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WEBVTT ISSUED -- ISSUED LATE THIS AFTERNOON. REPORTER: WHAT BEGAN AS ANOTHER DAY OF PUBLIC PRESSURE AND DIOCESAN SILENCE TOOK AN ABRUPT TURN ABOUT AN HOUR AGO THIS LETTER FROM BISHOP ROGER FOYS TO THE COVINGTON CATHOLIC COMMUNITY OFFERS AN EXPLANATION, AND ALSO AN APOLOGY, ABOUT HIS ACTIONS AND WORDS OVER THE PAST WEEK. HE WRITES IN PART, "WE ARE SORRY THAT THIS SITUATION HAS CAUSED SUCH DISRUPTION IN THE LIVES OF SO MANY. WE APOLOGIZE TO ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN OFFENDED IN ANY WAY B EITHER OF OUR STATEMENTS, WHICH WERE MADE WITH GOOD WILL, BASED ON THE INFORMATION WE HAD. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED OURSELVES TO BE BULLIED AND PRESSURED INTO MAKING A STATEMENT PREMATURELY, AND WE TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. I ESPECIALLY APOLOGIZE TO NICHOLAS SANDMANN AND HIS FAMILY AS WELL AS TO ALL COVCATH FAMILIES WHO HAVE FELT ABANDONED DURING THIS ORDEAL NICHOLAS, UNFORTUNATELY, HAS BECOME THE FACE OF THESE ALLEGATIONS BASED ON VIDEO CLIPS. THIS IS NOT FAIR. IT IS NOT JUST." THE BISHOP’S STATEMENT COMES AFTER ANOTHER DAY OF HEATED RHETORIC APOLOGIZE TO THE BOYS. BE A MAN. SHOW SOME COURAGE AND DIGNITY. REPORTER: THAT’S LONGTIME ANTI-ABORTION ACTIVIST RANDALL TERRY, WHO WAS JOINED BY SEVERAL LOCAL CATHOLICS OUTSIDE THE DIOCESAN OFFICES FRIDAY, DISPLAYING SIGNS OF THEIR DISCONTENT. POLITICAL LEADERS ARE ALSO WEIGHING IN TODAY. KENTON COUNTY COMMISSIONER JON DRAUD TELLS US THERE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A RUSH TO JUDGEMENT. >> YOU KNOW, IF YOU’RE A LEADER, THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH MAKING A MISTAKE. BUT, YOU SHOULD BE WILLING TO APOLOGIZE. HUMILITY IS ONE OF THE TRAITS OF BEING AN OUTSTANDING LEADER. REPORTER: BUT, THE FALLOUT FROM THE WASHINGTON D.C. INCIDENT IS STILL COMING TONIGHT. -- IS STILL CONTINUING TONIGHT. IF THIS WERE ANY OTHER FRIDAY EVENING, COVCATH CRAZIES, AS THEY’RE KNOWN, WOULD BE GETTING READY FOR 7:30 TIPOFF AGAINST HOLMES. BUT, IT’S NOT A NORMAL TIME. THE GAME HAS BEEN POSTPONED. LIVE IN COVINGTON, JOHN LONDON, WLWT NEWS 5. ANCHOR: SO MANY PARENTS AND STUDENTS ARE STILL CONCERNED VERY MUCH FOR THEIR CHILD’S SAFETY. JOHN, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION STARTED BY THE DIOCESE? IS IT OVER? IS IT STILL ONGOING? REPORTER: THAT IS STILL GOING ON. THEY ADDRESS THAT THEY AWAIT THE RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION. THEY ALSO SAY IT IS THEIR HOPE AND EXPECTATION THE RESULTS WILL EXONERATE THE STUDENTS SO THAT THEY CAN MOVE FORWARD IN THEIR LIVES. REGARDLESS, HE SAYS THAT ONCE THE INVESTIGATION IS DONE, HE WRITES THAT IT WILL BE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC. ANCH

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In the wake of a nationwide firestorm of controversy, the Bishop of Covington has apologized to the parents of Covington Catholic High School students.Rev. Roger Foys issued a statement Friday afternoon, apologizing for the haste in which the Diocese of Covington condemned students of the high school following an incident with a Native American elder during a trip to the nation's capital.The initial statement was released Jan. 19 in response to viral videos from Washington, D.C. The initial videos showed several boys -- some wearing Covington Catholic clothing -- involved in the incident.The videos spread far and wide on social media, and many condemned the actions of the young men in the video for allegedly mocking the Native American.The diocese was rather quick to respond, initially saying in part, "We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general, Jan. 18, after the March for Life, in Washington, D.C. We extend our deepest apologies to Mr. Phillips. This behavior is opposed to the Church's teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person."But after new video lengthier was released -- showing the young men being approached by the Native American man -- the diocese has backed off its initial condemnation. In a letter published Friday, Foys writes:"My dear Covington Catholic Parents,"Since Saturday, 19 January 2019 the events at the Lincoln Memorial following the annual March for Life have gained international attention. Within hours we were being pressured from all sides to make a statement regarding a video clip which purportedly showed students from Covington Catholic High School being disrespectful to Native American Elder Nathan Phillips. Based on what the video clip showed we condemned the actions of students who engaged in the alleged disrespect and promised to investigate the matter."Since that time other video clips -- some of much longer duration -- have surfaced. Once these went viral some of the very same people who had put tremendous pressure on us to condemn the actions of the students now wanted a retraction from anyone who had previously issued a statement critical of them. All of this was based again on a video."Subsequently, there have been death threats to some of the students and their families. The vitriol and hateful comments on some online stories, some of them appearing on websites that purport to be Catholic and pro-life, have been beyond belief and anything but pro-life. We even had a bomb scare at the Curia offices and had to close the Curia and Covington Latin School (across from the Curia) in light of safety issues. People who are not at all familiar with Covington Catholic High School, its students, faculty, staff, administration and/or the Diocese of Covington have felt free to criticize in the harshest terms."Having issued a second statement that said that we have engaged a third-party investigative team to do a thorough and in depth investigation into the events that transpired on Friday, 18 January, it was our hope that this would ameliorate some of the hate being spewed on the internet and other news media. Unfortunately, this did not happen and people are still lined up on either side."We are sorry that this situation has caused such disruption in the lives of so many. We apologize to anyone who has been offended in any way by either of our statements which were made with good will based on the information we had. We should not have allowed ourselves to be bullied and pressured into making a statement prematurely, and we take full responsibility for it. I especially apologize to Nicholas Sandmann and his family as well as to all CovCath families who have felt abandoned during this ordeal. Nicholas unfortunately has become the face of these allegations based on video clips. This is not fair. It is not just."We now await the results of the investigation and it is my hope and expectation that the results will exonerate our students so that they can move forward with their lives. In any event, we will make the final report public once it has been received. In the meantime, we call on all those who continue to spew venom and hate to desist and instead pray for a peaceful resolution to this tragic spectacle."Mr. Robert Rowe, the Principal of Covington Catholic High School, has also been the target of this venom. He is a fine leader and role model for every student at CovCath and I support him unequivocally. Those calling for his resignation simply do not know him."This has been a trying time for all of us. I pray that with the grace of God and the goodwill of all involved peace will once again reign in the hearts and minds of our faithful. As for CovCath, we have a spirit that will not die!"Yours devotedly in the Lord, Most Reverend Roger J. Foys, D.D."