A Colorado student was kicked out of his school because he had a Gadsden Flag patch on his backpack, despite the governor referring to the flag as a proud "symbol of the American Revolution." Video footage captures a conversation between Jaiden, a 12-year-old student, his mother, and an administrator from The Vanguard School.
The administrator argued that the Gadsden Flag patch had "origins with slavery" and claimed that it was "disruptive to the classroom environment." He was also told that the patch on his backpack, featuring "Don't Tread on Me" and a rattlesnake, went against the district's regulations and was not allowed to go back to class without removing it.
Strange Decision
The administrator reportedly told the student: "So the reason that they do not want the flag – the reason we do not want the flag displayed – is due to its origins with slavery, and the slave trade.
"The bag can't go back if it's got the patch on it, cause we can't have that in and around other kids," the Daily Mail reported.
However, his mother quickly came to her son's defense, claiming that the flag's origins can be traced back to the American Revolution when it symbolized the 13 colonies' resistance against the British Crown. She stressed that the flag was not associated with promoting slavery.
"It has nothing to do with slavery, that's like the revolutionary war patch that was displayed when they were fighting the British," the mother can be heard saying in the video footage.
During the exchange, she questioned if the school staff member was mistaking the Gadsden Flag for the Confederate Flag.
"I am here to enforce the policy that was provided by the district and definitely, you have every right not to agree with it," the administrator can be heard saying in the video.
Mother's Defense Justified
However, support for Jaiden's mother came from Democratic Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who chimed in on the matter. Governor Polis contradicted the notion that the flag was racist and suggested that the situation presented an excellent opportunity for education.
"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," Polis said.
"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 added.
Email correspondences sent to the mother by Jeff Yocum, the Director of Operations at the school, were obtained by Connor Boyack, President of Libertas Institute.
Yocum claimed that the school prohibited the flag due to its perceived connections to racism, citing insights from graphic design scholar Paul Bruski. Bruski, employed at Iowa State University, stated that because of its creator's background and its common display alongside 'Trump 2020' flags, Confederate battle flags, and other symbols associated with white supremacy, some people may now see the Gadsden flag as a representation of intolerance, hatred, or even racism.
Yocum also shared an article that documented a conflict with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. This incident involved a Postal Service worker who wore a Gadsden Flag hat to work.
The EEOC did not come to a conclusive ruling on the matter, which was centered around claims of racial discrimination. It did acknowledge, however, that the Gadsden Flag was not definitively a racist symbol.
The commission noted that the flag had been interpreted to convey racially-associated messages in certain contexts.
The Gadsden flag was created by Christopher Gadsden, a South Carolina soldier, in the midst of the American Revolution during the mid-1770s.
Colonel Gadsden was inspired by a yellow banner displaying a coiled rattlesnake with a raised head in the center, accompanied by the words: 'Don't Tread On Me'. After seeing this design, he replicated it and presented it to the Provincial Congress in South Carolina.
Commodore Esek Hopkins, who led the newly formed Continental fleet, also flew a similar flag in the early part of 1776 when his fleet set sail for the first time.
