A 15-year-old student at El Camino High School in Oceanside, Calif., was suspended, then readmitted, for refusing to remove a pro-war T-shirt:
Derik Rosario, 15, whose mother is a Marine master sergeant fighting in Kuwait, wore a T-shirt that read, "War: Justifiable Homicide" to school Friday morning, the same day an anti-war protest was scheduled at the school.
According to the school, he and a few other boys wearing pro-war T-shirts were asked early Friday morning to turn the shirts inside out or face suspension in order to prevent conflict with the war protesters.
"I looked at the shirts, and I pictured the protest that morning, and I saw a situation that could turn ugly or dangerous," said Principal Ron Briggs. "So I asked them, for safety reasons, to turn the shirts inside out."
Derik refused, and eventually he prevailed. Briggs consulted the school's lawyer, who told him the order was a violation of the First Amendment. Briggs now says he's "really proud of Derik," and he explains his mistake this way: "As a principal, I have to think about safety first. It wasn't about the message, it was about what might happen if someone threw a rock at that kid and a fight broke out."
..... But Principal Briggs, these guys are pacifists! They'd never throw rocks. Would they?
Derik Rosario, 15, whose mother is a Marine master sergeant fighting in Kuwait, wore a T-shirt that read, "War: Justifiable Homicide" to school Friday morning, the same day an anti-war protest was scheduled at the school.
According to the school, he and a few other boys wearing pro-war T-shirts were asked early Friday morning to turn the shirts inside out or face suspension in order to prevent conflict with the war protesters.
"I looked at the shirts, and I pictured the protest that morning, and I saw a situation that could turn ugly or dangerous," said Principal Ron Briggs. "So I asked them, for safety reasons, to turn the shirts inside out."
Derik refused, and eventually he prevailed. Briggs consulted the school's lawyer, who told him the order was a violation of the First Amendment. Briggs now says he's "really proud of Derik," and he explains his mistake this way: "As a principal, I have to think about safety first. It wasn't about the message, it was about what might happen if someone threw a rock at that kid and a fight broke out."
..... But Principal Briggs, these guys are pacifists! They'd never throw rocks. Would they?
