Students Kicked Off Campus for Wearing American Flag Tees

[classicman]

Thu, May 6, 2010

On any other day at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Daniel Galli and his four friends would not even be noticed for wearing T-shirts with the American flag. But Cinco de Mayo is not any typical day especially on a campus with a large Mexican American student population.

Galli says he and his friends were sitting at a table during brunch break when the vice principal asked two of the boys to remove American flag bandannas that they wearing on their heads and for the others to turn their American flag T-shirts inside out. When they refused, the boys were ordered to go to the principal's office.

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

The boys said the administrators called their T-shirts "incendiary" that would lead to fights on campus.

"They said if we tried to go back to class with our shirts not taken off, they said it was defiance and we would get suspended," Dominic Maciel, Galli's friend, said.

The boys really had no choice, and went home to avoid suspension. They say they're angry they were not allowed to express their American pride. Their parents are just as upset, calling what happened to their children, "total nonsense."

"I think it's absolutely ridiculous," Julie Fagerstrom, Maciel's mom, said. "All they were doing was displaying their patriotic nature. They're expressing their individuality."

But to many Mexican-American students at Live Oak, this was a big deal. They say they were offended by the five boys and others for wearing American colors on a Mexican holiday.

"I think they should apologize cause it is a Mexican Heritage Day," Annicia Nunez, a Live Oak High student, said. "We don't deserve to be get disrespected like that. We wouldn't do that on Fourth of July."

As for an apology, the boys and their families say, 'fat chance.'

"I'm not going to apologize. I did nothing wrong," Galli said. "I went along with my normal day. I might have worn an American flag, but I'm an American and I'm proud to be an American."

The five boys and their families met with a Morgan Hill Unified School District official Wednesday night. The district and the school do not see eye-to-eye on the incident and released the following statement:

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

The boys will not be suspended and were allowed to return to school Thursday. We spotted one of them when he got to campus -- and, yes, he was sporting an American flag T-shirt.

This is the first time I think I agreed with a district on anything.

[xoxoxoBruce]

That's fucked up.

[Clodfobble]

In my high school they wouldn't have been allowed to wear bandannas anyway.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Around their necks, on just on their heads?

[DangerouslySimple]

it sounds like the kids DID band together in an act to defy and possibly insult fellow students... because why else would five kids all choose the same exact day to wear pretty much the same thing? Either way, I think it's ridiculous they were told to go home, especially since they live in the US. If this was a Mexican Campus, and they were wearing US Flag apparel on Cinco de Mayo, I could understand... but it wasn't. If the Hispanic populace is so upset and outraged to be around the US flag, maybe they should reconsider where they live?

[Trilby]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

In my high school they wouldn't have been allowed to wear bandannas anyway.

ah, yes. The dangerous bandanna. The nuns at my high school said we wore them to advertise the many drugs we had for sale - a bandanna in the back pocket meant pot, a bandanna tied to a purse handle meant speed and a bandanna around your knee (you heard me) meant sopors. The nuns also subscribed to the belief that girls who wore black eyeliner were "easy."

They were smart, those nuns.



Crazy - but smart.

[ZenGum]

What if they were wearing American flag burkas?

[Trilby]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

What if they were wearing American flag burkas?

that would be totally ok. I'm wearing mine right now!

[Spexxvet]

I used to wear orange on St. Patty's Day.

[Cloud]

Originally Posted by Spexxvet

I used to wear orange on St. Patty's Day.

My mother insisted on it.


It does sound like the boys did it on purpose, which is not cool, imo

[xoxoxoBruce]

Cooler than those wetbacks wearing the Mexican flag on our holidays, which by the way, are real holidays in this country.

[Cloud]

the behavior is unacceptable regardless who does it. of course.

[piercehawkeye45]

These kids were looking for attention and they got it. It was an act of defiance and they are using "American pride" as their defense. Typical.

Puts the school district in a catch 22 as well. Its probably a very touchy issue there and any action, or lack of action, taken by the school would most likely blow back up in their face.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I doubt that, the article didn't mention anything about the Mexicans protesting or even being offended. This is just the school administration flexing their muscles, in the name of politically correct.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

they are using "American pride" as their defense.

And yet they are disrespecting the flag by wearing it as clothing.