Punished For Patriotism

Have we really come this far?  Is being patriotic and supporting our military wrong these days?

The 12-year-old daughter of a U.S. soldier deployed overseas was reportedly sent home from school by administrators for violating the dress code. Cejai Taylor wore a red t-shirt to honor her father, Sgt. James Taylor, and other service members.  It was part of a "Red Shirt Day" campaign that she hoped to start at the school.

The school said the shirt didn’t have a collar and therefore was not authorized by school policy.  Apparently children are prohibited from wearing t-shirts of any kind at the Kentucky middle school.  I guess it’s not a terrible thing – except for the fact that the school is Mahaffey Middle School, which is located on Fort Campbell Army Base!

Now, I have no problem with school dress codes and discipline.  I’d prefer my child attend a school with a dress code rather than a school where kids can wear anything they wish, including vulgar t-shirts or their pants down around their butt cheeks and showing their underwear.  So I can certainly understand and support the school having a policy to follow.  However, on a particular day, such as red shirt day, which is dedicated to showing honor and support to our troops, should there not be an exception allowed for a shirt that calls attention to supporting them, particularly on a military base?

It must be somewhat disappointing to a 12 year old, who was only trying to honor her father, to be told she was doing something wrong and be sent home to change her shirt.  Last week in West Virginia a 14 year old student was arrested following an argument with a teacher about a t-shirt he was wearing.  After going through the first five periods of school wearing a t-shirt with an NRA logo (and a picture of a gun on it) without incident, the boy was instructed by a teacher, during lunch, to remove the shirt or turn it inside out.  The student correctly told the teacher It was not in violation of any school policy or dress code and refused.  

According to the boy’s attorney, the teacher escalated the situation by raising his voice, causing the other students in the cafeteria to become loud and agitated.  Police were called and they too told the boy to remove the shirt or he’d be arrested.  The student reportedly put out his hands and said “Fine.”  He was taken to the police station and released 30 minutes later to his mother.  Formal charges have yet to be filed in that case.  Personally, I hope the parents sue the school and the police department for harassment.

MaHaffey Middle School has said they will review their dress code and possibly change it, or at least maybe allow exceptions such as this this in the future.  Let’s hope they do.