Tennessee Gym Fires Employee for Sitting During National Anthem; Protesting Recent Injustices Against Minorities

by Amber Randall

CHATTANOOGA – A Tennessee gym fired an employee Monday morning after an employee decided to sit during the national anthem at an event over the weekend.

Tyler Chancellor, a former employee at 9Round kickboxing gym, said he refused to stand while the anthem played at the event because of recent injustices against minorities, reports News Channel 9.

“Me being a minority in this society, I chose to stand up for what I believe in — well, not actually stand up, but sit down for what I believe in,” Chancellor told the outlet.

He and his coworkers were in the VIP section, and Chancellor maintained that he wasn’t the only minority not standing up.

“I wasn’t the only one sitting down,” he said. “There were other minorities in the stands sitting down.”

9Round, which had employed Chancellor, for little more than a week while he trained to be a coach there, confirmed the firing to News Channel 9 as well. The owner explained that Chancellor’s actions were seen as disrespectful because the company supports the military.

A Texas high school student sued her school in October after it allegedly expelled her because she sat during the anthem. The student had been protesting the anthem for a while, but the school only recently decided to expel her, the lawsuit alleged.

“I don’t think the flag is for what it says it’s for, liberty and justice and…all that,” India Landry said. “It’s not obviously what’s going on in America today.”

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick set off a wave of protests when he began taking a knee while the anthem played at football games. President Donald Trump has come out against the protests, labeling them disrespectful to the country and flag.

Follow Amber on Twitter

Editors Notes: Tennessee is one of about half of all US states which does not ban employers from firing someone for political beliefs. Photo credit: News Channel 9