A Louisiana high school is ordering student athletes to stand during the national anthem, echoing Donald Trump’s calls to prohibit athletes from standing or kneeling in protest.

In a letter to students and parents, Parkway High School Principal Waylon Bates said that the school “requires student athletes to stand in a respectful manner” and warned students who don’t bend to the rule would be punished with a loss of playing time or “removal from the team”.

By mandating athletes rise for the anthem, Mr Bates thrust his high school into a national furor provoked by Mr Trump’s comments. The president used a profanity to call for athletes who kneel during the national anthem - a recurring sight in the NFL which started after quarterback Colin Kaepernick sought to protest police violence - to lose their jobs.

Even as players around the NFL kneeled, locker arms or remained in their locker rooms in shows of solidarity against Mr Trump’s statements, the president continued calling for players to be punished and advocated a boycott of the league.

Mr Bates was also following the lead set by his school district. In a statement to the media, Bossier School District Superintendent Scott Smith wrote that “freedom isn't free” and said the district officials “expect our student athletes to stand in solidarity when the National Anthem is played”. A spokeswoman for the district said Mr Bates was reacting to that guidance, saying “this is not a 'Parkway issue'”.

“Our principals and their coaching staffs have sole discretion in determining consequences should a student athlete elect not to stand during the National Anthem and they are making their expectations known to players and their families this week”, Mr Smith added. “As Superintendent, my administration will be in full support of these school-based decisions”.

American sportspeople kneel in protest Show all 14 1 /14 American sportspeople kneel in protest American sportspeople kneel in protest Terrance Smith #48, Eric Fisher #72, Demetrius Harris #84, and Cameron Erving #75 of the Kansas City Chiefs is seen taking a knee before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at the StubHub Center on 24 September, 2017 in Carson, California Sean M. Haffey/Getty American sportspeople kneel in protest Members of the Dallas Cowboys link arms and kneel during the National Anthem before the start of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on 25 September, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona Christian Petersen/Getty American sportspeople kneel in protest Bruce Maxwell of the Oakland Athletics kneels as teammate Mark Canha #20 places his hand on Maxwell's shoulder during the singing of the National Anthem before their MLB American League baseball game against the Seattle Mariners at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California on 25 September 2017 Reuters/Stephen Lam American sportspeople kneel in protest Members of the Oakland Unified School District Honor Band kneel as they perform the national anthem before a MLB American League baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the Seattle Mariners at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California on 25 September, 2017 Reuters/Stephen Lam American sportspeople kneel in protest Samaje Perine #32 and Chris Carter #55 of the Washington Redskins hold hands as they stand and kneel in unison during the national anthem before playing against the Oakland Raiders at FedExField on 24 September, 2017 in Landover, Maryland Patrick Smith/Getty American sportspeople kneel in protest Meghan Linsey, a former contestant on "The Voice," kneels after singing the national anthem before the start of the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks football game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee on 24 September, 2017 Ryan Hermens/The Paducah Sun via AP American sportspeople kneel in protest The Los Angeles Chargers are seen during national anthem before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at the StubHub Center on 24 September, 2017 in Carson, California Jeff Gross/Getty American sportspeople kneel in protest Nick Kyrgios of Team World joined NFL stars from Wembley by dropping his knee before his Laver Cup match with Roger Federer today during his mens singles match against Roger Federer of Team Europe on the final day of the Laver cup on 24 September, 2017 in Prague, Czech Republic Julian Finney/Getty American sportspeople kneel in protest Laremy Tunsil #67, Maurice Smith #27 and Julius Thomas #89 kneel with Jarvis Landry #14 of the Miami Dolphins during the National Anthem prior to an NFL game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on 24 September, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey Steven Ryan/Getty American sportspeople kneel in protest Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wide Receivers Mike Evans #13, and DeSean Jackson #11, take a knee during the national anthem before the game against the Minnesota Vikings on 24 September, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota Hannah Foslien/Getty American sportspeople kneel in protest Denver Broncos players kneel during the American National Anthem before an NFL game against the Buffalo Bills on 24 September, 2017 at New Era Field in Orchard Park, New York Brett Carlsen/Getty American sportspeople kneel in protest Buffalo Bills players kneel during the American National anthem before an NFL game against the Denver Broncos on 24 September, 2017 at New Era Field in Orchard Park, New York Brett Carlsen/Getty American sportspeople kneel in protest Colin Kaepernick #7 and Eric Reid #35 of the San Francisco 49ers kneel in protest during the national anthem prior to playing the Los Angeles Rams in their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on September 12, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. The kneel began as a protest against police killing people of colour Thearon W. Henderson/Getty American sportspeople kneel in protest Megan Rapinoe #15 kneels during the National Anthem prior to the match between the United States and the Netherlands at Georgia Dome on 18 September, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia Kevin C. Cox/Getty

The Louisiana principal said his local athletic association allows individual schools to dictate how students react to the pledge. A statement from Louisiana High School Athletic Association Executive Director Eddie Bonine endorsed that stance, citing a letter circulated last year in response to “multiple protests” by high school players taking a knee.

Some members of the community took to social media to denounce the stance. Brandon Boone, who said he played basketball for four years at Parkway High School before graduating in 2008, said in a message to The Independent that “you can not stop students or people in general from expressing their First Amendment rights”. He added that his father spent decades in the military and that his brother is currently serving.

“For Superintendent Scott Smith to insinuate that it’s disrespectful for students not to stand during the National Anthem is unacceptable”, Mr Boone said. “As my brother says it best, 'as a soldier we defend the Constitution and not a song or flag'”.

But this was not the first time a high school principal has sought to bar students from emulating NFL players who use the pledge as a protest platform. Last year, the principal of a Florida high school reportedly told students that during the pledge, “You are to stand and you are to be quiet”.

Donald Trump says NFL kneeling row " has nothing to do with race"

Legal precedent backs students’ right to refuse to rise for the pledge. A 1943 Supreme Court ruling sided with students who were Jehova’s Witnesses and did not want to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, saying forcing them to join the display of patriotism violated their free speech rights.

The school’s new policy would be unlikely to survive a legal challenge, said Alexandra Mora, a civil rights attorney based in New Orleans.