skernivitz, Downing told the crowd it can be easy to feel alone in their pro-police beliefs.
“So when we leave here, I think none of us needs to feel that way ever again,” Downing said. “If you see injustice for what we believe in, stand up and say something. You’ll have a lot of backers.”
As Downing finished his remarks, the crowd chanted, “Go home Hanlon!”
Hanlon’s Aug. 31 statement also drew anger from Geauga County Commissioner Ralph Spidalieri, who said he was sickened and disgusted, and called for Hanlon to resign in an open letter Sept. 1. Spidalieri repeated his criticism of the statement during a Sept. 3 appearance on a national FOX & Friends broadcast.
“I could not find any good cause or any good reason that (the flag) would have anything to do with race. That blue line represents all officers, all races, religions — it’s absolutely absurd,” Spidalieri told host Brian Kilmeade.
At the rally, Spidalieri thanked the crowd in front of CHS for showing up. He was moved to tears, he said, by the support.
“God bless you guys — this is what it’s about. Our police deserve better, our military deserves better, our first responders deserve better and this is sending a loud message here,” he said.
A Black Lives Matter counter-protest planned Friday on the square was canceled out of respect for Skernivitz, a Facebook post from the group stated. The group, founded by anonymous Chardon residents, wrote in a statement the BLM movement is not Black versus white, but a fight against systemic racism, especially in small towns like Chardon.
“We are against gun violence against all people and out of respect for the officer killed on Cleveland’s West Side last night, we will be canceling this evening’s rally,” the group said. “We will continue to stand for Black lives and fight for social justice.”
A handful of BLM protesters did show up and, according to a video posted on social media, were being interviewed by a reporter from WEWS Channel 5 after the rally when they were interrupted by shouts of “All lives matter” and protests from rally-goers over news coverage being provided to BLM.
In a separate counter-protest, Jonathan Workman — a Chardon-area resident whose repeated brushes with law enforcement and controversial social media presence have gained him a certain local notoriety — arrived with a sign reading “F**k Cops/Blue Lives Murder,” as well as a large container filled with an unknown liquid.
Workman momentarily took center stage under the canopy in front of the high school, engaging Downing in a discussion about his right to be present at the rally.
Police escorted Workman away, to the sound of cheers and jeers from the crowd, but he later resurfaced as one half of a running tit-for-tat with a rally-goer on the walk back to Chardon Square.
