Zero tolerance alert: student wears wrong shirt

Here we go again with another ZTA. A high school student in Dos Alos, California wore a shirt to school that the administration did not like. The assistant principal deemed that the shirt violated the dress code, falling into the category of promoting a specific race, culture or ethnicity.

The shirt was tie-dyed red, white and blue – sort of, but not really representing the U.S. flag – with the words “United States of America, Washington, D.C.” on the front. The student had to remove the shirt and replace it with a bright yellow T-shirt that said “DCV: Dress Code Violator” during the school day.

At least he was not suspended for three days.

From the Merced Sun-Star, my emphasis added.

“It was really embarrassing and humiliating to have to wear that all day — and just for supporting your country,” his sister Kaycee Shelly said.

Kaycee Shelly told members of the media at lunchtime that her brother was overwhelmed and did not want to do any more interviews.

Earlier in the day, he was speaking with a local news station when an unidentified teacher walked up to him, ripped off the microphone clipped to his shirt and told him he was not allowed to talk to the media.

District officials said they apologized to the student, his family and the local American Legion on Wednesday — Constitution Day.

“In reviewing the dress code at the time, an administrator felt the shirt was in violation of that section of the dress code,” said Superintendent Brian Walker. “She asked him to remove it and he did.”

The assistant principal initially thought Shelly’s T-shirt violated a clause of the school dress code that does not allow “shirts/blouses that promote specific races, cultures, or ethnicities.”

School officials said they will now interpret that clause of the dress code — which was written at the beginning of this school year — differently.

Defiance when asked to remove an article of clothing is an automatic 3- to 5-day suspension, according to the dress code.

“Certainly we are taking responsibility for it and it will not happen again,” Walker said. “A shirt that has an American flag, a shirt that has a Chinese flag or a Mexican flag, is certainly not a violation of that part of the dress code.”

Jake Shelly was wearing the tie-dyed T-shirt as part of a hippie dress-up day during homecoming week.

Students on campus started a campaign to wear as much red, white or blue clothing and carry as many flags as possible Thursday in protest of Tuesday’s decision, despite the apology. Jake Shelly wore the same shirt he wore Tuesday and was not disciplined.

“I am glad so many people are supporting this and wearing red, white and blue,” his sister said. She believes the swift change in rules was because of the overwhelming student action.

Some school administrators and teachers are out of control and sick with some sort of power trip.

Will the administrator or the teacher be dressed-down? Probably not. Who was the teacher? What does he or she teach? Do they have a pattern of outrageous behavior like this?

Your kids are being indoctrinated, not taught.

Malkin just picked this up.

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Steve McGough

Steve's a part-time conservative blogger. Steve grew up in Connecticut and has lived in Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. He resides in Connecticut, where he’s comfortable six months of the year.

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