Brunswick High School students were asked Tuesday to change out of clothes displaying a flag of the Confederacy because administrators found the insignia potentially disruptive, according to the school district.
This week is Spirit Week for Brunswick High, in which students wear an outfit matching a daily theme. Tuesday marked USA Day, in which students would wear patriotic colors.
An emailed newsletter from the school on Friday indicates USA Day is a chance for students to wear red, white and blue.
At least two students wore the Confederate symbol Tuesday, but those students were asked to change their clothes, district spokesman Michael Doerrer said. School administrators also confiscated a Confederate flag another student brought to school, Doerrer said.
Debate surrounding the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia, referred to in contemporary times as the Confederate flag, has intensified as some argue the symbol perpetuates a link to the slavery and racism sometimes associated with the Confederate States of America.
Frederick County Public Schools does not impose a ban on Confederate symbols, Doerrer said, though administrators at schools can, on a case-by-case basis, ask a symbol to be removed “if it proves disruptive,” as Doerrer said was the case at Brunswick High.
“It could be that an administrator gets a feeling that it will create tension in the building or disrupt the school environment,” Doerrer said. “It’s really about administrators knowing their students and what might cause an interruption.”
The FCPS dress code, which was most recently amended in 2004, states that students may not wear clothing or items that promote anything gang-related, violent, illegal — such as drugs or alcohol — or clothes that are libelous or feature anything sexually explicit.
Students also may not wear clothing that contains derogatory language or depictions that would target an individual’s “race, color, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability,” the policy states.
“Principals have authority to impose stricter dress code requirements to address specific concerns at his/her school if necessary to provide a safe and orderly environment,” the policy reads.
Reached for comment by email, Brunswick High Principal Nancy Doll wrote that displaying the Confederate flag “is viewed as interfering with school order.”
“We talked with three students who cooperatively and respectfully changed their apparel,” Doll wrote. “BHS is a comfortable, welcoming and safe place for all. This is a great week to show school spirit and a majority of our students participate with positive enthusiasm.”
(34) comments
An extremely POOR decision and, quite frankly, a violation of the First Amendment. Let's stop allowing Frederick County to become Montgomery County. Let's stop allowing Frederick County -- and ALL Maryland counties for that matter -- to follow suit with "political correctness" and the liberal anti-American agenda. The Confederate flag (just like the flag of the United States in ALL of its forms) is a part of AMERICAN history. If you are "offended" by ANY flag, then you are part of the problem. Anyone these days claiming to be "offended" by any historic and/or long-standing flag, phrase, term, word, FACT or ANY part of American history and culture in general is a weak, self-serving, attention-seeking, falsely entitled, self-righteous, unpatriotic, liberal and un-American sheep. These type of people are the problem and they have been the ongoing downfall of this great country. Black Lives Matter? Not even close ... ALL lives matter. Guns kill people? Nope .. only criminals and mentally ill people with guns kill people unlawfully. Open borders? No way ... come here LEGALLY like my grandparents did under the color of law and the Constitution. Can you guess that I'm not a pot-smoking, uneducated, liberal, anti-American?
Not a violation of the 1st amendment. Plenty of case law supporting the school's ability to have students not wear something if it is felt it will be disruptive to the education of the student body. The students were asked to change and respectfully did so. End of story.
Is the confederate flag banned? You know, I just took my kids to Gettysburg this weekend, and I enjoyed hearing the histories of both sides. I just don't understand why people can't see that history is just that... HISTORY. The confederate flag is what you make of it on either side, if your making that flag all about race, then maybe you should go back to the history books.
This self-serving liberal would like to remind you that the south lost the war. It's battle flag is not welcome in the United States of America. It should never have been allowed to be displayed in this great country.
i thought liberals were supposed to be inclusive...... Guess not......
It's odd to me that flying the symbol of a treason isn't problematic for people who think they are patriots.
So should the american flag be allowed being that flag was made during a time of war to get off the crown? Once again the flags are what you make of them. They are nothing more than a pride of a people. In your view I guess Gettysburg should be burned to the ground for flying such a horrific piece of history.
excellent points.
Aww man, your almost said Sheeple. You know you're about to get brain-zapped, seeing the world in a brand new context when that starts flying. I'd like to say I am one of those (extremely long winded with-us or against us pansies) and there are MANY points of American history that will always be offensive (My Lai massacre, Sand Creek Massacre, Balangiga massacre) but wearing a t-shirt depicting it not only does nothing but distract people but make you look like a foil-hatted stooge, it is distracting and it's not tolerated. Being an adult calling 1st ammendment rights is well and good but when little johnny is in the back of class SCREAMING the constitution saying it's his " patriotic god-given right to do so", while youre up front TRYING to teach them algebra II in 12th grade....there is no obligation for any teacher to tolerate his "attention-seeking" harassment of the educational environment.
My child (a Brunswick student) texted me to tell me that today the news trucks were out in front of the high school; another observation of my child is that someone wore a gay pride shirt and wasn't asked to change, but that could also be seen as distracting
Honestly i don't think the gay-pride shirts aren't a distraction for anyone anymore, yes its listed in the dress code, but for crying out loud the highschool celebrated 'national coming out day' last friday. The ones who created the event wore colors corresponding with the lgbt flag and passed out rainbow ribbon stickers and bracelets. No complaints and surprisingly many other kids participated by wearing these stickers.
