ADAMS TWP — Mars School District officials on Wednesday reiterated disappointment with “inaccurate information and unsubstantiated claims” about students at Friday’s football game against Penn Hills.

On Monday, a Pittsburgh radio show accused members of the student section of yelling racist taunts during the game, and a Facebook post by the host alleged, “fans were yelling the N word.” The post was accompanied by a photo of the student section, where students were dressed in red, white and blue as part of the night’s American theme.

In a letter Wednesday, signed by Superintendent Wes Shipley and school board President Dayle Ferguson, officials expressed their disappointment with the accusations and said they are “troubled” by the false allegations.

The letter points to the district’s focus on creating a positive learning environment and community, with a theme of “kindness” guiding those lessons.

“With all of the efforts that the district is making to improve our school climate, we hope that you can understand our disappointment in the inaccurate information and unsubstantiated claims of inappropriate behavior by our students, as purported by the (radio) program,” the letter states.

They add that the America theme was, as with all student section themes, approved by school administrators as the game fell just a few days following the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“This is a perennial theme that the district considers a logical choice for a home football game scheduled just days after this anniversary,” the letter states.

Officials reiterated that no complaints were received by either district or the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League. An investigation was conducted after the allegations were made on the radio show, and the claims were found to be untrue.

“These false allegations that were made on the (radio) program as well as the public social media posts that followed misrepresented our school district and the behavior of our students, distorting something that was truly meant to be positive, patriotic and unifying into something ugly, mean-spirited, and divisive based on unverified hearsay,” the letter states. “We are confident that our student section ... appropriately demonstrated their pride in their school and in their country, which should be embraced and encouraged.”

In an interview Wednesday, Ferguson said the letter served to show students that district officials support them and believe they did nothing wrong.

“The school board and district wanted to stand up for our students and let them know we know that the allegations are false and that we support their expressions of school spirit and patriotism,” she said. “We wanted to send that message loud and clear to our students and anyone who might have seen that false accusation.”

Ferguson said the district’s investigation included talking with fans and community members, as well as administrators who were supervising the students and school security. None of them heard anything close to what was alleged, Ferguson said.

“There were hundreds and hundreds of witnesses ... who enjoyed the students celebrating America,” she said. “There was one unsubstantiated claim.”

Ferguson added that if anything had been found to be true, it would be dealt with harshly. Instead, she said the accusations were false, and the ordeal is “unfair” to students.

“A retraction would be appreciated,” she said of the report. “The bigger, more important message is to our students to let them know ... that they are being falsely accused and we stand behind them.”

The ordeal also drew reaction from government officials Wednesday.

State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-12th, said wearing the country’s colors and chanting “U.S.A.” is, “as All-American as the game of high school football itself and should not be questioned by anyone.”

“This type of student expression needs to be encouraged and applauded, rather than maliciously mislabeled as racism due to a few blatantly ignorant Tweets from the intolerant left,” he said in a statement. “It is outright ridiculous and absolutely un-American for Penn Hills administrators, parents or anyone else to call for disciplinary action against these patriotic students for exercising their constitutional right to express their love of country and gratitude for the blessings of living in the freest republic in the history of mankind.”