Carlsbad High School withdraws from competition after ‘KKK’ sign controversy

CARLSBAD (KUSI) — A North County high school withdrew from a sports fan competition Tuesday after signs spelling out "KKK" during a basketball game with a rival school sparked controversy. 

Carlsbad High School students were photographed holding three separate ‘K’ signs side-by-side during a game at Sage Creek High School last Friday. The incident sparked outrage on social media and prompted speculation into racial intent.

On Tuesday, Carlsbad High School Principal Joshua Porter said the school was withdrawing themselves from KUSI Sports’ "Battle of the Fans," a competition between San Diego-area high schools to find the most spirited fans. 

Students from Carlsbad High School explained each sign was intended to be held as a singular ‘K’ — a snarky way to say ‘okay’ — as a response to signs from rival schools.

“These signs were created by our ASB and used during past games for previous chants,” Principal Joshua Porter said. “The symbolic implication of these signs being held in a row, however, should not have happened and does not reflect the belief of the Carlsbad Unified School District, Carlsbad High School, or my own.”

ASB at Carlsbad High School made the decision to withdraw from the competition because it is no longer filled their original intent — “to showcase who we are as a school,” Porter said.  

The Principal did not disclose if any students were disciplined for the incident.  

“Carlsbad High School strives to represent a diverse and supportive community, and over the past few years we have worked to embody a sense of unity and acceptance of all students through our Loud Crowd.

“Although our student section has put in hours of effort to show their school pride, we all feel the decision to withdraw from the competition is necessary to demonstrate how seriously we take the events that occurred on Friday night at Sage Creek. As a whole, we believe that the displayed message does not represent the beliefs of our student body. In the future, we hope to use this situation as a reminder of the critical importance of good sportsmanship; we also hope this is a learning experience, underscoring our role as representatives of CHS and the Carlsbad community.”