On Sat, 27 Apr 2013 07:57:05 -0400, "ATP"
wrote:


"Jeff M" wrote in message
m...
On 4/26/2013 3:16 AM, Comrade Democrat wrote:
A West Virginia eighth-grader student has been charged with
causing a disruption at his middle school after he refused to
remove an NRA T-shirt that he wore.

The teenager was reportedly arrested and suspended last week
after getting into an argument with his teacher about a National
Rifle Association T-shirt he wore to school.

WOWK-TV reports that Jared Marcum faces charges of obstruction
and disturbing the education process for refusing to change the
shirt, which shows a rifle and the slogan, "protect your right."

Jared told the station the he was punished by officials at Logan
Middle School after arguing about the shirt with his teacher,
who reportedly objected to the image of the gun on the shirt.

"What they're doing is trying to take away my rights, my freedom
of speech and my Second Amendment," Jared told the station.

Jared's father, Allen Lardieri, told WOWK-TV he is upset his son
was briefly jailed for something he believes was blown out of
proportion.

"I don't see how anybody would have an issue with a hunting
rifle and NRA put on a T-shirt, especially when policy doesn't
forbid it," Lardieri told the station.

A Logan County School District official refused a request for
comment from WOWK-TV, but police in Logan confirmed Jared's
arrest last Thursday.

On the first day of Jared's suspension, some of his friends
reportedly wore shirts displaying images of firearms and at
least one was told by an educator to change their attire,
according to the report.

Police charged him with disrupting an educational process and
obstructing an officer, he said.

"The only disturbance was caused by the teacher. He raised his
voice," he said.

A call to the Logan Police Department rang unanswered on Sunday
and an automated message said the voice mail system was full.

Lardieri said Marcum wore the shirt during five class periods
before he was ordered to remove it.

Logan County Schools' dress code, which is posted on the school
system's website, prohibits clothing and accessories that
display profanity, violence, discriminatory messages or sexually
suggestive phrases. Clothing displaying advertisements for any
alcohol, tobacco, or drug product also is prohibited.

Their lawyer, Ben White, said that the T-shirt did not appear to
violate any school policy.

"I just don't understand why this teacher reacted the way he
did," said White, who said he asked school officials to preserve
surveillance video of the cafeteria.

White said he planned to meet Monday with Principal Ernestine
Sutherland.

A message left Sunday at a phone listing for an Ernestine
Sutherland in Logan wasn't immediately returned.

White said schools can place restrictions on students to prevent
disruptions, but can't take away their First Amendment right to
free speech.

"If a teacher is telling you to do something that's wrong, I
don't think you should follow it. But I also don't think you
need to do it in a disrespectful way," he said, adding that he
does not think Marcum was disrespectful.

White said he also wants to get the criminal charges dropped.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/04/21...edly-arrested-
suspended-after-argument-over-nra-shirt/?intcmp=trending

This kid is learning a valuable lesson in the arbitrary exercise of
authority. I hope he keeps standing his ground and defending his rights.

I don't know how this got to the point where the kid was arrested. But
schools are allowed to restrict speech that might be disruptive. I think any
shirt with a firearm, pro gun rights or not, would be a problem in the
current environment.


Not in most of the US it wouldnt. In fact..only in rabidly antigun
places like Chicago etc etc would such a shirt cause problems.

You do know that at least 50% of US schools take off the first day of
deer season, right?

Gunner