Also the history of the confederacy flag is quite dark (represents white supremacy, racism etc) and is the reason why the students were asked to take them off and the flag was taken away. These kids maybe or not knew its history and where doing it for fun without realizing it. I might be wrong but oh well.
So im here to say that your point is invalid. :)
Yeah allowing the display of the dixie flag is like supporting human rights. Not.
I have a sneaking suspicion that both of the kids wearing the shirt were not wearing shirt with the stars and bars because they are "history buffs" with the intention of changing the perspective of the symbolic flag through educational outreach. It's slightly more likely (ok maybe slightly is the wrong word) they wanted to raise eyebrows by making the dumbest, laziest (tshirts are lazy) political statement of their 12-year academic career. Oh yea one final note for you defenders of the flag, it's spirit week, think about that and honestly reply with what spirit you think they are trying to promote, A: a defeated insurgency or B: the obvious other one? Try feeding that one through a scantron.
One kook shoots up a church and the focus is on getting rid of a flag.
This is what people need to understand. It is disruptive in the schools because it offends people and it is more than just one group of students. It was a proud symbol of not JUST the Klan but of people that were opposed to any form eliminately discrimination. It was and still is often used to intimidate non-white groups of people. That is whay it is considered disruptive in schools. White's would have a case for removal if I sent my son to school wearing a Malcolm X/Elijah Mohammed "By any means necessary" t-shirt - and they would be justified.
I lived in Texas for 14 years and EVERYONE seemed to have a conferederate flag. I get that for many it is a sign a heritage - not hate. I learned that there was a difference between a redneck and a racist and that just because theyhad a flag, they weren't card carrying members of the KKK. So yes, I get it. But for those that are willing to fall on their sword over a child wearing a conderate flag (and voluntarilychanged) can you comprehend that we as educators are trying to uphold your child's right to be in school and not be offended by other students. Your right to shouldn't infringe on the rights of others.
The trend of Blacks now wearing confederate attire and flying confederate flags on their vehicles is growing in Maryland and other parts of the deep south so much that its hard to discern if it's a rapper or a country westerner behind the wheel.
School kids today can display their confederate flag free underwear without being a distraction. LOL
HISTORY LESSON (for the uninformed) --- The civil war last from 1861 to 1865. During that time the confederate flag (under which free black men fought as well) was used to distinguish the Confederacy with the Union using a version of the current U.S. flag. It was not until 1954 (89 years after the civil war ended) defenders of segregation increasingly employed the use of the Confederate flag as a symbol of their cause. Most damaging to the flag’s reputation was its use in the hands of the Ku Klux Klan. The KKK did not use the Confederate flag widely or at all in its ritual in the 1860s and 1870s or during its rebirth and nationwide popularity from 1915 to the late 1920s. Only with a second rebirth in the late 1930s and 1940s did the battle flag take hold in the Klan. The flag and it's actual history was and still is being destroyed due to the KKK taking it as their symbol 65 years after the civil war. Currently people are inflamed by a racist group taking a flag as their symbol when the two do not relate to each other.
C'mon man! Stop with the history lesson. Just don't send your kids to school wearing disruptive garments.
Free blacks didn't fight for the Confederate army though....and the KKK didn't use the Confederate flag in the late 1860's and into the 1870's because they were pointing their rifles in the homes of blacks and lynching them in broad daylight... but I will agree that the single Confederate flag, the one people refer to as the battle flag, was not racist. Instead it is all four flags of the Confederacy.
[thumbup]
Shirts and confederate flags haven't been allowed forever in FCPS. Good job, Nancy.
Right decision by the principal!
Just another example of the passiveness to appease one group while stripping another of their history. Double standards have become the norm
Why would you want to include the symbol of a losing cause as a part of your heritage? Do the Germans display or wear swastikas as part of their heritage?
I lived in Stuttgart Germany for three years and can say the Germans as a whole do not wears swastikas. Swastikas were always a symbol of a radical and racist army that was brought to power by the Germans themselves when Hitler was elected during their 1932 open elections and appointed in 1933. Unlike the swastikas the confederate flag did not start as a racist symbol and was not one until a racist group (KKK) turned it in to one for their own use to further their racist movement close to 90 year AFTER the civil war ended. That's the difference.
It is not racism, it's heritage. It's part of United States history. Shame on those who see it as anything else. I suppose we should remove the flag from our history books?
This isn't Northern Virginia.
Thank you! The fact that this is not pointed out more often is astonishing to me.
'...a symbol to be removed “if it proves disruptive' What if all the students wearing U.S. flag shirts all start whoopin' it up and giving high-fives? Would that be considered disruptive?
The entire time that I was in school (graduated in the 90s in Texas) we were never allowed to wear the U.S. flag because it was considered disrespectful.
Make some t-shirts with Roger Taney on them. 'Here come da Judge'
I believe the students have a Constitutional Right to show their allegiance to Americans similar to those who knocked down the Towers they're just a little more open about their hatred for America than the Muslims.
Handled very good, Nancy!
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