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Pittsburgh
05-06-2010, 02:23 PM
California Students Sent Home for Wearing U.S. Flags on Cinco de Mayo
FOXNews.com

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, one of their parents told FoxNews.com. The boys 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.

Dariano's mother, Diana, told FoxNews.com she and parents of the other four students are now demanding an apology from officials and are considering a lawsuit.

"We want an apology," Diana Dariano said Thursday. "Who in the United States of America would have an issue with that? It's a sad, sad day."

Dariano said her son has at least four T-shirts with American flags that he wears often and did not try to cause any conflict at school.

"I'm more hurt than anything," she said. "It is so hurtful and disrespectful the way this has turned. These are American kids"

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 Morgan Hill Times 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."

Officials at Live Oak High School and the Morgan Hill Unified School District did not return several messages seeking comment on Thursday. 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.

Eugene Volokh, a professor of law at the University of California-Los Angeles, 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," he said. "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.

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."

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/06/california-students-sent-home-wearing-flags-cinco-mayo/

Sixx
05-06-2010, 03:24 PM
Welcome to America

acf6
05-06-2010, 05:14 PM
This is so fucked up!!!! And they are not mexican Americans they are either mexican or American!!!!!!!

Cup_Noodles
05-06-2010, 09:04 PM
What a bunch of bullshit. I should wear this (http://www.rangerup.com/prdeblmetee.html) to school tomorrow.

shatto
05-07-2010, 02:29 AM
I heard that Cinco de Mayo is not only not a Mexican holiday nor day of celebration
but it was created as an advertising campaign by Carona Beer.

ianstone
05-07-2010, 07:41 AM
If it is not anything to do we violent gangs. I don't see it as offencive.
Some of the kids could have had loved ones killed, maimed or served in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Some fantastic artwork goes into such things.
Remember kids are not born racist or hating, we teach them that.
An example of tolerance should be shown, it's called comonsence.

Pittsburgh
05-07-2010, 01:13 PM
This is so fucked up!!!! And they are not mexican Americans they are either mexican or American!!!!!!!

And as expected, here come the "we get no respect" protest marches...


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.

"We just want this whole thing to die down," Jones told FoxNews.com. "We're not trying to keep these flames firing."

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

Mel
05-07-2010, 11:16 PM
They interviewed one of the kids that walked out. He said and I quote.."THOSE Americans are just flaunting those flags in our face". Where the fuck do they think they are?...This ain't Juarez. Is it ever safe to show your patriotism without having to worry about offending someone?:fu:

Pittsburgh
05-08-2010, 01:14 AM
A California high school principal has apologized for telling five students they couldn't wear U.S. flag shirts on Cinco de Mayo, the local superintendent said Friday.

http://www.foxnews.com/

I can only imagine if it were the other way around. An apology sure as hell wouldn't cut it. We would have every single Latino group in the country protesting in front of the school and the ACLU would be lined up around the corner.

Funny how that works.

joelee
05-08-2010, 01:37 AM
We are losing our Country! From Washington, from the Courts, from the schools. The things that made thi Country great are being eroded.
I don't know what to do about it. Nothing seems to work. OVERWHELMING amounts of people let thier voices be heard about what they want Congress to do. Do they do it? No...
Somethings gotta give.

Cup_Noodles
05-08-2010, 03:18 PM
This honestly blows my mind. How are you gonna kick kids out of an American school for wearing shirts with American flags! Just shows that the world is going to shit.