Metro

LI high schoolers protest outside after students suspended for ‘Tebowing’

17.1n007.tebow2.C--300x300.jpg

(
)

They’re still Tebowing at the Long Island high school where a salute to Jesus-loving NFL quarterback Tim Tebow got 17-year-old twin brothers suspended this week.

More than a dozen Riverhead HS students chanted Tebow’s name and struck his kneeling, fisted signature pose yesterday in front of the school, as one of the suspended twin seniors served out his single-day punishment for leading dozens of students in the same homage all week in a hallway.

Sidelined twin Connor Carroll said he killed time in suspension hall by ranking NFL quarterbacks — with Tebow, the Denver Broncos sensation, high on his written list.

VIDEO: SUSPENDED FOR TEBOWING

“It’s not the most exciting day,” said Connor, who plays football and baseball at the school. “I sat there. I did my work.”

Connor and twin brother Tyler, who is set to serve his suspension Monday, were penalized after organizing the “tribute’’ in which dozens of students jammed a hallway all week, Tebow-style.

“I feel like we were kind of singled out,” said Tyler, who also plays football and baseball. “If we were told to stop, we would have stopped.”

School administrators have insisted that suspending the twins had nothing to do with the “Tebowing” or religious discrimination, instead blaming the stunt for making students show up late to class.

District Schools Superintendent Nancy Carney did not return several calls yesterday from The Post.

“There’s people late to class every day, every period,” Connor said. “I don’t think the number really increased” due to the kneel-downs.

But Tebow himself said the kids should play by the rules.

“You have to respect the position of authority and people that God’s put as authority over you,” Tebow told the media.

“So that’s part of it, and just finding the right place and the right time to do things is part of it, too.

“But I think it does show courage from the kids, standing out and doing that, and some boldness.’’

Tebow has led the once-lowly Broncos on an unlikely winning streak filled with late-game heroics while touting his religious beliefs by praising God to reporters and taking the kneeling stance on the field.