ARTelevision

Schools Ban Certain T-shirts

KATV 7 - Little Rock, AK

Camden - Yet another school controversy, this time in the Camden Fairview School District in southern Arkansas. The issue is over t-shirts.

Several students and parents at Camden Fairview schools are upset over not being allowed to wear certain Dixie Outfitters t-shirts, with a confederate emblem.

At Camden Fairview schools, the superintendent says there’s a long-standing policy not to allow the confederate flag. But when it turned up in the form of t-shirts, the controversy blew up.

"Takes away expression, its heritage, both sides. I think people should express themselves."

Parents like Sean Zoerner are outraged that students are not allowed to wear the popular t-shirts or any other shirt that may be construed as racially divisive.

(Superintendent) "Students are asked to honor our request. In some cases, we ask them to turn them inside out. Most students cooperate, if not they may be suspended."

But some parents say the school went too far on the issue. "My son was asked to turn his shirt wrong side out. He was wearing an American flag, what's the deal?"

But Superintendent Jerry Guess disagrees. "I’m not aware of any student asked to turn American flag inside out. We honor it, and any student has a right to display it."

Ironically on Friday, the American flag was missing from the flagpole. The official reason is because the pulleys are broken.

Some parents plan to contact ACLU and prepared to take this issue to court, if the school district does not reverse the policy.
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Are we ever going to figure this one out ?

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JStrider

*shrug*

its stupid that so many schools are trying to be so extremely pc and safe... but if its a rule its a rule... and they need to be enforced...

i wonder how they would react to an afghani or iraqi flag... would it have been an issue... what if the student was born in that country...
in my opinion they shouldnt be banning one flag... and allowing another... so maybe they should ban any and all flags... or none at all...

i really dont see why people get so worked up over stuff like this...

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gov135

You can wear what you want (or don't want) in your own homes, and on your own property.

Your "rights" are limited in places where you do business or are supported by others (gov't- like schools). That's all, quit crying.

Personally, I feel that these lines are blurred by teachers not dressing to standard. I feel that these lines are blurred by people wearing a Dale Earnhardt nascar t-shirt to their court appearance. Community places should be held to a higher standard.

redravin40

They can tell kids not to wear colored handkerchiefs because they might look like gang-bangers.
They can tell boys not to wear skirts.
They can tell girls that they can't wear 'sexually suggestive' clothing.
They can tell kids not to wear Nazi or drug related T-shirts.
All of these cases have been backed up in court.
Do any of these rules help kids learn better?
I can't really say but I'll live with these kinds of rules.
When I went to school jocks with the support of a gym teachers held me down and tried to cut my hair.
That makes not being able to wear some designer Tshirt seem kind of silly.

charlesesl

just have a high school uniform
it solves all problem

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maximusveritas

The confederate flag is a symbol of hatred. Regardless of what it used to mean, that's what it means to everyone today. Just as a Jewish person feels threatened by a Nazi flag, African-Americans feel threatened by Confederate flags. I've lived in Arkansas and I can tell you, nobody there displays a Confederate flag because of their "heritage" unless by that, they mean "white heritage".

rogue49

Express yourself "outside" of school.

Just like I express myself "outside" of work.

Their building, their rules

And yes, you have to go to school, just like I have to go to work.

Deal with it.

Daval

I also agree. I think school uniforms should be implemented.

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BoCo

Another vote for uniforms!

Parents need to teach their spoiled brats from an early age that there's more to life than the latest clothing styles.

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Cynthetiq

i went to private school. There was no uniform but a very specific dress code. Collared shirts (polo or dress,) slacks or khakis, dress shoes. no sneakers, no jeans, no tshirts. Even when we had "Free Dress" which meant jeans they couldn't be torn holey jeans, and tshirts with ANY prints on them. Even if you wore a tshirt under your dress shirt that you could vaguely see, you got detention.

Sometimes people would be walking around shchool wearing sneakers, and thinking they got away with it for the day. At the end of the day, a referral to the deans office which then meant at least 1 hour detention.

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Prophecy

Agreed, as for the parent that said there student was wearing "An american flag" I've seen this argued before the & the response pretty much was that, "The Confederate Flag is not The American flag and thus it can be banned with any other clothing item the school feels is disturbing to the school's environment as a whole."

I remember in my high school you couldn't wear those Big Johnson t-shirts and if you happened to were the same colours to often you'd get a trip to the front office to investigate gang activity.

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Charlatan

I have been against school uniforms for some time... Lately I've been feeling that they aren't such a bad idea.

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