5 students suspended....

[vjf915]

MORGAN HILL, Calif. -- Tensions mounted at a Bay Area high school Thursday, a day after five students whipped up emotions by wearing t-shirts depicting red, white and blue American flags on Cinco de Mayo.

A group of 50-60 Latino students walked out of classes at Morgan Hill's Live Oak High early Thursday, marching to city hall and rallying to show their support for a school official.

That unidentified assistant principal had ordered the students who wore t-shirts with American flags on Cinco de Mayo to either go home or turn the shirts inside out.

Among the demonstrators was sophomore Justina Piedra.

“We could have ignored it, but the fact that they did it to us last year -- see that is disrespect toward us,” she said of the students. “And they want to do it again and plan it out, they plan it out. They think it’s funny. It hurts us. We are just as equal as they are.”

Fellow student Lizbeth Ruiz also said she felt disrespected.

“There is no right for them to be putting us down,” she said of the t-shirt wearers. “All that proves that America isn’t what it should be.”

Meanwhile, Superintendent Wesley Smith released a statement saying the district does not prohibit or discourage students from wearing patriotic clothing.

"While campus safety is our primary concern and administrators made decisions yesterday in an attempt to ensure campus safety, students should not, and will not, be disciplined for wearing patriotic clothing," Smith said.

The case has prompted an outcry as news of the incident has spread across the country. A high school student in Yorktown, Va., created a Facebook page titled "I support the 5 students from Morgan Hill high school."

Kathleen Sullivan, a Morgan Hill Unified School District board trustee, said Live Oak also experienced problems on Cinco de Mayo last year.

She said some students had complained to the principal and vice principal that they had felt intimidated by students waving American flags.

In response to those complaints, school authorities had asked students not to provoke other students by wearing or waving flags this year, Sullivan said.

"The district's position is that that is not in our policy," Sullivan said. "But the underlying reason for it was student safety."

She did not know if the five students had returned to school, but said they have not been suspended. Smith added that the district is investigating the incident.

Kirk Hanson, executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, said the action taken by the school was warranted if their objective was to maintain the security and safety of the other students.

"Was there a danger of a fight between the students celebrating Cinco de Mayo and the students wearing the American T-shirts? If there was a threat, then their action was ethical," Hanson said.

"The decisions regarding student dress are always difficult for school authorities and it is possible that any particular dress, including the American flag, could under circumstances be threatening," Hanson said.

"But when the students' rights are at stake, the school authorities clearly should try to find some way to protect those rights and at the same time defuse the situation."

I hate to say it, but.......discuss.......

 

[oc_civic]

i think that piece of s**t scumbag traitor posing as a principle should lose his f**king job.

 

[JohnS.]

Cinco de Mayo is a day for celebration of Mexican culture and pride. While I agree to everyone having their own rights, white kids wearing shirts with American flags on them while attending Cinco de Mayo events is like spitting down on Mexican culture. It's just rude and uncalled for. Was suspension necessary? Probably not. But I completely agree that student safety was an issue and they needed to be forced out.

 

[vjf915]

This is just piss-poor-pathetic bullshit that should in no way shape or form be tolerated. I honestly dont even know what to think anymore though. When students get sent home for wearing American flags? What the f**k is next, white people cant leave their house in February?

 

[vjf915]

Cinco de Mayo is a day for celebration of Mexican culture and pride. While I agree to everyone having their own rights, white kids wearing shirts with American flags on them while attending Cinco de Mayo events is like spitting down on Mexican culture. It's just rude and uncalled for. Was suspension necessary? Probably not. But I completely agree that student safety was an issue and they needed to be forced out.

They were not attending a Cinco de Mayo event, they were attending school.

 

[JohnS.]

They were not attending a Cinco de Mayo event, they were attending school.

Oh I must've read it wrong.

Well in that case, that's just bullshit . Over emotional wack jobs is what this is.

 

[vjf915]

Dude you just made me laugh

 

[nicoyita1]

It was stupid to wear an American flag/patriotic clothing just to provoke. That in itself was unnecessary, however I'm sure that those who celebrated Cinco de Mayo also waved Mexican flags in everybody's faces as well, which is also unnecessary. I graduated a year ago, at least this was a similar case in my school. Who would've ever thought that wearing an American flag was controversial? I'm hispanic, but personally i'm tired of my own race always trying to get noticed any more than they are. It almost seems that we (hispanics) do anything to make sure that we get attention. The race game between latino/white is, in my opinion, stupid and unnecessary but it seems that both sides contribute to this ongoing prejudice. To suspend the students should be up to the discretion of the school. If they were obnoxious and posing a threat in any way, then I agree with it. They weren't suspended for wearing an American flag, but because they used it as a way to provoke a reaction among latino students. I believe the school system did what they felt was in the best interest of the students, however I would impose a consequence to the students for walking out of class. Seriously, I think there are better ways to support a cause than by being disruptive. Afterall, school is a place to learn, not show off.

 

[vjf915]

Which is exactly my point. Its school. They didnt rain on a Mexican parade. They were in school.

