Just say NO to alcohol, and get suspended
Teen suspended for wearing ‘freedom of expression’ T-shirt
Hanna Smith, a junior at Tift County High School in the Tift County School District, was suspended for a day for wearing “disruptive clothing”. Her T-shirt had several slogans on it including “don’t drink and drive” and “freedom of expression”.
[Principal Mike Duck] confirmed that Smith was back in class on May 6 without the banned T-shirt, which also had a peace symbol on the front and “Veritas,†which means truth, written on the back.
…
Duck said he could not comment on the suspension.“We can’t discuss children and their issue,†he said. “It’s a matter of privacy and protection of their rights.â€Â
The school system’s dress code forbids disruptive clothing, grooming and symbols. Principals decide what’s disruptive.
“I have an obligation to maintain an orderly environment,†Duck said. “The courts give me the authority and the right to make those decisions and as long as I’m sitting in this chair that’s what I’m going to do.â€Â
What could possibly make a principal think that this t-shirt was disruptive? This particular principal may have had a problem with the t-shirt as he was previously arrested for driving drunk and running a stop sign.
On May 6, Smith wore a different T-shirt, this one reading “Don’t Underestimate Individuality,†her mother said. The first letters of those words spell “DUI.†Her mother said the teen planned to wear the banned T-shirt again today.
Duck informed Smith that she would be suspended for the remainder of the year if she wore the banned shirt again.
Additional Contact Information:
Superintendent John Harper
(Tip credit to Rhymes With Right)
Tifton is about half an hour where I work, and this doesn’t much surprise me. Our local school actually suspended a student for five days because he found a knife in the bushes outside the school and turned it in to the office. The excuse for all this nonsense is the usual: “The zero tolerance policy does not give me any leeway” that has become the first word off of many administrators’ lips.
Something similar happened a few years back at the Nuremberg trials. Most of the Nazi defendants claimed they were just following orders.
“The courts give me the authority and the right to make those decisions and as long as I’m sitting in this chair that’s what I’m going to do.â€Â
Sounds like someone has some issues, here. I have a mental image of Eric Cartman in reflective glasses bellowing, “Respect mah aw-thorri-tuh!”
I hope she wears it just to defy his stupid rules.
I’m sure if the federal courts found wearing a rebel flag covered by the First Amendment that Hanah could win a lawsuit for her shirt.
His drunk driving incident was a choice he made as a adult and he needs to learn to deal with the fallout from that decision. By punishing children for bringing to light (in a creative fashon) a decision he made as a adult is wrong. He is a adult and as a leader of children needs to act like one. If he cannot deal with decisions he made that affect his own life he should not be in a public position allowed to make decisions affecting others lives.
The local paper can print anything they want but a kid cannot express freedom of speech. But crushing the creativity of kids is why this country is losing ground in the industrial world new products being developed are more and more being from overseas companies. It is the herd mentality - Do not think on your own follow the crowd. Taking steps forward will be punished accordingly.
She plans to wear the shirt again - no doubt she’s already contacted the local ACLU. The principal won’t know what hit him.
Cool.
Well, if he looks like a Duck, walks like a Duck, quacks like a Duck, he must be… what? A ZT moron?
That’s humiliating. I remember myself going to school. And i can not believe that in todays world of chaos they got the track of what is right and what is wrong. I see puples wearing corse words slogans on their t-shirts everyday at school.