Yeah, let's say I show up on St Patties day wearing a British flag bandana and shirt. Do I have the right? Yes. Is it kind of a punk thing to do? Yes. I don't think the principal had the right to do what they did, but a lot of schools in California are powder kegs of racial tension. I saw plenty of fights erupt between whites and hispanics from Junior High all the way to High school. I can see where the school admin were coming from even if they were misguided, if they were trying to avoid a fight.

On another board someone made this statement and it fits.

What a mess... The school district is likely in for a lawsuit and the community is going to be further broken. Unfortunately, there is no good solution for this...

I can understand the principal’s concern that the students wearing the US flag just to incite and provoke. I can also see (not a reason mentioned here) that wearing the US flag as a “bandana” is disrespectful of the flag.

I don’t think it was the disregard for the American flag by the principal that was the issue as much as the students’ negative and malicious intent by wearing it. That being said, the principal could’ve used a better solution to mitigate the circumstance.

I'm not sure what "it fits" but I see a huge difference between wearing colors supporting your own country and burning the flag of another country.

Lawsuit just around the corner. Such bs, I can't even believe it.

We gotta start putting our vote where our mouth is (so to speak)

Tragic that American kids are being punished for being American.
I have no doubt they did it to antagonize but the school definitely over-reacted.

I don't see where a lawsuit would benefit anyone. Yes, it's a question of First Amendment rights but if the school administration admits it overreacted a lawsuit is pointless and a waste of time.

Not sure a lawsuit would be pointless.

Waste of time, maybe in your opinion, but there is grounds for a lawsuit.

What is to be gained?

Are high school principles elected in CA? :-)

Lots. If you think about the rights that were violated, and the fact that we live in America and we can have the freedom to protect our rights, sometimes you can't just sit back anymore and take bs.

To an old fart like me, this is a double-sided non-issue. Was this PC? Maybe, maybe not. But decidedly, it is BS. Hell, when I was that age I would not have been sent home for wearing an American flag to school. Instead, I would have been arrested for disrespecting the flag, and the nation . . . if I was lucky. If not, I would have been shot.

It amazes me how much things have changed, but still intolerance remains a constant. A moving constant, perhaps, but constant nonetheless.

Sorry I missed this Lance...I'm not really getting involved in the argument on whether or not the kids should have gotten sent home. I was just making the point that Cinco de Mayo is not a "Mexican" holiday exactly. It's holiday where Americans of Mexican decent celebrate their heritage (and college kids get drunk, but they don't really need an excuse for that :-)) and has become, much like St. Patricks day, an excuse for everyone to get blitzed.

The part of a lawsuit that would worry me is that technically it is illegal to wear or manufacture clothing in the image of the American Flag. Not that I object to those items but if you attack one side there are bound to bring up that in their defense.

My friend is a Mexican American and he says Cinco de Mayo isn't a real holiday anywhere but the U.S., it was cooked up by beer companies to sell more products. It gets hardly any exposure in it's own country outside of Puebla.

I don't think that would be an issue, but what do I know, Im not an attorney. Although I know a few, actually about 60 or so.

Also, it's well established precident that students at school do not have full protection of the law when it comes to free speach. If an administrator decides that your t-shirt is inappropriate they can have you turn it inside out, and send you home if you refuse. It happens all the time with bandshirts that have inappropriate imagery or language, or clothing that is known for having significance to street gangs. This kind of censorship is reserved as a right for the school, and is important for student safety and maintaining a proper learning environment and a lawsuit isn't going to change that even if the rules were misapplied in this case. The whole incident is unfortunate for everyone involved and will not do anything to help the students or the school. If anyone is to blame, IMHO, it's these kid's parents. If it wasn't their idea, they stood behind the kids and let them go to school like that instead of saying, "you know, maybe people will find your statement a little disrespectful and this isn't the best idea." Maybe next time the parents complain about the fact that there is no school bus, no library and they have to pay for the textbooks, they should think twice about filing a lawsuit against the school district.

There we go. Darrell, thanks for getting that out clearer and faster than I did. :-)

Would you consider wearing a shirt with the American flag on it, inappropriate and detrimental to the learning environment, and that this would fall under the reserved right of the school? By the way, Clayton, just trying to understand your stance:-)