Colorado Student Kicked out of Class for Wearing Gadsden Flag, Colorado Governor Responds
A 12-year-old student in Colorado was allegedly kicked out of class for wearing a Gadsden flag patch after being told by the school that the flag has “origins with slavery and slave trade.”
A viral video on X (the social platform previously known as Twitter) shows 12-year-old Jaiden from The Vanguard School in Colorado Springs being condemned by a school administrator for wearing a Gadsden flag patch on his backpack. The video, which appears to be recorded by Jaime’s mother, outlines the school’s incoherent reasons for removing Jaiden from his class and asking for the patch to be removed.
“The reason we do not want the flag displayed is due to its origins with slavery and slave trade,” the school administrator explained. “That’s the reason behind us not wanting it displayed.”
Jaiden’s mother, who seemed confused by the response, asked for clarification that the administrator was describing the Gadsden flag and not the Confederate flag. When the administrator confirmed it was the Gadsden flag that was unacceptable, the mother properly explained that the Gadsden flag has no association with slavery and was used as a symbol during the Revolutionary War.
After being corrected, The Vanguard School administrator simply stated that she was there to “enforce the policy provided by the district.” She then referred Jaiden’s mother to The Vanguard School’s Director of Operations, Jeff Yocum.
President of Libertas Connor Boyack, who uploaded the viral video to X, posted emails showing Yocum’s defense of the school’s decision to prohibit the Gadsden flag. Yocum cited several controversial articles that claim the Gadsden flag has ties to “white-supremacy groups.” He also cited the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), an agency that has admitted the flag “originated in the Revolutionary War in a non-racial context.”
When viewing Harrison School District’s policy on unacceptable apparel, there is no obvious rule that Jaiden has violated. The district has restrictions against “obscene, profane, vulgar, lewd, or legally libelous” attire, but none are applicable to a student displaying the Gadsden flag. Despite this, Jaiden was told by the school administrator that he could not go back to class with the flag displayed because the school couldn’t have the flag “around other kids.”
The Gadsden flag, or the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag, was first used by the country’s first naval commander-in-chief, Commodore Esek Hopkins. The snake on the flag, similar to the one used by Benjamin Franklin in his “Join, or Die” political cartoon, was a symbol of unity between the original colonies. Since then, the flag has been a popular American symbol to represent freedom from tyranny, individualism, and patriotism.
The virality of the video capturing the dispute between the school and Jaiden’s mother prompted Colorado Governor Jared Polis to weigh in on the situation. Governor Polis commented on the video, rightfully defending Jaiden’s actions and calling the Gadsden flag a “proud symbol of the American Revolution.”
“Obviously the Gadsden flag is a proud symbol of the American revolution and a iconic warning to Britain or any government not to violate the liberties of Americans. It appears on popular American medallions and challenge coins through today and Ben Franklin also adopted it to symbolize the union of the 13 colonies. It’s a great teaching moment for a history lesson!”
Colorado Governor Jared Polis via X
