Center for Individual Rights
Statement of Tom Sypniewski, Jr.
My name is Tom Sypniewski. I just graduated this month from Warren Hills High School in Washington - here in New Jersey. Graduation was a relief after what I've been through these last few months.
It all started back in March when I wore a T-shirt to school that listed Jeff Foxworthy's Top 10 Reasons You Might be a Redneck Sports Fan. The reasons were things like "you wear a baseball cap to bed." The shirt was meant to be funny. None of the 10 reasons or anything on the shirt was offensive. But Vice Principal Griffith told me that it was offensive. He said "redneck" means a violent, bigoted person. Mr. Griffith told me that, therefore, my shirt violated the dress code and I should change it. But I knew he was wrong about the shirt and I knew it was my right to wear it, so I said I wouldn't change it. So he suspended me for 3 days.
I really didn't mean to offend or insult anyone. I say I'm a redneck because I like to hunt and fish, mend fences, bail hay, and listen to country music. Besides that, I wear the T-shirt because I think it's funny.
A lot of people must identify with being a redneck, or at least not be offended by the word, because I know Jeff Foxworthy's first album, which was called "You Might Be A Redneck If...," sold the most copies of any comedy album ever. And shirts like mine must be very popular in Wal-Mart, where I bought mine, because they've been selling them there for years. I don't think Wal-Mart would be selling those shirts if they offended the customers. Jeff Foxworthy performs all over the country, telling redneck jokes, and I haven't heard anyone accuse him of being a racist.
I don't know what Mr. Griffith and the school board are worried about. They say my T-shirt could cause disruption, but I wore it all year and it never caused any disruption. Until Mr. Griffith ordered me to take it off, nobody ever found it offensive or intimidating or complained about it in any way. They say I'm guilty of stereotyping for wearing that shirt, but if anyone is stereotyping, it's the school.
This thing has really hurt, because I work hard in school and did well. And yet, because of my suspension, I was no longer considered a student in good standing at the High School. That hurts. My lawyers are asking that any mention of my suspension be removed from my high school record. And I hope we get that, because I don't want my reputation to be damaged any further because of what shirt I wore.
But what bothers me the most is that the school board publicly accused me of trying to send some sort of racist message with my T-shirt. And people hear that. So now people have called me a gang leader and a "stupid Polack." Well, I'm neither of those. And I think the school board owes me a public apology for what they've done to me. Thank you.
Redneck is a term that every media outlet still uses to describe us rural, southern people. Along with hick, rube, inbred, etc..
So, how is it not right for the young man to express the same opinion, especially in a humerous context. Just more PC bull s$#@!.
While I disagree with the school's rationale on this, the school DOES have the prerogative to dictate/restrict certain speech and behavior. Don't like it, take your kid out of the school.
Actually, the term "REDNECK" stemmed from people calling farmers in the South a REDNECK after having been repeatedly exposed to the hot summer sun (on their necks).
Thus, the term "redneck."
These were hard working, decent, honest people.
A true minority in modern America?
He has free speech. He can wear the shirt on his private property all he wants. He can shout it all he wants. But when he wants to shout it or wear it in a facility that is owned and operated by tax payers or their elected officials, that is another issue. To suggest that he is free to do obey only the rules that he likes while in a publicly owned facility is really kinda silly.
That is thought-crime. These terms are officially sanctioned as derogatory and may only be used for that purpose.
They say I'm guilty of stereotyping for wearing that shirt, but if anyone is stereotyping, it's the school.
School administrators said the shirt violated its racial harassment policy and dress code banning clothing portraying racial, ethnic or religious stereotyping. They said the T-shirt had the potential to create disruption in what was an already hostile climate.
School administrators creating problems that need not exist. Fire them.
According to this policy, all Christian symbols, Jewish symbols, FUBU clothes, Hillfiger, Polo, Levis, Mossimo, Dixie Outfitters, GAP, Nike, Reebok, etc will be banned. You can make the connection between race and clothes pretty easily if you want to stretch it: white preppy guys wear Polos, black kids wear FUBU, rednecks wear Wranglers, hispanics wear Gucci.....
Sounds like the school is stereotyping based on IT'S OWN style and judgement. Bad rule!
So, if that's a crime, then John McCain would be doing 50 million consecutive life terms in Leavenworth.