Student told to remove American flags from pickup, stops attending school.

A School Demanded That a Student Remove ‍American Flags from His Pickup, ⁢So He Stopped‌ Showing Up

A Virginia student has been pulled out of school by his parents after ‌the⁣ school administration‌ demanded that ⁤he remove his⁤ American ‌flags from⁣ his pickup truck.

On​ Monday, local outlet WSET reported that​ Christopher Hartless, a⁣ student at Staunton River High School in Bedford ​County, drove to school with large American flags proudly displayed on the back of his pickup truck.

The school administration then told him to take down​ the flag, claiming that it was a “distraction.”

Hartless, however, said that he was merely trying to exercise his ​ First Amendment rights. “My family fought for America and I feel ⁣like I should be able to represent the flag that they‍ fought‍ for,” he said.

Student Christopher ⁢Hartless said he is just exercising his First Amendment right to fly the⁣ American flag by displaying it on his car.https://t.co/tnG0jKXxvb

— FOX 28 Columbus (@fox28columbus) August 22, 2023

Hartless also questioned how the flags on his truck are a distraction, when⁤ there is a‌ giant​ American flag flying at the entrance to the school on a flag pole.

“I don’t understand how ​it’s a distraction ​if they⁢ have one on the ‌flagpole that every‌ other student can​ see.”

Hartless did not ‍comply with the repeated requests ​of ‌the school administrators to take⁢ down his flags, and as a result, his ⁣school parking pass was ⁣revoked ​as a punishment.

Christina ⁢Kingery, his stepmother, has⁤ said that ⁤they do not⁤ want‍ him riding the bus⁢ to school, so they have decided to pull him out⁤ of Staunton River High School and homeschool⁤ him.

“If they’re willing ‌to⁣ change and let kids want to fly‌ the American flag, then I’ll put ‍him ​back in⁢ Staunton River… possibly put him back in ⁢Staunton River,⁣ but ⁣if they don’t, then I’m going to continue ⁢to‍ let him fly‌ his flags,” she told WSET.

The school later ⁢issued a clarification, ⁣saying ‌that the actions taken by the school staff were in line with established school policy and that the school⁢ proudly flies American flags in the classroom and students recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning.

Now it might not have been wise for Hartless to disobey the school staff, ⁢but at the same time, ‍this⁢ is⁣ a really absurd policy.

How are his flags a distraction to other‍ students when they‍ are on a truck parked outside the school⁤ and the students ​are inside‍ learning? It’s not as⁢ if he was bringing it into the school and waving it‌ around.

It seems highly unlikely ⁣that⁤ anyone would get easily distracted by a flag in the parking lot if they were inside the building.

Also,​ this does⁣ not look⁤ great for the school when one considers the leftist, anti-American trend that public education in America has⁣ been on over the past⁤ few years.

Granted, there is no proof that the school was doing it due to a woke ideology, but one still has to‌ wonder — would they be willing to say the ‌same thing‌ to a student who had the ​ “pride” ⁢flag on the ‌back of their car?

In any case, this whole thing is absurd and it distracts the school administration from what should be their main focus — educating students.

Perhaps the school needs to reexamine its priorities.

The post⁢ A School Demanded That a Student Remove American Flags⁢ from His ⁣Pickup, So He Stopped Showing Up appeared first on The Western Journal.

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