High School Apologizes For Banning Teen’s NRA T-Shirt
Haley Bullwinkle, 16, will be allowed to wear her National Rifle Association T-shirt to school after all.
When the sophomore wore the shirt to Canyon High School in Anaheim, Calif., last month, a security guard approached Haley and escorted her to the counseling officer where an school official ordered her to change into a different shirt.
Haley complied with the directive, but the, but she and her family pursued the matter further with school administrators and as well as an NRA lawyer. “I felt like they were violating my rights, my freedom of speech,” Haley said. “I want to be able to wear what I want to wear within reason.”
In a subsequent email to the parents about a week after the incident, the principal claimed the shirt — which was a gift from Haley’s dad Jed — violated the school’s dress code because it promoted gun violence. The shirt contained an image of a hunter with a rifle and had the words “National Rifle Association of America: Protecting America’s Traditions Since 1871” in the center.
But Jed Bullwinkle pointed out among other things that the school’s drill team is permitted to twirl fake rifles.
Yesterday the superintendent of schools for Orange County reversed course and issued an apology to the Bullwinkle family. In a statement, the superintendent said in part, “After reviewing pictures of the shirt, the principal determined that the shirt logo does not promote violence.The family was contacted and advised that wearing the shirt was not contrary to the school dress code policy and the student will be permitted to wear the shirt. The student and family received an apology and assurance that training will be provided to staff so an incident like this does not occur again.”
As we reported previously, a West Virginia teen faced the possibility of a year in jail for wearing an NRA shirt to school and refusing to change it, which got him suspended arrested. Charges were subsequently dropped against him.
