Posted on 05/26/2005 10:22:33 AM PDT by freepatriot32
A teenager was back in class Friday after receiving a one-day suspension for wearing a T-shirt with slogans including "freedom of expression" and "don't drink and drive" that school administrators considered disruptive.
Hanna Smith, 18, a junior at Tift County High School, said principal Mike Duck told her that if she wore the shirt again she would be suspended for the remainder of the year.
The principal was arrested six years ago for DUI and running a stop sign, the Tifton Gazette said Friday in a story on Smith's suspension. Duck made a public apology for the DUI and was himself suspended for five days.
Smith's mother, Tracy Fletcher, said she would defend her daughter's right to express herself, even if it means hiring an attorney and taking the case to court.
"They want everyone to fit into a mold and there's no room for individuality. These kids are our future, I think they should be treated with a little more respect. Their opinions count. Their thoughts count," Fletcher said.
The principal confirmed that Smith was back in class Friday without the banned T-shirt, which also had a peace symbol on the front and "Veritas" (truth) written on the back.
On Friday, Smith wore a different T-shirt, this one reading "Don't Underestimate Individuality," her mother said. The first letters of those words spell "DUI." Her mother said the teen plans to wear the banned T-shirt again on Monday.
Duck said he could not comment on the suspension.
"We can't discuss children and their issue," he said. "It's a matter of privacy and protection of their rights."
The school system's dress code forbids disruptive clothing, grooming and symbols. Principals decide what's disruptive.
"I have an obligation to maintain an orderly environment," Duck said. "The courts give me the authority and the right to make those decisions and as long as I'm sitting in this chair that's what I'm going to do."
Smith said she learned about Constitutional rights, such as freedom of expression, in class and wishes school officials would honor them.
"I think it's silly that we can't practice the freedoms that they teach us here," Smith said. "You would think that school officials would have respect for the law and people's rights, or at least they should."
My brain is still at the beginning of the school year. Seeing how it's nearly June, if she just recently turned 18, that would explain it.
I guess my daughter's friends came to mind... most of them have had to repeat a grade. Or two.
Wher does it say that?
LOL.
I used to have one that said
ABC
DEF
U*K
with the * replaces by another letter that rhymes with "sea."
Mom didn't like it too much.
I can only imagine if mom had seen my shirts.
I had one that said, "We don't care what you say, F**K You!" (bonus points if you can ID where that line came from).
Appears you and I may have been cut from the same cloth.
I wonder. . .what is the school's policy on other types of tee shirts with slogans on them? If all are banned, then I don't have a problem with this. If the principal is singling out this message, then he should be disciplined.
Personally, I'm all for school uniforms. That solves the issue pretty quick.
Here.
The earliest messages + the above will be seen through by a court.
I think they'll rule against the girl.
Finally, I agree. School uniforms would quickly solve this issue.
So, you like to be a trouble making wise ass too. It's a tough job but someone has to do it. I used to have a button on my purse that said "Find A Purpose In Life, Be A Bad Example."
You do not attend that school. I think the court will be compelled to consider the "disruption concerns" of schools. If this principal isn't perfect isn't the issue, imho. I think they'll see the issue as whether this distracts the educational purpose of the school.
Is it from the band Overkill?
Ding ding ding!!! Well done! Now, let's mosh!
A teen continuing to grind on the principal's DUI? Sounds like a perfectly good project to me! :-) You go girl!
Reminds me of a comedy bit from 98Rock in Baltimore.
Dwayne Stomp PSA
http://www.98online.com/twisted/dwaynesomp_psa.mp3
I imagine that if they were going to fire the principal they would have done so already. I'm also assuming the principal had to deal with the law.
That said, I still think that running around saying that their principal's a drunk driver is a distraction to education. I don't think one can argue against that.
If the principal were a 3 ft tall midget and some kid decided to find cute ways to make fun of that, it could always be argued that the kid's point is true because it WOULD BE TRUE.
However, harping on that is a distraction from the school's education mission.
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