Administrators of an Alabama high school have apologized for a banner displayed during a football game recalling the "Trail of Tears," in which Native Americans were forcibly marched from the Southeast.
McAdory High School played the Pinson Valley Indians Friday night and cheerleaders held up a sign saying their opponents should "get ready to leave in a Trail of Tears."
The sign recalled the U.S. government's forced removal of Native Americans from ancestral homes to present-day Oklahoma. Thousands died.
McAdory Principal Tod Humphries says he accepted responsibility for not having banners pre-approved before the game. Humphries has said the person who typically approves signs was on maternity leave.
Humphries says the cheerleaders who made the sign will face disciplinary action.
Jefferson County schools officials have also apologized for the banner.
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