New Jersey high school swimmer disqualified from race over size of American flag on cap, dad claims

The swimmer had worn the cap for his grandfather who died on 9/11, his father said

A high school swimmer was disqualified from a race after the American flag patch he donned on his cap was ruled to be too large, according to the swimmer's father.

Rob Miller said that his son, a 16-year-old sophomore at Morristown High School in New Jersey, had worn the patch in honor of his grandfather, who died in the Sept. 11 attacks in New York.

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A sophomore was disqualified from his swimmer's race after an American flag on his cap was too large.

The meet was during Morristown's Senior Night against Parsippany Hills High School.

According to Miller, the opposing coach waited until the 400-meter free relay race was over to have the emblem measured.

"The issue is the coached [sic] waited until after the swim to get the DQ, deciding to put the burden of a ‘loss’ on a 16 year old, letting down all the Seniors that won their last dual meet of their HS careers," Miller wrote.

"He usually wears the team cap or another colored one inside out, no logo/flag. The one time he wears this in a meet and the coach DQ'd him. Unreal luck,' Miller wrote in a separate tweet.

The Morristown swiming team's Instagram account said that "everyone knows motown boys were the real winners."

The race occurred during Morristown High School's senior night.

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The National Federation of State High School Associations Swimming and Diving rules state the following:

"One American flag, not to exceed 2 inches by 3 inches, may be worn or occupy space on each item of uniform apparel. By state association adoption, to allow for special occasions, commemorative or memorial patches, not to exceed 4 square inches, may be worn on the uniform without compromising its integrity."

Miller wrote in a later tweet that he was "guessing it could be a ‘political statement.’"

The swimmer had worn the cap in honor of his grandfather, who died in the 9/11 attacks, according to his father. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

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Neither school's swim coach responded to a request for comment.

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