Posted on 03/17/2007 8:25:40 AM PDT by BenLurkin
A Quartz Hill High school student was suspended for wearing a "Free Rocky" T-shirt in support of a campus security guard charged with assaulting the school's principal.
Freshman Seth Colon was suspended for one day on grounds that he created a disturbance.
"I can't believe my son was suspended for expressing his opinion," said Eugene Colon , Seth's father.
The younger Colon, was sent home early Wednesday after he came to school wearing a T-shirt with a hand-written slogan in support of campus security guard Andrew "Rocky" Santos , his father said. The boy was allowed to return to school Thursday.
Santos, 42, a Quartz Hill High security guard for 18 years, has been charged with assault on a school employee, a felony, and was jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail. Sheriff's officials said Santos knocked Principal Mark Bryant out of his chair and struck him repeatedly with his knees and fists during a meeting Tuesday in Bryant's office. Sheriff's officials said Bryant suffered a broken finger, a shoulder injury and possibly a broken jaw and a broken nose.
A number of Valley Press readers said they were shocked at expressions of support for a man charged with beating a school official.
Wrote Kathy Allen: "I find this so awful. Mark Bryant is a wonderful principal and person. What is this world coming to?"
Eugene Colon said his son communicated with friends on the mySpace.com online networking site on Tuesday night after Santos' arrest, and the next day they went to school wearing T-shirts with the phrase "Free Rocky" scribbled in black marker-pen ink.
"I don't think I did anything wrong," said Seth. "I was just trying to support the security guard."
Eugene Colon said he has spoken to a American Civil Liberties Union representative about the matter.
(Excerpt) Read more at avpress.com ...
...Santos knocked Principal Mark Bryant out of his chair and struck him repeatedly with his knees and fists during a meeting Tuesday in Bryant's office.
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Dang! When I was a teacher we never had any meetings like this with a principal.
Do you know what prompted the altercation?
I found this in one of the stories that Google yielded.
The security guard, identified as 42 year-old Andy Santos, reportedly became angered over a performance review, possibly refusing to do work his job required.
Something to do with a performance evaluation, IIRC.
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