A high school in California has made the decision to remove the National Anthem from its pep rallies because the school's leadership officers believe some of the lyrics when translated are racially insensitive.

The San Ramon school's Associated Student Body explained their reasoning in an open letter after students noticed that the 'Star-Spangled Banner' was not performed before the school's winter pep rally.

'It was brought to our attention that the National Anthem's third verse is outdated and racially insensitive,' ASB president Ariyana Kermanizadeh wrote in a letter posted in the school's newspaper The Californian.

'I have said this before and I will say this again, that ASB stands for Associated Student Body, that means for all. After learning about the third verse, the other ASB officers and I thought that this was completely unacceptable and must be removed from the rally.'

Students at California High School have banned the National Anthem from pep rallies

The third verse of the National Anthem reads: 'No refuge could save the hireling and slave, from the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave. And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave, o'er the land of the free and home of the brave.'

The meaning behind Francis Scott Key's lyrics has long been debated with some people claiming the words show hostility towards African Americans.

In 2017, Baltimore residents defaced Key's monument in Bolton Hill with red paint and wrote the words 'Racist Anthem' across the base of the statue.

While Kermanizadeh acknowledged that the third verse is not regularly performed when people sing the 'Star-Spangled Banner', she said the meaning behind the verse's third lyrics were unacceptable.

Baltimore residents sprayed a Francis Scott Key monument in Bolton Hill with red paint following controversy over the lyrics in the National Anthem

The words 'Racist Anthem' was also written with spray paint at the base of the statue

'This verse translated, finds joy in the killing of African-Americans. To think that our nation's anthem once had the word slave and 'land of the free' in the same sentence leaves me speechless,' she wrote. 'Moving forward, we must take action and be inclusive to all.'

Many students have spoken out against the removal of the song. Senior Dennis Fiorentino went on Todd Starnes Radio Show to publicly condemn the ASB's decision.

'It's important that we honor and respect those who sacrificed their lives protecting the freedom that us Americans take for granted every day,' he said, adding that he was shocked it had been banned.

Erin McFerrin, a teacher and the leadership adviser at the high school, told The Californian she believes the song is 'problematic' and should have been banned.

Teacher Barbara Carpenter thought the ASB should have made their decision based on the student body's opinion.

According to The Californian, the school's administrators were unaware that the song had been banned from rallies. The ASB has jurisdiction over events planned and executed by students.

The school's Associated Student Body said some of the lyrics in the Star-Spangled Banner are racially insensitive

In a statement on Twitter, the leadership board said the song was only removed from pep rallies and not other school events.

The school's principal Sarah Cranford did not return the DailyMail.com's request for comment.

Despite backlash over the decision, the National Anthem will remain banned for the remainder of the year, the Californian reports. A decision about whether it will be performed at future student-organized events will be made at a later date.