Thread: Anti-Illegal Immigration Activist Sues His School District

Riverside County teen says he has a right to hold a rally against illegal immigration.
By David Kelly, Times Staff Writer
June 14, 2006

When a school assembly in Mira Loma turned into a virtual rally supporting illegal immigrants, a frustrated Joshua Denhalter asked permission to hold his own demonstration.

The Jurupa Valley High School senior carefully typed up an agenda with speakers and topics to be covered and gave it to school officials. They denied his request, citing fears that a protest could lead to violence.

Annoyed yet undeterred, 18-year-old Denhalter tried to organize an off-campus rally in March but was suspended for three days for handing out fliers about it on school property. He was also told he couldn't wear a T-shirt with anti-illegal immigrant slogan emblazoned on the front.

Denhalter, of Mira Loma, responded last week with a $25,000 lawsuit against the Jurupa Unified School District, saying his free speech rights had been violated and his reputation damaged. He wants an apology, the suspension erased from his record and an acknowledgment that the school was wrong.

"They pretty much silenced me; they put me in a box," he said. "They did it because they feared what the other side might do. Because of that, my rights were curtailed."

( Josh is one gutsy kid ! Click the Link http://tinyurl.com/lq4vf for the rest of the story)

I feel sorry for this kid and every American child in our schools today. Their rights are being trampled just like ours. Unfortunately many of our children probably do not even know what their rights are because they were not taught their rights.

He has a good head on his shoulders and he needs all the support he can get. Funny my mom said to me the other day that my children are going to have to stand up for their rights at a young age or they will have none. My children are still too young to understand the complexities of what is going on.

It's ironic that people who prefer to have our laws abided by are called racists etc....the real racists are the ones who are violating our laws. I hope this kid wins his lawsuit...

Thank heavens there are still some who are genetically predisposed to NOT becomming mindless drones in spite of what they are trying to do!!

Kudos Josh!!!

The Land Of The Free???? Not if your an American

Denhalter, of Mira Loma, responded last week with a $25,000 lawsuit against the Jurupa Unified School District, saying his free speech rights had been violated and his reputation damaged. He wants an apology, the suspension erased from his record and an acknowledgment that the school was wrong.

"They pretty much silenced me; they put me in a box," he said. "They did it because they feared what the other side might do. Because of that, my rights were curtailed."

We need a lot more kids like Josh speaking up. Good for you Josh.

Josh got squashed but he is fighting back the right way....and if there was concern about what the other side would do, I say, let the other side do "their thing" and like with the mass rallies, boycotts etc, they undoubtably would provide a very negative view that would work against them.