'Trail of Tears' sign at basketball game prompts apology from school

BROOKFIELD, OH -- An Ohio school district is apologizing over an offensive sign its cheerleaders made for a basketball game last week.

In a message sent to WKBN-TV on Facebook, a viewer called the sign Brookfield cheerleaders were holding before the boys tip-off against the Girard Indians "disgusting."

Brookfield Superintendent Velina Taylor apologized profusely for the faux pas.

"I lost some sleep over it," Taylor said. "One of our big stressing points here is empathy, understanding, respect for all. And clearly that's not the message that was sent with that sign."

Taylor said the girls had no clue "Trail of Tears" referenced the forced migration of the Cherokee nation where several thousand people died.

"So that's certainly one story that we need to make sure that the kids are aware of because it's a dark part of our past," Taylor said.

Another Ohio school found themselves in a similar situation this fall. Taylor said that when one of Brookfield's girls was preparing for the game, she looked up signs on the internet and scrolled through some pictures.

"Saw one she really liked that looked really good that included the offensive phrase and she just copied that down and they made the sign," Taylor said. "Never clicked on the story. One more click and we wouldn't be talking right now."

Superintendent Taylor said steps have already been put into place to make sure something like this doesn't happen again, and that includes having the principal approve all signs that the cheerleaders make.

Brookfield has already sent apology letters to Girard's staff, students, and fans.

"We hold no ill will towards her, Brookfield students, great people, classy people and just put this behind us as a learning experience," said Girard School Supt. David Cappuzzello.

"We're trying to address the harm that we may have caused and trying to ensure that we won't do something like that again," Taylor said.