Colorado student tells Ben Shapiro school attempted to infringe on his rights, but failed.

A Colorado⁢ Middle-Schooler Stands Up ‍for His Rights

A Colorado middle-schooler who was kicked out of class for ‍wearing a patch of ​the Gadsden flag on his backpack said that his school “tried to tread” on his rights ​ during an interview with Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro.

A Symbol of Freedom⁤ Misunderstood

Jaiden Rodriguez, a 12-year-old who was pulled from class at The Vanguard School in part for having the iconic flag on his backpack, told Shapiro that other kids at his school are allowed to display Pride-themed pins, but that he was punished for his Gadsden flag ‍patch because a ‌teacher thought that it was associated with slavery.

“They don’t know what they’re talking about at all.⁣ It’s a revolutionary flag. It has nothing to do with slavery,” Rodriguez told⁣ Shapiro on his ⁢podcast. “It was meant as a warning‌ sign not to‍ tread on our rights in the revolution. Which is funny because they tried to⁤ tread on my rights and then they found out they [could] ‍ not.”

The Gadsden flag, a yellow flag depicting a coiled rattlesnake with the words “Don’t Tread ⁢On Me,” was flown during the Revolutionary War. The flag was designed in 1775 by U.S. brigadier general ⁢Christopher Gadsden, who critics have pointed out was a slave owner.

A Controversy That Boosted ⁣Popularity

Rodriguez said that he expected to win ​a‍ race for student⁤ council in a “landslide” due⁤ to the controversy and ⁢that he was now ‍“Mr. popular” at his school.

On Monday, Vanguard School Director of Operations ⁣Jeff Yocum emailed⁣ Jaiden’s mother an explanation that cited several news articles about the flag.

Yocum cited a decision by the Equal‌ Employment‌ Opportunity Commission, which said that while it is “clear ‍that the Gadsden⁢ Flag⁤ originated in the Revolutionary War‌ in a non-racial ​context,” nevertheless, “it​ also has since been sometimes interpreted to convey racially-tinged messages in some contexts.”

The school board ​of Vanguard announced a decision to allow Rodriguez to wear the Gadsden patch after‌ a board ⁤meeting on Monday night.

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“Last week, a student came to school with patches affixed to his ​backpack, with a half dozen patches depicting guns/weapons and one referencing alcohol,” the school told parents, adding that one of the‌ patches was the Gadsden flag.

“From Vanguard’s founding we have proudly supported our ​Constitution, the ⁢Bill of Rights, and the ordered liberty that all Americans have⁣ enjoyed for almost 250 years,” an email from the school board reportedly said. “The ⁢Vanguard⁢ School recognizes the historical significance of⁢ the Gadsden flag and its place in history. This incident is an occasion for us to reaffirm our deep commitment to a classical education in support ⁢of these American principles.”

The school‌ added that the district had informed school administrators that the flag was not allowed. According to a Tuesday statement from Harrison ⁣School District 2, another issue ⁢was several patches that referenced guns.

“The student returned to class​ without incident after​ removing the patches of semi-automatic weapons from the backpack. The Vanguard School and Harrison School District 2 worked in collaboration to resolve this matter,” ‌the district said in a statement.

Rodriguez said that⁣ other​ kids were allowed​ to support “Pride,” but he wasn’t allowed to wear the historic Gadsden flag.

“There’s kids with ​pride pins and the teachers don’t say a thing. But I wear a Gadsden flag and it’s the end of the world. I see them in the hallways. It saddens me that they can do whatever they want,‌ but I ‍can’t wear a Gadsden flag,” he said.

When asked by Shapiro if he had any political ambitions, Rodriguez said that he would hope to run for governor of Colorado.

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