An 11-year old in Colorado, wore a t-shirt to school which read "Obama a terrorists best friend". He was given the options of changing shirts, turning it inside out, or being suspended. He chose suspension. His father intends to sue the school for violation of first amendment rights. The school says that while it respects the right to free speech, they have the right to remove anything which disrupts the learning environment.
What do you think? Did the school violate his rights or was the shirt inappropriate for school?
I think the school handled it well. At El Dorado we have a dress code, which asks us to dress in a manner that allows us and those around us to learn without being distracted. If he wore it around town, I wouldn't have a problem with it, he has the right to. But to allow a child to wear that in school is despicable, and I frown upon the parents.
I agree with you completely. The article is on aol.com and alot of comments said that Obama supporters are throwing the race card in and that thats wrong. But, the shirt is supporting racism. When kids where shirts supporting Obama or McCain around school, its not a big deal. But deragatory slander is unacceptable. I mean, you can't stop it around town, I just think its wrong.
I don't think the shirt was for sure racist, when i read it i was thinking Obama's foreign policy, but schoolkids probably aren't following the issues too close they just know Obama is black and the shirt said he was a terrorist's best friend. The shirt is definitely not tactful in any sense of the word, so if the school felt there were folks on campus seeing this as a racial attack then they acted responsibly and correctly.
I also believe the school took the right action, especially at that age it's not necessary for them to openly voice their oppinions when they can't even vote. 98% of 11 year olds im sure don't know anything about the ppresidential election other then what their parents tell them. It was the students decision for suspension, the school gave the student a choice. Therefor once again i believe the school was right in their decision.
i dont know if the dad realizes this, but a minor's rights are much different than a citizen's. The school actually has the right to do exactly what they did, and the dad is out of line, no matter how unfair it may be. Children dont get the same freedom that adults do in america, they never have.
***Personally I find the shirt to be funny, but it is would be distracting in a school environment, therefor the school had the right to make him change.
Cav Comment: thanks for giving yourself credit for this! :)
I think what the school did was just. Every school has a dresscode, and I'm sure the school made the student sign an agreement, like most schools. Therefore, I do not think that it would be right to sue. If the student really wants he can wear the shirt on his own time, just not at school
I think that the school did the right thing because it is just not cool for calling someone a terriost (even though i dislike Obama), and they thought that the kid wasn't following school dress cose. Also it was disrupting the school envoironment, so i think the school did what it had to do.
when i first heard this story i was really upset with the school because i believe the kid has the right to show his opinon.. this is america. but after i read some of what everyone else said i kind of changed my mind and the school did do the right thing. like i agree with scott when he says he has different rights than a citizen or whatever cause he is a little kid. so yeah maybe the parents put him up for that how can he know what he is even doing
Clearly this was the parents idea. No 11 year-old child would choose to be suspended without prior consultation and instruction from the parents. The parents are trying to force their political and racist agenda on an 11 year-old and he'll never know any better. Its sad. People should develop their own opinions. And I look forward to watching his dad getting stomped in court.
I don't think the kid should have been suspended. The school made the right decision to give him the choice of changing his shirt or turning it inside out but suspension? I think the school goes overboard when they say that the shirt was going to disrupt the learning environment like he was walking around letting off a blow horn. When I see peers wearing shirts like that I usually let the thought cross my mind for... 40 seconds? but its not like I'm sitting in my next class completely thrown off. My point being, how "inturupted" could a class of 11 year olds be by a presidental canidate shirt? They would probably be more side tracked if the kid worn a hanna montana or jonas brothers shirt.
The thing is though, he wasn't wearing a shirt that said something like "Obama, Nobama" or "Vote McCain" it was a racial slur. Say a kid of muslim descent was in that class? Thats where something would disrupt the school day.
i think the school had every right to do that because it probably did offend some people and disrupt the learning environment. sure, freedom of speech and all.. but im sure this disrupted some people during the day, so i suppose the school did the right thing. everyone pretty much has a dress code and school is supposed to be all about learning. but yea, i think the school did the right thing.
The school was perfectly fine in doing what it did because they do have minors attending it and therefore they need to have rules. All schools have a dress code and they don't want anyone to be offended by what someone wears, that's also why you aren't allowed to wear bathing suits to school, your clothes need to be appropriate for where you are going.
^^ i AGREE Janell. Nobody is going to be interrupted about a shirt. Especially when 11 year olds probably dont even get the meaning of the shirt. Kids WOULD be more prone to make fun of a boy wearing a hannah montana or jonas brothers shirt.I Think the shirt has a inappropriate choice of words, but i feel the school is finding an excuse of taking it way.
I think that the school handled it in the best way possible. I can't believe the father is sueing the school. That is so dumb. Shame on the parents because I highly doubt it was his idea to even where the shirt.
i think that the school handle the situation well, and didnt affect the childs first amendment rights only because the school has the right to maintain a dress code, as to keep an orderly learning enviorment. The child has the right to wear the shirt until the point where it disrupts the school, and/or people in the school. If the child wants to wear the shirt outside of school thats fine and more power to him, but if the school has a dress code the students must abide by the code.
I think the shirt was clearly inappropriate. The boy's rights weren't voilated, he violated the school's rules. The dad should have used better judgement when he bought the shirt for his son.
If it hadn't been in an elementary school, it would have been another story completely. It is well known how a easily a child's mind/perspective can be warped or corrupted in those crucial years. Although I can't say I don't think that the shirt is funny, the school did the right thing in preventing this kind of hatred from being spread in a public elementary school.
