California high school football player to ditch pro-police flag after critics compare it to Confederate flag

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A football player at a high school in California has been forced to stop carrying a pro-police flag as the team rallied onto the field, as critics said it made them feel "unwelcome and uncomfortable."

Some others compared the "thin blue flag" to a Confederate one, forcing school administrators at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita to tell the player to ditch the controversial symbol. 

The decision comes after William S. Hart Union High School District Superintendent Mike Kuhlman sent out a letter explaining the flag's intention is to show support for law enforcement officers, KTLA reported.

A thin blue line flag, signaling support for law enforcement, is displayed above the sign for the National Rifle Association (NRA) outside of its headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 31, 2022.  (STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

However, Kuhlman recognized the flag also offends some people.

CALIFORNIA POLICE DEPARTMENT REMOVES 'RACIST AND UNSCIENTIFIC' TERM FROM OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS

"While many embrace the symbol as simply a celebration of law enforcement, others have shared their feeling that the symbol has sometimes been co-opted by intolerant individuals with an agenda to divide and exclude," Kuhlman wrote, per the report. "I’ve personally spoken with some individuals who shared their feeling that the symbol makes them feel uncomfortable and unwelcome."

Centurions head coach Jason Bornn ultimately decided to discontinue displaying the flag, following conversations with the school's principal, according to KTLA.

"Given that some individuals have expressed concern that they interpret the Thin Blue Line flag to be divisive, it occurred to