 

[253eg]

Hello!!!! This Is America, Mother f**ker! Don't Like The Flag, Get The f**k Out Of My Country Then!

I bet those dumb shits don't even know when or why Cinco de Mayo started.

 

[Laozy]

Hello!!!! This Is America, Mother f**ker! Don't Like The Flag, Get The f**k Out Of My Country Then!

x2. I hate when people b***h about where they came from than go around and say that they should have just stayed where they lived! I mean wtf, if you like it so damn much go back! Not tryin to be racist or anything, but its just a bunch of b.s...

 

[cgpEJ6]

It sounds like there is more to it. They obviously have had problems in the past and were trying to provoke something, and were successful. I think the school did the right thing, they weren't disciplining students for wearing American flag t-shirts, they were disciplining them for trying to cause a disturbance.

 

[253eg]

x2. I hate when people b***h about where they came from than go around and say that they should have just stayed where they lived! I mean wtf, if you like it so damn much go back! Not tryin to be racist or anything, but its just a bunch of b.s...

I went to a bar to celebrate the Mexican culture with my friend, who is Mexican. There were a bunch of Mexicans at this bar, all waving those lil flags around and having a good time. My friend, the Mexican one, asked me, "How many of these people do you think know what Cinco de Mayo is really about?" I replied, "One, if we're lucky." Sadly, only one did know the meaning(the true meaning) and that was my friend.

It was pretty sad, most the replies I got were along the lines of Mexican Independence.... I'm sorry, but if you don't know the real independence day of a country you claim, then don't get all butt hurt when I walk around supporting my own countries flag.

 

[Laozy]

Ya. Lots of people were missing from my school yesterday because they said it was a holiday... They think that because they are of Hispanic descent, they can ditch school... I think that really stupid...

 

[el_betiyo]

This is just piss-poor-pathetic bullshit that should in no way shape or form be tolerated. I honestly dont even know what to think anymore though. When students get sent home for wearing American flags? What the f**k is next, white people cant leave their house in February?

That's a bit too much man

They were not attending a Cinco de Mayo event, they were attending school.

Im pretty sure these f**kers bought those t shirts at k mart FOR the 5 de mayo, to wear them at school on that day. Have they wear them before? or will do again on any other day? I doubt it. I'm almost 100% that they wore those tees to provoke. Does that deserve to be suspended, I don't think so, but that's under the administration to decide.
Plus, who the f**k wears a tee of any flag to school.........................idk

Hello!!!! This Is America, Mother f**ker! Don't Like The Flag, Get The f**k Out Of My Country Then!
I bet those dumb shits don't even know when or why Cinco de Mayo started.

For the REAL mexicans, we don't even care for 5 de mayo. This day is more of a "mexican/american" bs day..............we go for the 16 de septiembre, Mexico independence day!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[nicoyita1]

I went to a bar to celebrate the Mexican culture with my friend, who is Mexican. There were a bunch of Mexicans at this bar, all waving those lil flags around and having a good time. My friend, the Mexican one, asked me, "How many of these people do you think know what Cinco de Mayo is really about?" I replied, "One, if we're lucky." Sadly, only one did know the meaning(the true meaning) and that was my friend.

It was pretty sad, most the replies I got were along the lines of Mexican Independence.... I'm sorry, but if you don't know the real independence day of a country you claim, then don't get all butt hurt when I walk around supporting my own countries flag.

I think it was about more than just wearing the flag, but more about the intention behind it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being patriotic and wearing your country's flag. But when it's used to intimidate, that changes the meaning of wearing it. Personally, as I stated before, i don't see the point in bringing this pointless bs to a school. I hang my flag in my car, and sometimes wear it around my wrist. I don't flash it in everybody's face. More than likely, these students were obnoxious (the Mexicans) with celebrating it. Discipline them (if indeed they were obnoxious). If a group of opposing students decide to create a movement against them, discipline them too. That's just how I see it. Once again, allow me to emphasize they were in school, not a cinco de mayo celebration.

253eg, only some of this was in response to your post. The rest is purely opinion, please don't take it all personally.

 

[JohnS.]

Cinco de Mayo isn't just a Mexian holiday celebrated in Mexico. It's a holiday that is observed in the U.S. as well as many other countries.

And I agree, there is nothing wrong with being patriotic. It was just the intention of the students that was the problem, trying to provoke and cause a stir. I swear....kids are getting more and more stupid.

 

[oc_civic]

who gives a f**k what the intention was behind it.. who cares if the shirt says f**king white pride on it.. how many times have you seen someone wear something with a mexican flag.. puerto rican flag... etc..on it.. its not that unusual.. and the best part about all this.. is one of the "white kids starting trouble" is HALF MEXICAN.. so for all you RACIST assuming its JUST some white kids.. LAME..

 

[buzzbombtom]

i bet the principle went home and drank a corona or some tequila, the real meaning of cinco de mayo right.

 

[JohnS.]

There's a difference between wearing a patriotic shirt to be patriotic and wearing a patriotic shirt to rub it in someone elses face and piss them off deliberately. That's all I'm saying.