Banning of American Flag T-Shirts

A California High School who banned shirts with American Flags on them on Cinco de Mayo were accused of violating students’ rights by parents. However, the federal appeal courts disagreed. Live Oak High School near San Jose implemented the ban with the hopes that it would help curtail the violence that often occurs between their students. The incident occurred on May 5, 2010. Students with the shirts were told by staff to turn them inside out or to go home. Four students chose to go home with three of the students’ parents filing lawsuits against the school for violating the constitutional rights of the students’ regarding freedom of expression. The latest Court to hear the case was the Ninth Circuit of US Appeals who sided with the school on the matter. Lawyers representing the family made the statement that they would go all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. When I first heard about this case I was appalled that the school would ban students from wearing t-shirts with American Flags on them, but after reading more about the case and the violence that occurs between the students based on their cultural differences I think the school was right to take the action they did. I think this case is a strong representation of American exceptionalism and it will be interesting to see what happens if the case happens to go all the way up to the Supreme Court.