Cal Baptist Students Accused of Lashing out Against National Anthem Protestors at Lakers Game

Two California men who refused to stand during the national anthem at a Los Angeles Lakers game claim they were assaulted for that decision and say they're seeking legal action.

California Baptist University confirmed two women allegedly involved in the incident are CBU students. One of the women is accused of throwing her drink on the men. 

The Press-Enterprise reports Matthew Brady, 20, and Jiahn Talebi, 21, said they did not stand during "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the Lakers game last Wednesday.

"We're joking around and talking. We don't want to show respect for the national anthem. I sing out, 'Home of the slave,' because that's what it should say," Talebi said in a telephone interview with the newspaper Monday.

Talebi went on to say that a group of men in front of them started arguing with them. He said security interrupted the quarrel and made the group of men leave that section. Talebi said the men were sitting in seats that belonged to Talebi and Brady.

The situation remained peaceful, Talebi said, until the end of the fourth quarter. 

"We thought it was the end of everything, and then this girl comes down and throws her drink on us," Talebi said. "It was a soda or something."

"I was on my phone texting someone. I'm just looking at my phone, I look up and my whole body's wet," Brady said in a telephone interview Monday, The Press-Enterprise reported. "My pants are drenched. My shirt's drenched. I never even seen their face. I just seen them running upstairs."

A video of the incident went viral on social media. Copies of the tweet (the original video was deleted) said, "'Take a kneel for the land of the slaves.' Disrespect the flag and our country and that's how we'll react."

California Baptist University posted about the incident on its website saying, "On Wednesday, October 4, 2017, an incident occurred at a pre-season NBA basketball game at the Ontario Citizens Business Bank Arena. While this was not an event affiliated with California Baptist University, two current CBU students were involved."

University President Ronald Ellis, in a statement Monday to students and faculty, called the behavior in the Twitter video, "despicable," and said it's "an extreme departure from the positive Christian values that are central to the culture of California Baptist University and does not represent the vast majority of CBU students, employees and alumni."

Talebi and Brady said they ran after the two women. Once they were outside the arena, the men said a middle-aged man who apparently knew about the situation confronted them and allegedly grabbed Brady by the neck.

"This guy just grabbed me by the neck and said, 'You better have some respect for the (national) anthem, boy. You better have some respect, boy,'" Brady said.

Police got involved, and the newspaper reports they talked to the man before letting him go. Talebi and Brady said police told them to leave or face arrest.

"An officer said there was nothing he could do about it, and there was nothing we could do about it, and if we got attorneys or went to court, it wouldn't work out for us," Brady said.

"We are currently conducting an investigation into this incident," Ontario, California, police Sgt. Jeff Higbee said Monday.

One of Talebi's and Brady's attorneys, Jim Terrell, called it a "civil rights issue."

"It's a First Amendment right for them (Brady and Talebi) to stand or sing as they like," he said. 

Meanwhile, on Monday, around 20 to 30 CBU students took part in a "Kneel on the Seal" protest on campus.

"This protest was about bringing awareness to the event and to racism in general, for praying for the girls and as a call to action," organizer Krysta Hawkins said.

"I ask every member of the California Baptist University community to join me in praying for all who have been affected by this unfortunate incident. I pray that our words and deeds will humbly and unmistakably represent the abiding love of God," President Ellis said.