On Monday, a 12-year-old boy was expelled from his Colorado school for wearing a patriotic Gadsden flag patch on his backpack.
Libertas President Connor Boyack said a 12-year-old boy named Jaiden (surname withheld) was instructed by administrators at the Vanguard School in Colorado Springs that he must take down the flag because it had “origins with slavery” and is “disruptive to the classroom environment.” The kid was sent home after he refused to cooperate.
“Meet 12yo Jaiden who was kicked out of class yesterday in Colorado Springs for having a Gadsden flag patch, which the school claims has “origins with slavery. The school’s director said via email that the patch was “disruptive to the classroom environment,” Boyack wrote.
WATCH:
It’s not unexpected that the institution misrepresents the significance of the Gadsden flag. The battle cry for American independence from British oppression had its roots on a vessel in 1775. As the American people fought for their independence, the flag came to represent them.
Students should not be alarmed by this symbol because the flag has nothing to do with slavery. This is an absurd justification for banishing the kid.
The news, though, continues to be ridiculous. The Vanguard School then ADMITS that the Gadsden flag was never intended to have a racist meaning, but argues, without evidence, that racists have co-opted it.
They cited @USEEOC, which admitted that the flag “originated in the Revolutionary War in a non-racial context”…
“But then said “However, whatever the historic origins and meaning of the symbol, it also has since been sometimes interpreted to convey racially-tinged messages,” Boyack wrote.
They cited @USEEOC, which admitted that the flag "originated in the Revolutionary War in a non-racial context"…
— Connor Boyack 📚 (@cboyack) August 29, 2023
But then said "However, whatever the historic origins and meaning of the symbol, it also has since been sometimes interpreted to convey racially-tinged messages…" pic.twitter.com/w0M74bMgN2
The school’s director then tried to defend dismissing Jaiden by citing a ridiculous article that didn’t include any hard information about the Gadsden flag but instead focused on the opinions of “woke snowflakes”
“The director then argued that the flag is associated with “hate groups,” linking to this weak article that cites a “graphic design scholar” who claimed that “some may now see the Gadsden flag as a symbol of intolerance and hate—or even racism,” Boyack added.
The director then argued that the flag is associated with "hate groups," linking to this weak article that cites a "graphic design scholar" 😂 who claimed that "some may now see the Gadsden flag as a symbol of intolerance and hate—or even racism."
— Connor Boyack 📚 (@cboyack) August 29, 2023
Link: https://t.co/ZD6JZ4AhDK pic.twitter.com/sUOqLEwGf0
The local news channel ignored Jaiden’s mother when she tried to tell the story of her son.
As you can hear his mom say in the video, Jaiden wanted to stand up for his (non-racist!) beliefs. So after he was kicked out of class, he asked his mom to take him to the news station to get the word out.
— Connor Boyack 📚 (@cboyack) August 29, 2023
(He got the idea from a @tuttletwins book 💪🏽)
They declined an interview pic.twitter.com/BEdxWIj7Gp
Boyack goes on to mention yet another piece of information. The school was unable to identify a specific regulation that Jaiden had broken, so they lumped the Gadsden flag in with illegal substances, cigarettes, and firearms.
Both the flag and the school’s original explanation for Jaiden’s expulsion had nothing to do with drugs and weapons.
So what rule was he actually breaking? According to the director, this one (see highlight).
— Connor Boyack 📚 (@cboyack) August 29, 2023
Though it's unclear what alleged slavery connections have to do with drugs, tobacco, alcohol, or weapons. pic.twitter.com/KohiU4X0jz
Why weren’t other youngsters taken out for wearing other types of flags? is a crucial exit question that was raised by Chaya Raichek, who manages the popular X (previously Twitter) account Libs of Tiktok.
