Thread: Tensions High at California School Following Flag Flap

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/07...ing-flag-flap/

Tensions High at California High School Following Flag Flap
By Joshua Rhett Miller
- FOXNews.com


Tensions are rising at a California high school where five students were sent home for wearing American flag T-shirts on Cinco de Mayo.

More than 200 Hispanic students reportedly skipped class on Thursday and marched to school district headquarters while chanting "we want respect" and "si se puedes" -- "yes we can" -- the Morgan Hill Times reported.

"We did this to support the Latino/Hispanic community," Francine Roa, a 2005 Live Oak High School graduate, told the newspaper.

At least six Morgan Hill police vehicles traveled alongside the students, many of whom carried Mexican flags. No arrests were made related to the march, the newspaper reported.

Police have been told to be on alert for gang-related retaliation against the boys, according to Ken Jones, whose stepson, Daniel Galli, was one of the students who refused to turn their T-shirts inside-out when asked by a vice principal on Wednesday.


California Students Sent Home for Wearing U.S. Flags on Cinco de Mayo
"We just want this whole thing to die down," Jones told FoxNews.com. "We're not trying to keep these flames firing."

The five teens -- Galli, Austin Carvalho, Matt Dariano, Dominic Maciel and Clayton Howard -- were sitting at a table outside Live Oak High School Wednesday morning when Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez asked two of them to remove their American flag bandannas, one of the boys' parents told FoxNews.com. The youths complied, but were asked to accompany Rodriguez to the principal's office.

The students were then told they must turn their T-shirts inside-out or be sent home, though it would not be considered a suspension. Rodriguez told the students he did not want any fights to break out between Mexican-American students celebrating their heritage and those wearing American flags, the parent said.

But Jones said the preemptive action was unnecessary, and that Rodriguez "overstepped his bounds."

"The issue was, there was nothing going on," Jones told Fox News on Friday. "There was no sense of violence at all amongst the students, there was no conversation, there was no bullying.

"We just feel like the vice principal overstepped his bounds. He jumped in too quickly. We can understand he might be concerned something would happen, but there was no indication that was going to happen at all."

Officials at the high school, a 1,300-student institution in Santa Clara County, near San Jose, have not returned several messages seeking comment.

As of late Thursday, Jones said the five boys' parents have no plans to sue the school or Morgan Hill Unified School District, which has characterized the incident as "extremely unfortunate" and is conducting an ongoing investigation. Several attorneys have contacted the families offering to represent them pro bono, Jones said.

"We're keeping an open mind," he said. "We want to stand up for our First Amendment rights."

He said the families are seeking an apology from school officials and want the students' unexcused absences for leaving school to be expunged.

Galli said he frequently wears the American flag T-shirt to school and that he wasn't trying to incite any tension. Asked if he wore the shirt to make a statement related to the ongoing immigration debate, Galli said, "No, it had absolutely nothing to do with that."

District officials, meanwhile, sent a voicemail message in English and Spanish to all parents late Thursday.

"The Morgan Hill Unified School District does not prohibit nor do we discourage wearing patriotic clothing," the message from Superintendent Wesley Smith said. "The incident on May 5 at Live Oak High School is extremely unfortunate. While campus safety is our primary concern and administrators made decisions yesterday in an attempt to ensure campus safety, students should not, and will not, be disciplined for wearing patriotic clothing. This situation and our response are under review."

Asked if the district will be taking any steps to quell rising tensions at the school, a district official told FoxNews.com in an e-mail, "Our focus for [Thursday] was student safety. Students are safe and administrators are continuing to work through the investigation."

Eugene Volokh, a professor of law at UCLA, said the students are protected under California Education Code 48950, which prohibits schools from enforcing a rule subjecting a high school student to disciplinary sanctions solely on the basis of conduct that, when engaged outside of campus, is protected by the First Amendment.

If the school could point to previous incidents sparked by students who wore garments with American flags, they could argue that the flag is likely to lead to "substantial disruption," Volokh said.

"If, for example, there had been fights over similar things at past events, if there had been specific threats made. But if [school officials] just say, 'Well, we think it might be offensive to people,' that's generally speaking not enough."

Volokh said the students and their parents likely have a winning case on their hands if they decide to take the matter to court.

"Oh yes, it's almost open and shut," he said.

does anyone think that if the racist asst. principal would not have done nothing or said nothing that we would not have heard about this and the school and district would not be getting this attention

This was reported as breaking news on Fox News today, prior to the possible threat that now faces Times Square in New York.

Both of these incidents highlight the immigration problems that the United States has because of uncontrolled illegal immigration and legal immigration with poor screening, casual granting of citizenship, combined with people from nations that hate us and that want to kill us.

