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Virginia Students Suspended For Wearing Confederate Flag Shirts To School

By Tara Dodrill
Published on: 04:39 PST, Sep 17, 2015

Wearing Confederate Flag shirts got approximately 23 students at Christiansburg High School suspended. The Virginia teens were subject to the disciplinary action after showing up at school wearing the Confederate symbol t-shirts.

The students suspended for wearing Confederate Flag T-shirts violated the school dress code, according to Montgomery County Public Schools spokeswoman Brenda Drake. The Christiansburg High School spokeswoman said that 22 or 23 students were told they could change their shirts and adhere to the district dress code. The students disagreed with the demand to change to change their shirts and were reportedly given one day of in school suspension — ISS.

Drake also said that some students who wore Confederate Flag shirts to school “became disruptive” during the in school suspension and did not adhere to school rules. She noted that the “majority” of the students were then given one day of out of school suspension for violating the district dress code. “A few students said they would follow the rules of ISS,” said Drake, and they were allowed to stay in ISS.

Exactly why the wearing of a historic symbol violates the school dress code remains largely unclear. A new Christiansburg High School policy banned the symbol of the Confederate Flag from appearing anywhere on campus, WSLS reports.

Confederate flags attached to decals attached to student vehicles in any form are not allowed. Students must sign a contract stating they agree to the school policy before being granted a parking pass. School officials have stated that schools can ban any symbol which they deem as offensive. Any symbol which disrupts the education of students at the school can reportedly be deemed offensive.

The dress code at Christiansburg High School prohibits students from wearing articles that reflect adversely on people because of race, gender, or other factors, the Washington Post reports. The Virginia school has a student population of approximately 1,100 students. The Post also reports that about about 83 percent of the students are white, and approximately 8 percent of the students that attend the school are black.

While some individuals and groups consider the Confederate Flag to be a symbol or racism and oppression, others feel the flag represents southern heritage, southern pride, and reverence for states’ rights.

Do you think the Christiansburg High School students should have been suspended for wearing Confederate Flag shirts to school?

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