Some Plainfield South Athletes Take A Knee During National Anthem

(CBS) -- A silent protest by some Plainfield South High School football players -- taking a knee during the National Anthem on Friday night -- has stirred debate among residents of the southwest suburb.

It's also caught the attention of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who started the recent trend of sitting out the "Star-Spangled Banner" in protest of what he says is systemic police violence against African-Americans. Kaepernick retweeted an image of the group of Plainfield South athletes taking a knee; it had been re-posted by activist writer Shaun King.

Not everyone was pleased with the symbolic statement, based on some online banter among parents.

But a Plainfield School District 202 spokesperson says the students, as  young adults, have "a right to their views like anyone else."

"We spoke to everybody on the team, each and every player," player Victor Ballard told The Times Weekly. "We made sure it was OK with our coaches, and they supported our beliefs."