A high school football game in Idaho was stopped when the father of one of the players — noted anti-government activist Ammon Bundy — refused to wear a mask.
Bundy’s son is a linebacker for the Emmett High School Huskies, who were the visiting team in the Oct. 2 game against the Caldwell Cougars.
Ammon Bundy was apparently turned away at the gate for refusing to follow Caldwell’s mask policy.
Ammon and his father, Clive Bundy, are best known for the standoff with authorities in Oregon over control of a wildlife refuge.
At the game last week, Ammon apparently tried to remain on school grounds and watch the game from the parking lot. He was asked again to leave by school administrators but he declined. Caldwell called the game at halftime with Emmett ahead 35-0.
Emmett High School does not have a mask policy in place, so Bundy has attended home games without a mask. Bundy has said that he’ll continue to behave as he did at Caldwell at future away games where the school has a mask policy.
“I have a strong belief in my right to choose to wear a mask or not," Bundy told NBC News. "And If they think somehow there's a safety issue, then they need to section off a part of the bleachers to accommodate for those of us who believe differently than others.”
Both schools eventually agreed that Emmett’s win shouldn’t be wiped from the record over the disagreement.
Emmett Independent School District superintendent Craig Woods had appeared to brace his side for a possible forfeit which never came to fruition.
"This is incredibly sad for the Emmett High School football team, high school and community. They were winning the game," Woods said in a statement over the weekend.
"They've been having a great season, and they've worked hard. We were the visitors. We should respect the host’s policies and procedures. Whether you agree or not when it comes to masks, the football team should not have to suffer the consequences. I'm proud of the Huskies. They did not ask for this."
