ACLU Suit Filed Over Student's Anti-Iraq War T-Shirt

Reuters ^ | 3-27-03

[Oldeconomybuyer]

DETROIT (Reuters) - A Detroit-area school was hit with a lawsuit on Thursday for prohibiting a student anti-war protester from wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of President Bush and the words "International Terrorist." The American Civil Liberties Union said the suit, filed in federal court, alleged that the constitutional rights of Bretton Barber had been violated by Dearborn High School when it ordered him to either wear the T-shirt inside out or go home on Feb. 17.

Dearborn High School Superintendent John Artis declined to comment on the suit involving Barber, who is a junior at the school and chose to go home on the day of the reprimand.

"I have no information," Artis told Reuters, saying other school officials would also be unable to comment.

But Kary Moss, executive director of the ACLU's Michigan branch, said that instead of being open to debate and discussion Dearborn High School "chose to ban political speech."

In a statement Barber, who has refrained from wearing the anti-Bush T-shirt to school since Feb. 17, said he felt vindicated by publicity over his protest against the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

"The shirt was meant to emphasize the message 'no war' and I feel that I've been successful in getting that message out," he said. "I think it's especially important for students who may be asked to fight at some point, to have the right to say how we feel."

Michigan is home to one of the largest concentrations of Arabs outside the Middle East and Dearborn has a flourishing community of Iraqi exiles.

[Zipporah]

"The shirt was meant to emphasize the message 'no war' and I feel that I've been successful in getting that message out,"... hmm seems the message was a lot more than that.. it is saying BUSH is a international terrorist.. the ACLU ...BLECH.

[Free_at_last_-2001]

the enemy is also at home?

[CyberAnt]

I think it's time to go to SCHOOL UNIFORMS - then this would not be a problem.

[Salvation]

Yet the cannot wear a pro-life T-shirt. What is wrong with this picture?

[NativeSon]

But Kary Moss, executive director of the ACLU's Michigan branch, said that instead of being open to debate and discussion Dearborn High School "chose to ban political speech."

The kid was trying to a little @-hole! Look at the so called "Peace Protesters" does anyone believe that they could debate? And does anyone believe they are "peaceful".

Where's the ACLU support for those two guys in NYC being charged with "illegal handgun" possession after they defended their lives and property?

[Steve_Seattle]

I wonder if the ACLU would defend another student's right to wear a "Bretton Barber is an ignorant ass**le" shirt. Is it worse to call someone an ass**le than an international terrorist?

[Jay D. Dyson]

So long as the ACLU refuses to support our Constitutional Right to keep and bear arms, I will never consider them a true defender of any of our liberties. They're just another Leftist outfit that picks and chooses their causes (and the anti-American ones get preferential treatment).

-Jay

[AmericaUnited]

Pro-life students should wera T-Shirts with pictures of NARAL leaders and the caption "BABY TERRORISTS"

[itsahoot]

I think it's time to go to SCHOOL UNIFORMS - then this would not be a problem.

California has a law requiring school uniforms, but they included an opt out option. Guess what? It tool about two years for everyone to completely ignore it.

[CyberAnt]

That's because we have an idiot for Gov. and he had to pay homage to the NEA. What we need are a few more strong conservatives in the state govt who will start challenging these people who will not comply with the law. We should be able to stand up against the NEA because they don't support us anyway.

[ladylib]

They just won that case in MA for the Christian kids who passed out candy kanes with a religious message on them.

[Jay D. Dyson]

They just won that case in MA for the Christian kids who passed out candy kanes with a religious message on them.

Bully for them. Even so, I'll file that one under the "even a broken clock is right twice a day" file.

-Jay

[Paleo Conservative]

I think it's time to go to SCHOOL UNIFORMS - then this would not be a problem.

Yet the cannot wear a pro-life T-shirt. What is wrong with this picture?

Personally I think dress codes or uniforms should prohibit all T-shirts. T-shirts are too sloppy a form of dress for school. Reqiring collared shirts would help to improve discipline.

[CyberAnt]

I like uniforms for one reason - it takes away the class status - it makes the children see each other as people.