14 year-old girl suspended by school for wearing Confederate sweatshirt

[Stronger]

A 14-year-old girl who was suspended from school after wearing a sweater with the Confederate flag on it says she has received death threats. Torri Albrecht, of East Windsor, New Jersey, claims she was suspended for wearing the sweatshirt after she refused to take it off or turn it inside out. Her mother Jane West is now considering taking her daughter, who was born in Virginia, out of the school and suing the district over the affair. ‘The Indian kids wear their turbans,’ Ms West told the Times of Trenton. ‘The Jewish kids wear their yarmulkes. That’s their birthright.’ ‘That flag is her heritage and I’m not telling her to take it off,’ Ms West said, adding she specifically told Torri to keep the sweater on the right way.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2062326/Torri-Albrecht-14-suspended-New-Jersey-school-wearing-Confederate-jumper.html#ixzz1duSs4ClF

My Opinion:
I think she has the right to wear it, her school has no right to control what she wears. Yes its a controversial symbol but its still apart of the south, culture and history, I hope the mom wins in her lawsuit against the school...just plain sad. What do you think?

edit: I also believe the school lied and said the suspended her cause she refused to take it off, not just for the sweatshirt, itself..what a joke

[anonymous53]

I don't see why it's a problem for her to wear this. I doubt it was covered in the school's dress code.
On a side note, I kind of laughed at this article for the sheer fact that they're following stereotypes.

[Amnesiac]

Another example of a school covering its ass and hurting its students' rights so a bunch of uptight parents don't bitch at them.

Dress codes and other oppressive policies do nothing to "maintain the learning environment," which is what schools always say they do. Rather, they give schools an excuse to limit student rights to protect their own image.

[Jupiter]

Abusing power, much?

[Jess]

that is so stupid...I don't see anything wrong with wearing a sweatshirt with the Confederate flag. if it isn't breaking the school code, why can't she wear it? -_-

[trooneh]

Not too surprised, to be honest, that this happened, though I disagree with dress codes in general.

[Thanatos]

Yay for my private school uniforms and dress codes!

Anyways this is complete BS, sure its a little controversial but definitely not to the extent that she should be suspended for wearing it. And good for her refusing to take it off, show em how its done.

[Stronger]

Yay for my private school uniforms and dress codes!
Lol

Anyways this is complete BS, sure its a little controversial but definitely not to the extent that she should be suspended for wearing it. And good for her refusing to take it off, show em how its done.

Exactly!

[DoctorNewbie]

I have mixed opinions. Really, she has a right to wear whatever the hell she wants to, but say she walks into school or a public building with a Nazi symbol on her sweatshirt. I'm sure you guys would feel a lot differently.

[Taylorxbox]

*No racism inteaded, this is my opinion. If you don't like it, stop reading*

There are tons of kids at my school that come to school wearing a shirt or sweatshirt saying "Indian Pride" or "Native Pride". Now why can't I go to school wearing a sweatshirt saying "German Pride" because im german... Yeah, doesn't make sense.
What im made about is that people can come in wearing those shirts but as soon as a white kid comes in wearing a shirt that says something about their culture, or a shirt saying "White pride"(never have seen it, but what if?..) they immediatly have to take it off. It pisses me off.

I think it is great that she didn't take it off. I do believe it is a violation of rights. And getting suspended for it? Ridiculous.

[Neptune]

I understand why they didn't want her to wear it. It symbol of a nation that supported slavery and decided to revolt against the Union. But she had a right to wear it. Let her go back, and, get bullied. It doesn't matter.

But I have another question: I know that the Confederate States weren't comparable to the Nazi's, but, if a teenager had a Nazi Germany Flag shirt/jacket and wore it to school, would you still support the person? Or would you be against it? Just wondering.

[kenoloor]

I have mixed opinions. Really, she has a right to wear whatever the hell she wants to, but say she walks into school or a public building with a Nazi symbol on her sweatshirt. I'm sure you guys would feel a lot differently.

That's completely different. The confederate flag is still a big thing in the southern US. It's like a community flag, and it no longer has the connotation of slavery or racism attached to it, *in the south.* The problem is, when you see a confederate flag in the North (where I am) people tweak out and start calling them racist. I've talked to southerners, and they just see it as a community thing, not a racist thing. This is ridiculous.

[huginnmuninn]

My school has rules against almost any kind of controversial clothes. the rules even say that you cant wear a shirt that is in support of any political nominee. but of course they can bend the rules for the students when a teacher decides to run for a local office. which has happened and it pissed me off.
in my opinion let the kids wear anything they want as long as its not advocating something illegal.

[littlechief]

A private school is allowed to regulate dress. A public school, less so. Although there are public schools with dress codes and even uniforms. This is a tough issue. I completely disagree with the mom who compares wearing this sweater to wearing yarmelkes and turbans. Those are religious symbols seeped in over 700 years (in the case is Sikism) and over 3000 years (in the case of Judaism) of religious tradition. When you come right down to it, the Confederate flag is a political symbol. It arose because of Confederate States. If the school wants to say that political symbols have no place in school, that should be ok.

[Amnesiac]

If the school wants to say that political symbols have no place in school, that should be ok.

No, because it's been established that students have the same right to freedom of expression as adults do (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinker_v._Des_Moines_Independent_Community_School_District), as long as it doesn't substantially interfere with the functions of the school.

The Court held that in order for school officials to justify censoring speech, they "must be able to show that [their] action was caused by something more than a mere desire to avoid the discomfort and unpleasantness that always accompany an unpopular viewpoint," allowing schools to forbid conduct that would "materially and substantially interfere with the requirements of appropriate discipline in the operation of the school."

Wearing a sweatshirt with a Confederate flag hardly interferes with the school environment. It many create some discomfort, but that's not enough to revoke the first amendment rights of the student. The school in this story is completely unjustified in their actions.

[UnknownError]

Good thing Britain doesn't have these problems.

[Clawhammer]

Slavery existed under the red white and blue, too. And it still does in many ways. I think that both sides are making way too big of a deal out of it. I'm proud of my Confederate heritage. More than one of my ancestors fought and died in that war, on either side. It's not about race, it's about heritage.

[Donkey]

This is why our schools have uniforms. That and brand clothing, of course. Either way.. live and let live

[rob13]

woooooooooow. this is just like saying dont' wear patriotic colors on the 4th of july. i tell ya ther's some really messed up rules in this world. this, now, being one of them.

[Korashk]

But I have another question: I know that the Confederate States weren't comparable to the Nazi's, but, if a teenager had a Nazi Germany Flag shirt/jacket and wore it to school, would you still support the person? Or would you be against it? Just wondering.
No, and anyone supporting this girl who wouldn't is a hypocrite. It's the same exact concept, just with a "worse" symbol.

[antiabort]

Wow that really sucks. When I lived in America I wore confederate shit all the time because I was born in Georgia. Nobody ever said a word, not even black people. Even here in London nobody cares if i wear confederate colors.

[HeroesAndCons]

wel thats bullshit.
something similar happened to me, when i was in 4th or 5th grade i wore an ozzy shirt, and i had to turnit inside out becuase it had (obviously photoshopped) blood on it