Was a high school cross country runner disqualified from a state championship meet because there was a Bible verse embroidered on his headband?
Earlier this month at the Georgia 5-A cross country state championship Third place winner John Green was stripped of his victory just moments after crossing the finish line.
He was disqualified because of a headband he was wearing – adorned with the words: “Isaiah 40:30-31.”
That verse reads “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Green had worn the headband since the start of the 2015 season. He also wore the headband at region and sectional meets. At no point was he ever told to take it off.
And there’s a good reason for that – it turns out there’s not a rule banning runners from wearing headbands.
Before the race began one official approved the headband. A few minutes later another told Green to turn it inside out one. He complied.
Then, moments before the race was to begin, yet another official ordered Green to completely remove the headband.
Green has long hair and the course conditions were wet and muddy. His coaches feared that posed a safety problem. Since two officials had already approved it…he kept it on.
When Green crossed the finish line he was summarily disqualified – for breaking a rule that wasn’t on the books.