Universal veto policy implemented at Massachusetts school
Last Tuesday was National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day and dozens of Milford High School (Milford Public School District) students participated. But not for long. Administrators went from classroom to classroom instructing the students to remove, cover or turn inside out their pro-life t-shirts.
The students say it’s a free speech issue, but administrators say the shirt violated the school’s dress code.
…
Principal John Brucato said about three or four students brought the shirts to the attention of Assistant Principal Kevin Maines.“They were very upset that these slogan T-shirts were being displayed by kids,” Brucato said. “One was upset enough to have left school and maybe a couple of others visited the adjustment counselor.”
Adjustment counselor? What in the world is an “adjustment counselor”? And why would you let a student leave school because they don’t like somebody else’s t-shirt?
The t-shirt stifling was the direct result of the complaints of “three or four” students but the veto bar is actually just a fraction of that number.
“These young ladies have the right to express their views and opinions — they have not been denied those rights,” [Brucato] said. “What we said simply was this type of advertisement is offensive to others in the community. I’ve been consistent. If even one or two individuals finds something offensive I’m going to ask that individual to remove it. I’m exercising my authority and judgment as a school administrator to administrate to the population as a whole.”
So according to Brucato, anything that is offensive to even a single person will be banned. I certainly hope the students take advantage of this incredible enfranchisement.
See Rhymes With Right for much more commentary and detailing of the 1st amendment issues involved.
Additional Contact Information:
Superintendent Thomas J Davoren
Assistant Principal Nancy M. Angelini
I have seen some prolife shirts that are extreamly inapropriate and quite disturping. pictures of aborted featus’ and such. I dont what these girls were wearing but short of those images they should have been left alone.
Follow the link to the news article to see a picture of the shirts. They do show a fetus but it’s inutero. I think they’re moving towards showing life over showing abortion discards.
If even one person finds it offensive, it should be banned? Give me a break! It’s called free speech! If you don’t like it, don’t look at it. When the hell are people going to grow up?
So the lone individual gets to determine the venue of free speech. These young ladies should force those words down the adminstrators throat, protesting anything. How about Nike’s “Just Do It” Isn’t “doing it” a code word doing the dirty deed?
Exploit it until they choke on it - if they don’t then it’s discriminatation based whim.
“I’ve been consistent. If even one or two individuals finds something offensive I’m going to ask that individual to remove it. I’m exercising my authority and judgment as a school administrator to administrate to the population as a whole.”
Oh man I wish I was young again and in that school. I would have had a blast with a statement like that…I hope those kids use that against him to show what a ridiculous idea that is.
I suggested that the girls might just want to declare tehmselves to be traumatized Yankees fans at this school in the Boston suburbs. So long, anything with a Red Sox logo!
After reading this, I gripped a brick in each hand and swung them up to strike myself as hard as I could in the temples, just so I wouldn’t feel so bad. Which way to the adjustment counselor?
Pandora’s Idiocy
(Things Liberals claim they want, but are unwilling to face the consequences of) • Expression must be banned if even…
Time to call a lawyer. This is the sort of thing that could have the ACLU and ACLJ actually work together.
I’ve been chatised previously, but here goes. When one reads or sees anything they have a choice to let it bother them or not. I ignore lots of things that are simply boorish and thereby am not offended.
When did we make the sender of the message responsble for how I feel?
This is Massachusettes.
I’m offended by there elected official all the time but they just won’t go away.
If you knew these girls or the situation or were there that day, you’d support Mr Brucato. I’m a student at MHS and these girls weren’t just trying to make a point. They chose shirts that were clearly attention grabbing and distractitng and offensive. For whoever said, don’t like it, don’t look? Its kind of tough when you sit facing a girl bearing a fetus on her shirt. Our school is supportive of the rights of students. However, while free speech is a right, isn’t the freedom to get an abortion? We have a high population of pregnant girls, and naturally of girls who get abortions too. This is a traumatic experience and these girls don’t deserve to be harassed for their legal action in a school setting. School is a place for learning. NOT for preaching doctrines or harassing others. Nice try asessing the situation, but you only know the half of it.
As for adjustment counselors, they are extremely beneficial. They help students from all ends of the spectrum in all different kinds of problems. Whether academic or emotional, they provide a safe, quiet place to go where you can talk. I’m glad to see you support forcing students to deal with their problems on their own, and the allowance of letting situations fester.
I hate pro-life, but as long as people don’t come up to me and say “You’re a murderer,” then I’m fine with their T-shirts. Just let me do the same thing for pro-choice.