By Melissa Kim, Channel3000.com
The head coach of the Badgers women’s basketball team is defending his players after a U.S. senator criticized one on Twitter for not standing during the playing of the national anthem.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley tweeted that Iowa constituents asked him why junior Marsha Howard did not stand for the playing of the national anthem before Wisconsin’s game at Iowa.
Iowa constituents asked me why a starter for Wisconsin women Bb wld not be patriotic enuf to stand for natl anthem song today /ASK THE WISCONSIN COACH/ Exprress outrage to university
— ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) February 19, 2018
He then encouraged people to express their outrage to the university.
Head coach Jonathan Tsipis confirmed to News 3 that Howard has been staying in the tunnel at Badger home games to protest gun violence — not the national anthem — since the beginning of the season.