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A Latina who's not allowed to wear Mexican American sash at high school graduation takes legal action
NBC News / Comcast ^ | May 26, 2023 | By Edwin Flores

Posted on 05/27/2023 7:45:51 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

A Colorado high school senior is taking legal action against her school district after officials denied her request to wear a sash with an image of the U.S. and Mexican flags during her upcoming graduation.

The district’s decision is a violation of Naomi Villasano’s constitutionally protected right to free speech, according to a lawsuit filed by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), a Latino legal civil rights organization, and the Greenberg Traurig, LLP, law firm.

According to the lawsuit involving Garfield County School District 16, Grand Valley High School Principal Kelly McCormick told Villasano, who's 18, that she couldn't wear the sash despite acknowledging that the school, located in the town of Parachute, didn't have a specific written policy about regalia worn on or over the graduation gown.

Garfield County School District Superintendent Jennifer Baugh followed up by emailing Villasano and writing, “The district didn’t permit flags on regalia because it didn’t want to open the door to a student wearing a Confederate flag pin or flag that would cause offense,” the lawsuit stated.

Villasano, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, argued before the school board that she's “a 200 percenter — 100% American and 100% Mexican,” and stated in the MALDEF news release that “it is important for me to represent my culture not only for myself but for my family."

The lawsuit claims she is being denied her right to free speech and calls upon the defendants to let her wear the sash at her graduation on Saturday.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Mexico; News/Current Events; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS:
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1 posted on 05/27/2023 7:45:51 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

I don’t believe Mexico paid any of the taxes for her edumication.


2 posted on 05/27/2023 7:47:37 AM PDT by crusty old prospector
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Maybe she should stop being a racist.

Just a suggestion.


3 posted on 05/27/2023 7:48:11 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

“I can’t shove my multiculturalism in people’s faces and make this graduation about meeee, so I’m suing!”


4 posted on 05/27/2023 7:50:21 AM PDT by Allegra (Free Kiryandil! )
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

I’ll bet the dress code says no non-education sashes at all.


5 posted on 05/27/2023 7:50:37 AM PDT by MortMan (The Republic committed suicide.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Garfield County School District Superintendent Jennifer Baugh followed up by emailing Villasano and writing, “The district didn’t permit flags on regalia because it didn’t want to open the door to a student wearing a Confederate flag pin or flag that would cause offense,” the lawsuit stated.

I'll bet the door would be open for someone wearing a rainbow sash.

6 posted on 05/27/2023 7:54:12 AM PDT by GreenHornet
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Send her back to Mexico.


7 posted on 05/27/2023 7:54:19 AM PDT by Reno89519 (Donald Tantrum? No Thank You. We Can Do Better!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Native American high school graduate sues school district after she says she
wasn’t allowed to wear sacred eagle feather at graduation

Lena' Black, who is a member of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and of Osage descent, argues her rights to free speech and the free exercise of religion were violated.

8 posted on 05/27/2023 7:56:04 AM PDT by chief lee runamok (Anti Socialist Flâneur@Large)
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To: MortMan
Mort, it often pays to read the short excerpts...
Garfield County School District Superintendent Jennifer Baugh followed up by emailing Villasano and writing, “The district didn’t permit flags on regalia because it didn’t want to open the door to a student wearing a Confederate flag pin or flag that would cause offense,”

9 posted on 05/27/2023 7:56:05 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (I don’t like to think before I say something...I want to be just as surprised as everyone else.)
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To: chief lee runamok

That’s another young person who should stop being a racist.


10 posted on 05/27/2023 7:58:17 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
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To: crusty old prospector

GMTA! My thoughts exactly. Her family deserted Mehico and sought asylum in America. Obviously, the little retard didn’t learn anything in school. She is attacking Native Americans for being allowed to wear their NATIVE AMERICAN regalia. She should try to claim her Mehican flag to be the same thing. Stupid bimbo must think Mehico is an America state. They don’t call them NATIVE AMERICANS FOR NOTHING. It offends me what she did to my American flag. She should go back to Mexico and proudly wave her flag. Don’t try waving that rag in the faces of AMERICANS. Mexico gave her nothing. Everything she has was given to her ass by Americans. Don’t insult us with your flag.


11 posted on 05/27/2023 7:59:11 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Since O'Bama was ruling the roost, America has gone from melting pot to septic tank of the world.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
No. You are not a 200%er.

Choose.

12 posted on 05/27/2023 8:00:18 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Follow the money. Even if it leads you to someplace horrible it will still lead you to the truth.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

200 percenter???

That tells me she doesn’t wish to really be American

That is NEW-—

How much did Mexico donate for her education???


13 posted on 05/27/2023 8:08:16 AM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Move to Mexico if you love it so much. You can wear the Mexican flag all day long.


14 posted on 05/27/2023 8:09:57 AM PDT by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Get lost pendeja.


15 posted on 05/27/2023 8:11:44 AM PDT by Wilderness Conservative (Nature is the ultimate conservative)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
The right to free speech has to have limits. one of them would be if someone else is paying for the show, you dont have a right to free speech unless they ask your opinion!.

A public school has students, not leaders, not activists.

You are there to learn, not subvert the program. If the program goes against your beliefs, then parents are the mouth pieces not the students.

The PTA went to hell in my generation when they added the "S".. as in, lets ask the "S"tupids how we should teach.

16 posted on 05/27/2023 8:12:23 AM PDT by Ikeon (Don't worry about dying, you're gonna live forever, its all about location, location, location)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

“diversity is our biggest strength” they said.


17 posted on 05/27/2023 8:13:45 AM PDT by imabadboy99
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To: Organic Panic

Isn’t it truly amazing that they invade our country and steal our resources and our childrens’ futures, and yet they aren’t even grateful. They still hate us. They are total psychopaths.


18 posted on 05/27/2023 8:14:54 AM PDT by imabadboy99
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To: Allegra

“ “I can’t shove my multiculturalism in people’s faces and make this graduation about meeee, so I’m suing!”

That’s what the native Indians are doing in my state so they wear their garb on stage for attention


19 posted on 05/27/2023 8:16:16 AM PDT by NWFree (Sigma male 🤪)
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To: GreenHornet
I'll bet the door would be open for someone wearing a rainbow sash.

Probably an Islamic sash too.

20 posted on 05/27/2023 8:17:52 AM PDT by Mark17 (Retired USAF air traffic controller. Father of USAF pilot. USAF aviation runs in the family )
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