Posted on 05/05/2010 5:32:54 PM PDT by Ballygrl
Five Morgan Hill students sent home for wearing American flag T-shirts
2:11 PM By Lindsay Bryant
Five male students were asked to leave Live Oak High School this morning because they were wearing American flag T-shirts on Cinco de Mayo. Officials at the school could not be reached for comment, but one student said administrators called the T-shirts "incendiary."
"They said we were starting a fight, we were fuel to the fire," said Matt Dariano, a sophomore.
The five teens were sitting at a table outside during their brunch break around 10:10 a.m. when Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez asked two boys to take off their American flag bandannas that they were wearing on their heads. In the same conversation, student Dominic Maciel said, Rodriguez told the group to "walk with him to the office."
Dariano called his mother Diana, who spread the word to the other parents and all arrived soon after to have a conference with Rodriguez and Principal Nick Boden.
Maciel said they were told they must turn their T-shirts inside-out or be sent home. Maciel said they were told it wouldn't be considered a suspension but Rodriguez did not want any fights to break out among Mexican students and the group showing their American pride.
The boys said they thought turning the American flag inside-out was disrespectful, so all went home.
Dariano said Rodriguez indicated to him that while other students were wearing American flags, the group of five was "the easiest target to cause trouble."
"We were not going to start a fight. We wanted to show our pride," Dariano said. "In light of all of this, there are people with painted flags in red, green and white and yet the boys can't wear the American flag," Diana said.
Our first week in TX in the Ft. Bend School District, my oldest son (7th grade) tried to sneak by without a belt. This was in 1973. He figured that he was off the hook because his shirt was one that was worn outside the waistband and nobody would notice. The coach took it upon himself to seek out such violations and to apply corporal punishment right on the spot. (A swat with a paddle.)
The next morning he asked where his belt was. I found it for him and asked why he didn't know where it was. Then the story came out. He never forgot his belt again.
His younger brother (3rd grade) started mentioning, as the year went on, that he wasn't going to school on his birthday which was in April. He told me that the coach in his school would throw a dime on the floor and ask the boy who was having the birthday to pick it up. When the kid was bent over, he'd get a "birthday swat". My younger boy lived in fear of that all year, but he took his swat and was OK.
Next year it’ll be 500 kids wearing American flags...
Ping!
I would say that the students who were sent home have a pretty good case for violation of Constitutional rights.
According to Wikipedia, it is celebrated in one province of Mexico. It is also a celebration of a military victory. You’d think these leftists would have a problem celebrating military victories.
At least some of the boys are half-Hispanic.
someone posted a good idea in the comments—of all places the SF Chronicle.
Next time you see a kid a McD’s or Starbucks or whatever wearing an US flag shirt, pick up their tab
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.