West Point, Naval Academy Say Hand Gestures at Army-Navy Game Were Not Racist

The US Service Academies found that the hand signs used by a few students at the Army-Navy game were part of the "circle game" and were not white supremacist symbols.

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the Naval Academy said the hand gestures flashed by some cadets and midshipmen on television were part of the "circle game" and were not "white power" symbols.

Both academies launched investigations into the use of the hand gestures following the Army-Navy game on Dec. 14. Several students flashed the hand gesture on ESPN's pregame show while standing around broadcaster Rece Davis. 

"We are confident the hand gestures used were not intended to be racist in any way. However, we are disappointed by the immature behavior of the two Fourth Class Midshipmen, and their actions will be appropriately addressed," Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Sean Buck said in a statement, per CNN. "The Naval Academy is fully committed to preparing young men and women to become professional officers of competence, character, and compassion in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps; in this case, we recognize there is more work to be done."

"We investigated this matter thoroughly," Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams, 60th superintendent of the US Military Academy said in a separate statement. "Last Saturday we had reason to believe these actions were an innocent game and not linked to extremism, but we must take allegations such as these very seriously. We are disappointed by the immature behavior of the cadets."

The circle game is played when someone forms the "OK" symbol below their waist to trick a second person into looking at it. If the second person looks, they are punched by the person who made the sign

The gesture is similar to one that can be associated with white nationalism where someone forms the "OK" sign with their thumb and fingers to create the letters "WP," which stands for white power.

The Anti-Defamation League recently added the white power gesture to its database of hate symbols.