The Vanguard School Board of Directors in Colorado Springs has voted to allow a young student to wear a “Don’t Tread on Me” patch on his school backpack.
The Gateway Pundit reported in a now-viral video that the Vanguard School in Colorado Springs told 12-year-old Jaiden (last name withheld) that he had to remove the flag because it has “origins with slavery” and was “disruptive to the classroom environment.” When he refused, the child was dismissed.
“The reason that they do not want the flag reason we do not want the flag is due to its origins with the revolution, slavery, and slave trade,” the school administrator told Jaiden’s mom, Eden Rodriguez.
“It has nothing to do with slavery, that’s like the Revolutionary War patch that was enslaved when they were fighting the British,” Ms. Rodriguez refuted.
WATCH:
The school, not surprisingly, butchers the Gadsden flag’s history. It originated on a warship in 1775 as a battle cry for American independence from British rule. The flag became a symbol for America during the fight for their freedom.
The news gets more asinine, though. The Vanguard School then admitted that the Gadsden flag did not originally have a racial context but claimed without evidence racists had successfully hijacked its meaning.
The school cited the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (USEEOC) which admitted that the flag “originated in the Revolutionary War in a non-racial context,”
“But then said “However, whatever the historic origins and meaning of the symbol, it also has since been sometimes interpreted to convey racially-tinged messages,” Boyack wrote.
They cited @USEEOC, which admitted that the flag “originated in the Revolutionary War in a non-racial context”…
But then said “However, whatever the historic origins and meaning of the symbol, it also has since been sometimes interpreted to convey racially-tinged messages…” pic.twitter.com/w0M74bMgN2
— Connor Boyack 📚 (@cboyack) August 29, 2023
The director of the school then attempted to justify Jaiden’s dismissal by pointing to a silly article which contained no actual facts about the Gadsden flag but instead focused on the feelings of woke snowflakes regarding the symbol.
“The director then argued that the flag is associated with “hate groups,” linking to this weak article that cites a “graphic design scholar” who claimed that “some may now see the Gadsden flag as a symbol of intolerance and hate—or even racism,” Boyack added.
The director then argued that the flag is associated with “hate groups,” linking to this weak article that cites a “graphic design scholar” 😂 who claimed that “some may now see the Gadsden flag as a symbol of intolerance and hate—or even racism.”
Link: https://t.co/ZD6JZ4AhDK pic.twitter.com/sUOqLEwGf0
— Connor Boyack 📚 (@cboyack) August 29, 2023
Boyack then points out another interesting fact. The school could not point to an actual rule Jaiden broke so they decided to put the Gadsden flag in the same category as drugs, tobacco, alcohol, or weapons.
Not only does the flag have nothing to do with drugs and weapons, but the school is seemingly contradicting the original explanation for Jaiden’s dismissal from class.
So what rule was he actually breaking? According to the director, this one (see highlight).
Though it’s unclear what alleged slavery connections have to do with drugs, tobacco, alcohol, or weapons. pic.twitter.com/KohiU4X0jz
— Connor Boyack 📚 (@cboyack) August 29, 2023
After Jaiden was kicked out of school for refusing to cooperate, he stood next to a staff member’s car to expose the school’s hypocrisy. The school employee has bumper stickers on the car promoting far-left agenda, such as “Make America Green Again” and “I’D RATHER BE SLOWLY CONSUMED BY MOSS.”
This is Jaiden, the 12 y/o Patriot who refused to remove the Gadsden flag from his backpack
School officials said it was “distracting” and “offensive” to other students
After being asked to leave school for refusing to comply, he took this picture near the car of a school… pic.twitter.com/0VXHGhsbgr
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) August 29, 2023
The Vanguard School Board of Directors called an emergency meeting on Tuesday.
In a statement, the Board said:
Yesterday the student returned with the patch still visible on his backpack. Following the District’s direction, Vanguard administrators pulled the student aside so that they could speak with his parents and the District.
Upon learning of these events today, The Vanguard School Board of Directors called an emergency meeting. 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. 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.
At this time, the Vanguard School Board and the District have informed the student’s family that he may attend school with the Gadsden flag patch visible on his backpack.
🚨BREAKING: Colorado school board votes to allow Jaiden to wear “Don’t Tread on Me” patch on school grounds
Victory for the 1st Amendment! pic.twitter.com/L6IVd5rwkH
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) August 30, 2023
Colorado Governor Jared Polis also shared his thoughts about the controversy, “The Gadsden flag is a proud symbol of the American revolution and a iconic warning to Britain or any government not to violate the liberties of Americans. It appears on popular American medallions and challenge coins through today and Ben Franklin also adopted it to symbolize the union of the 13 colonies. It’s a great teaching moment for a history lesson!” he wrote on X.
The Gadsden flag is a proud symbol of the American revolution and a iconic warning to Britain or any government not to violate the liberties of Americans. It appears on popular American medallions and challenge coins through today and Ben Franklin also adopted it to symbolize the… pic.twitter.com/sroNXnlJsf
— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) August 29, 2023
