Thread: S. Bay Students Wearing U.S. Flag Shirts Sent Home

S. Bay Students Wearing U.S. Flag Shirts Sent Home

May 5, 2010
CBS Channel 5
San Francisco, CA


On Cinco de Mayo, five Morgan Hill high school students came to school in red, white and blue, and got a very public lesson in school politics and free speech.

The boys came to Live Oak High School on the Mexican holiday, wearing t-shirts, shorts and shoes emblazoned with American flags.

Around 10 a.m., the assistant principal told sophomore Matthew Dariano he had to remove his bandana, which is against school policy.

But then Dariano said the assistant principal told all him and all his friends to take off their shirts, or turn them inside out, because some Hispanic students were upset and the school feared it would start a fight.

Dariano is part Mexican.

"Our Hispanic vice principal was taking their side, and was thinking that we were being racist towards them, so he was discriminating against us, making us take off our stuff," Dariano said.

"We're not trying to start trouble," said student Austin Carvalho. "We're in America. We can't wear our own colors?"

The boys refused to take off the shirts. They were not suspended, but they were sent home.

Referring to his shirt, student Dominic Maciel said, "I think it was disrespectful to my country, if I flip this inside out." Maciel is also part Mexican.

The parents of the five boys said the school's decision was un-American.

"You can't just single out these five. It doesn't work that way. That's not what America is about," said Julie Fagerstrom.

Cinco de Mayo is popular at Live Oak, which is 40 percent Latino. The school even had ethnic dancers perform at lunch.

Live Oak's principal had no comment. The Morgan Hill Unified School District, however, disagreed with the high school.

"The district does not concur with the Live Oak High School administration's interpretation of either board or district policy related to these actions," said Dr. Jay Totter of the district.

By sundown, the district met with all the students and parents, and they all got good news. The t-shirts can stay.

http://cbs5.com/education/american.flag ... 77973.html

"We're not trying to start trouble," said student Austin Carvalho. "We're in America. We can't wear our own colors?"

Great question! According to your vice principal...I guess not!

But then Dariano said the assistant principal told all him and all his friends to take off their shirts, or turn them inside out, because some Hispanic students were upset and the school feared it would start a fight

Hispanic students upset that other students were wearing the American flag. So angry hispanics must be appeased so they do not lash out in violence?

"Our Hispanic vice principal was taking their side, and was thinking that we were being racist towards them, so he was discriminating against us, making us take off our stuff," Dariano said.

Interesting....

.

It appears to me that the "hispanic" students that were upset seem to have more loyalty to Mexico than this country although they are getting a really good free education ride.

Federal funding, tax dollars, should be cut from that school. JMO

Wait, it gets better:

http://www.morganhilltimes.com/news/265 ... g-t-shirts

One Mexican-American student, freshman Laura Ponce, had a Mexican flag painted on her face and chest, peaking out of her low-cut shirt. She did it because, "it's our day, the only day we can show our spirit." A school administrator took away the Mexican flag she was carrying as she was waiting to go home. Ponce said: "not cool."

Guess it was ok for this chubby chica to do this, in addition to having the mexican flag draped over her shoulders, no?

The assistant principal, Miguel Rodriguez, should be at least suspended without pay, for his intolerance and racism. He is a disgrace to the profession!

I believe this is the picture miguelina was referring to. You can just see the love fest in her face for her beloved mexico.

Where's the ACLU? I won't hold my breath....

How pathetic the whole situation was....you can not give one group of people the right to freedom of speech while taking away another, this is what causes racism and racism does not belong in the schools.

I don't mind others celebrating holidays of other country's, for years people here have celebrated St.Patricks day (Irsh Holiday) and many others, that's ok but don't do it and disrespect this country or the right of all to free speech.

Of course I don't remember people wearing the Irish flag

The most important thing is people's first loyalty is to the United States of America...and I fear we have a huge problem in that area.

Someone please homepage this soon.

W

Since when was it wrong to wear American shirts in American schools? I find it ironic how all of these illegals and their anchor babies celebrate Mexico's independence, while living in American. Mexico's flags should be illegal on American soil. Cinco de Mayo should also be banished.

I called Morgan Hill unified and they have turned on the voicemail.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/06...gs-cinco-mayo/

California Students Sent Home for Wearing U.S. Flags on Cinco de Mayo

Administrators at a California high school sent five students home on Wednesday after they refused to remove their American flag T-shirts and bandannas -- garments the school officials deemed "incendiary" on Cinco de Mayo.

The five teens were sitting at a table outside Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Calif., on Wednesday morning when Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez asked two of them to remove their American flag bandannas, the Morgan Hill Times reported. The boys told the newspaper they complied, but were asked to accompany Rodriguez to the principal's office.

The five students -- Daniel Galli, Austin Carvalho, Matt Dariano, Dominic Maciel and Clayton Howard -- 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.

"They said we were starting a fight," Dariano told the newspaper. "We were fuel to the fire."

The boys told Rodriguez and Principal Nick Boden that turning their shirts inside-out was disrespectful, so their parents decided to take them home, the newspaper reports.

"I just couldn't believe it," Julie Fagerstrom, Maciel's mother, told the newspaper. "I'm an open-minded parent, but it's got to be on both sides. It can't be five kids singled out."

Galli told NBC Bay Area, "They said we could wear it on any other day, but today is sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it's supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it."

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Morgan Hill Unified School District said it did not agree with the school's actions.

"In an attempt to foster a spirit of cultural awareness and maintain a safe and supportive school environment, the Live Oak High School administration took certain actions earlier today," the statement read. "The district does not concur with the Live Oak High School administration's interpretation of either board or district policy related to these actions."

Attempts to reach school officials early Thursday were not successful. A secretary told the Morgan Hill Times that Boden and Rodriguez were unavailable for comment on Wednesday.

According to its website, Live Oak High School is a 1,300-student institution in the southern part of Santa Clara County, with most students residing in the nearby cities of Morgan Hill and San Jose.

"The student population reflects the rich ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the community," the website reads.

More than 100 students were spotted wearing the colors of the Mexican flag -- red, white and green -- as they left school, including some who had the flag painted on their faces or arms, the Morgan Hill times reported.

While bandannas of any color are banned at the school, its dress code policy does not contain references to American flags.

"However, any clothing or decoration which detracts from the learning environment is prohibited," the policy reads. "The school has the right to request that any student dressing inappropriately for school will change into other clothes, be sent home to change, and/or be subject to disciplinary action."

Freshman Laura Ponce, who had a Mexican flag painted on her face and chest, told the Morgan Hill Times that Cinco de Mayo is the "only day" Mexican-American students can show their national pride.

"There was a lot of drama going on today," Ponce told the newspaper.

Some other Mexican-American students reportedly said their flags were taken away or asked to be put away, but no other students were sent home on Wednesday.

Lis Wiehl, a former federal prosecutor and a Fox News legal analyst, said the incident appears to a "blatant" violation of the students' First Amendment right to free speech. She noted that inciting violence is an exception to a First Amendment legal defense, but Wiehl said she saw no indications that the students provoked anyone.

"Unless I'm missing something, this seems like a blatant violation of the First Amendment," said Wiehl, adding that uniforms are not required at the public school. "And they're wearing, of all horrific things, the American flag."