Revelation 3:20 (New International Version)
It is written,... Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

here are the original posts

S. Bay Students Wearing U.S. Flag Shirts Sent Home
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-197936.html

5 Morgan Hill students sent home for wearing US flag T-Shirt
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-197905.html

CA Students Kicked Off Campus for Wearing American Flag Tees
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-197957.html

does anyone think that if the racist asst. principal would not have done nothing or said nothing that we would not have heard about this and the school and district would not be getting this attention

Not only that, but these kids would not be in danger from the gangbangers who now have some macho b.s. bone to pick with them. If those kids get hurt, the school district will get sued, and I hope the kids' families don't reach an out of court settlement with the district. Publicly air the school district's dirty laundry... it's the only way to go.

Pray for the safety of these good kids!

If the school could point to previous incidents sparked by students who wore garments with American flags, they could argue that the flag is likely to lead to "substantial disruption," Volokh said.

"If, for example, there had been fights over similar things at past events, if there had been specific threats made. But if [school officials] just say, 'Well, we think it might be offensive to people,' that's generally speaking not enough."

Volokh said the students and their parents likely have a winning case on their hands if they decide to take the matter to court.

"Oh yes, it's almost open and shut," he said

It seems the the asst. principal was more concerned with bowing to the mexican flag carrying rabble than doing the right thing. If there were implied threats against the American students, those making the threats should have been sent home.

I hope the parents of the five American boys do sue and that all the parents be asked for proof of legal status..the 5 american parents as well as the parents of the 200 ditching school to march.

It's time for Americans to stand up to this BS!

Here's the propaganda response

...........

Mexican-American students disrespected
during Cinco de Mayo in Morgan Hill, California

by
Ernesto Cienfuegos
La Voz de Aztlan

[IMAGE] Los Angeles, Alta California - May 7, 2010 - (ACN) The anti-Mexican bigotry and racism that has taken root in the state of Arizona has now spilled over into Northern California. A very ugly racial incident occurred during a Cinco de Mayo event at Live Oak High School in the small town of Morgan Hill located just north of San Jose. It appears that a group of bigoted White students in cahoots with some racist community members conspired to disrupt the Cinco de Mayo celebration at the school on Wednesday. The festive celebration was being held as a cultural awareness event on behalf of the general student population.

The event included festive Mexican decorations and a professional folklorico dance group but unfortunately it also included White racist teachers confiscating Mexican flags from the students. Mexican-American student Laura Ponce, a freshman, reported that a White school administrator had taken away the Mexican flag she was carrying as she was waiting to go home. Laura Ponce also reported that some White football jocks were yelling, "Mexico sucks!" Other Mexican-American students also reported that their flags were taken away.

[PHOTO] When Mexican-American students complained to administrators that a group of football jocks wearing US flag bandanas and t-shirts were being disrespectful, Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez took steps to disarm a potentially explosive situation. It was apparent that the ill-mannered football jocks were instigating trouble. Both the assistant principal and the principal told the jocks that they should turn their t-shirts inside-out or be sent home.

A parent of two Mexican-American students, Teresa Casillas, said the American-flag wearing jocks were yelling "We live in America!" at the brunch break. She said her children were upset by their behavior at school, calling it disrespectful. "We're all offended by it," Casillas said. She said parents of all ethnicities she spoke with felt that way. "Morgan Hill is too small of a community to start any racial wars. This is just bringing it out a little bit more."

Yesterday, approximately 200 Mexican-American students walked out of school to march across town to the school district's headquarters. The students were yelling in unison, "We want respect!" and "Si se puede!" The Mexican-American students felt the White jocks were being disrespectful on the only day they celebrate their heritage. The student march was followed by pretty much the entire predominantly White police force of Morgan Hill.

Unfortunately, District Superintendent Wesley Smith and Assistant Superintendent Jay Totter, both who are White, are siding with the jocks and their parents against Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez who is Mexican-American. The the 7 member Board of Education is also all White. Today, a group of Morgan Hill Tea-Baggers were demanding that the school district fire Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez, one of a very few professional educators in the district available to assure the protection of Mexican-American students from bias, discrimination, racism and bigotry that exists in the Morgan Hill community. The entire Mexican-American community of California should keep a very close eye on this developing situation.

http://www DOT aztlan DOT net/cinco _de_mayo_ disrespect.htm

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
La Voz de Aztlan
Website http:/www DOT aztlan DOT net
Contact:
http://www DOT aztlan DOT net/contactlavozdeaztlan.html

[[ Mod Edit to disable links ]]

Originally Posted by jamesw62

does anyone think that if the racist asst. principal would not have done nothing or said nothing that we would not have heard about this and the school and district would not be getting this attention

I'll post this in a couple of places. Someone started a 'Fire Miguel Rodriguez', the asst. principal, page. There are 104 members so far.