EXCLUSIVE | Seaford School District apologizes after game was opened with parody of the National Anthem

The Seaford School District is issuing letters of apology to parents and officials in the Milford School District after a parody of the National Anthem was played to open the girls volleyball game Tuesday night at Seaford High School, sparking outrage from some who were in attendance.

Prior to Tuesday night’s girls volleyball match between Seaford High School and Milford High School, a version of the National Anthem sung by Roseanne Barr was played, according to Seaford School District Superintendent David Perrington, who addressed the incident in a letter.

“This event is not representative of the Seaford School District or its students, and the District will take appropriate action to ensure proper response and modification of pre-game proceedings. We apologize for this unfortunate event,” Perrington wrote.

The incident sparked outrage from some parents who were in attendance, including Lindy Ohling, whose daughter is on the volleyball team for Milford.

Following Tuesday night’s game, Ohling took to social media, calling the incident “the most disgraceful and disrespectful thing I’ve ever seen at a sporting event in my life.”

After announcing to the crowd to please stand for the National Anthem, one of the players from Seaford plugged her cell phone into the gym’s sound system and played a version of the anthem that actually poked fun of it, according to Ohling.

“Everyone in the gym starting looking at each other in disbelief. The officials, our Milford players and coaches and our parents,” Ohling wrote. “When I looked out on the court, the Seaford girls volleyball team was laughing uncontrollably and most of the Seaford players parents and other Seaford students were laughing as well.”

Ohling said she was “absolutely disgusted and appalled” by the incident. “It took all of me not to go down on that court and rip that phone out of that speaker.”

The parody of the National Anthem that was played Tuesday night was performed by Roseanne Barr in 1990 during a Major League Baseball game in San Diego.

Barr’s performance sparked outrage from those attending the doubleheader featuring the Padres and Reds, and dominated news headlines at the time over her actions at the conclusion of her rendention after she grabbed herself and spit to the ground in a motion to the fans.

Following the incident at Seaford High, officials with the Seaford School District reaches out to the Milford School District’s Superintendent Tuesday evening with a personal apology.

Letters of apology will be sent to the Milford School District to be shared with student-athletes, coaches, and fans who were known to be in attendance.

WGMD reached out to officials with the Seaford School District and asked what discipline, if any, would be imposed to those involved in the incident. We have yet to recieve a response.