It's not uncommon for schools to hold special events where the students are encouraged to dress up or show their support for something.
It's not uncommon for schools to hold special events where the students are encouraged to dress up or show their support for something.
Usually, the events are pretty low key, but for a school in Epping, New Hampshire it's their "America pride day" that's causing some controversy.
Freshman Ciretta MacKenzie decided to display her American price by pairing a Trump slogan t-shirt with a MAGA hat.
He told her that she needed to remove her hat and change her shirt because they violated the school's dress code.
Ciretta told Boston 25 News, "It only says 'Trump make America great again', it doesn’t say anything like build a wall, so I don’t get how it could be offensive, how it could be disrespectful."
She also says that there is nothing in the school's dress code about political clothing, though there is a 'no hat' policy.
"Some kids are making [me] feel like I’m uneducated and a bad kid for believing what I want to believe and that’s not right."
Ciretta's dad believes that completely avoiding politics isn't the right answer:
"We don’t want politics to be totally removed from school, it needs to be in school...the way they went about it was remove everything, you don’t want that."
In a letter, he wrote:
"Since the event of April 8, there has been a multitude of responses, some of which have fact-based information and other responses less factual. I have always been respectful and sincere in my approach to promote civil discourse and free speech/expression."
School Superintendent Valerie McKenney added, "We are committed to the creation of a school environment that promotes open and free thought and dialogue."
In a statement, legal director Gilles Bissonnette said:
"T-shirts — as well as hats, buttons, and other wearable items — are a common way for students to express their views on everything from political races to social issues. Unfortunately, schools have a long history of trying to censor this form of peaceful expression. Public schools should create an environment where the free exchange of ideas is fostered, not silenced."
h/t: Boston 25 News