An investigation released Wednesday into an encounter between Covington Catholic High School students and Native American activists at the Lincoln Memorial last month largely supports the students’ accounts of the incident, which prompted immediate and widespread condemnation of the boys after a video of the encounter went viral.
A short video clip showed Native American Nathan Phillips, playing a traditional drum and in an apparent standoff with a smiling student, Nick Sandmann, who was wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat. The Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School, a Kentucky private school which arranged the trip, were among those who initially condemned the boys’ actions in the video.