“The young men who made this decision have just ruined their football careers. “As the mother of a transgender student who will be attending your school this year, I am upset, embarrassed, and worried for my child,” commented one person. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. “The athlete that made the video is an incoming freshman that I have had little contact with.”Īccording to the Salt Lake Channel, the video is considered cyberbullying and a safe school violation. “In fact, quite the opposite happens where our players stand up for those being bullied,” he says. He added that the incident is out of the ordinary, and that the school is “very diverse,” adding that they have never had issues with players bullying anyone. Head football coach Matt Rickards tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the school’s main priority in the program is to grow “men of character, integrity, be responsible, have empathy towards others and serve their community for good.” And we're going to address it in a very serious fashion." "Whether it was done intentionally with a threat in mind or for humor's sake, it's inappropriate. "We want to make sure every student who walks through our doors feels safe and secure in the environment that they're in," Horsley told Fox 13. In an interview with Fox 13, Ben Horsley, communications director for Granite School District, confirmed administrators would handle the issue. According to the spokesperson, “Burning a flag is not a crime - it’s a freedom of speech issue, and the school is handling it.” “That’s why my office recommended the maximum sentence.A Unified Police Department spokesperson tells Yahoo Lifestyle that while a report about the incident was filed with police, they will not be investigating the issue as a hate crime, as Utah law considers hate crimes as enhancements to criminal offenses. “I believe him to be very dangerous,” Reynolds said. Story County Attorney Jessica Reynolds told KCCI since Martinez has a long history of harassment and was also charged as a habitual offender, he faced a harsher penalty. “We will continue to strive for a justice system which values restoration over punishment and helps individuals like Adolfo Martinez understand the harm that they’ve caused.” Reyes said that while her organization is appreciative of the seriousness of the crime, it does not see how the long sentence “accomplishes any of those goals.” “That said, true justice should always strive to be about rehabilitation, reconciliation, and healing communities.” “Hate crimes against the LGBTQ community are a serious matter as they inflict distinct emotional harms on their victims, and strike fear into the communities they target,” Courtney Reyes, the executive director of One Iowa, a statewide LGBTQ organization, said. Martinez said he was guilty and had no intention of fighting the charges as he “knowingly, intentionally and willingly” burned the flag. The 30-year-old faces 15 years in prison after being found guilty of a hate crime, third-degree harassment, and being a habitual offender, KCCI reported.
“It’s a blessing from the Lord to be able to stand for his world firmly, against all odds.” “It was an honor to do that,” Martinez told CNN affiliate KCCI. Martinez said he removed the flag because he didn’t believe the church should support the LGBT community since it is a house of worship, the police report read. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.ĪMES, Iowa - A man has been sentenced to 15 years after burning an LGBT flag hanging from a church in Iowa.Īdolfo Martinez was found guilty on Wednesday after tearing down and burning the flag which was flying at the Ames United Church of Christ in June. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated.