The principal asked the protesters to remove their t-shirts and those who refused were suspended for two days. The principal said the protesters were suspended for disrupting the school and disobeying authority. We’re all still waiting to learn why people writing “gay pride” on their bodies is less disruptive than wearing a t-shirt.

While the protest was staged in the school, another handful of students protested outside of the school. The police monitored the protest outside but did not intervene.

Once again, our neighbors have used the government schools/indoctrination centers to promote one point of view instead of a discussion about a topic. The mini-totalitarian principal at Rio Linda could have allowed both point of views but instead sided with one over the other. Fortunately, a few students recognized the hypocrisy of the situation and refused to remove their shirts.

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One of the students, Brad Parsons, 16, organized the protest. “It’s freedom of speech,” said Parsons. “Can’t he share his opinion with the world?” said another student. Parsons was suspended due to a new policy against cyber bullying, which is the latest euphemism for censorship. Like so many other rules, these government bureaucrats are using the law in unexpected ways. There is a difference between bullying a fellow student and criticizing a government bureaucrat. In one part of Toronto, it is now illegal to criticize the people who work at the local schools. You can submit a comment card about employees at the local grocery store, or a post a comment about a business on a website, but don’t try to ridicule anyone at your local “school.” Later in the morning, the protest crowd increased to about 300 after someone pulled a fire alarm in the school. About 40 students moved into the street and about 10 police cars showed up to disperse the crowd. As the police understandably tried to clear the road, some students unfortunately started to toss objects and then police started to arrest people. Then some people started hitting the officers. By the end of the incident, five students were arrested. It was a distressing end to a legitimate protest.

It would be understandable for a private school to expel a student who posted derogatory comments about a school employee. But this Toronto school is run by the government, which should not be allowed to censor a citizen for the same reason a government post office or bus system is not allowed to censor it’s “customers.” Government bureaucrats should be not a privileged, protected class of people.

Please click on the comments link below to conribute your opinion of the vice principal at Birchmont Park.

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(2004) Hello, I currently attend a public high school where the principal is trying to ban jelly bracelets. Other people like to call them “sex bracelets”. I and a lot of my other friends don’t follow the stupid “Snap” game, we just like to wear the bracelets because we like them and they express our individualty. Some of the teachers have been cutting the bracelets off peoples arms without warning them first.

We are definitly going to talk to the principal about this and how we think this is unfair. But my question is: Are we making a big deal about this? I’m definitly prepared to get suspended and I strongly believe in student rights but I just don’t know if we should let this go. Both my mind and my heart are telling me to fight this. Do you guys feel the same way? Please write me back I would highly appreciate this.

Libertarian Rock Reply: It’s a personal decision to stand up for your rights. There are consequences. You have to decide on your own. My own personal view is that a bit of press attention would likely keep the administration in line.

I’m not a lawyer and you should consult a lawyer for actual legal advice. As far as I have read, students have the right to free expression as long as the expression is not disruptive. School’s often try to unlawfully stop people from wearing controversial t-shirts. Seems like bracelets are not disruptive.

There are ways to protest the administration without risk of suspension. You can call the press, stage a protest on the sidewalk, start a petition. I led many protests, never got arrested, was always peaceful, and was courteous with the police.

Update: Hi, thanks for writing back. Last night on the news they interviewed our principal and a couple of my friends. Our principal said that he would warn students first to take them off. My two friends who were interviewed had said they had both gotten into trouble but would still continue to wear them. They had also said that they had talked to the principal and he would let them wear them. I think this is unfair because the rest of the school still has to take them off. I’m still going to talk to my principal on Monday. I will keep you posted. Thank you for the support!!

Update: Hey, it’s me again. I’m just writing you real quick to let you know what happened. I went to school on Monday and I was so prepared to talk to the principal, it turns out though that the ban was off. I guess it was getting too big of an issue so he forgot about it. All my friends and I wear our jelly bracelets proudly! But now because of all the big mess the principal made, everyone knows about the double meaning. So really in all reality it was all his fault that everyone found out. Thanks again for your suggestions and support.

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The administration was furious with me, and required me to get adviser signatures to pass out any additional cartoons. So I met with a bunch of administrators and teachers to discuss any possible legal issues that might arise from the publication, and drew the next edition of “A day at PCHS”. The second edition mocked different types of teachers at the school (with no sexual or drug comments, or references specific to any teachers). I handed it to my housemaster, who said he would check with other “leaders” of the school to see whether or not they would sign it.

He came back to me, and said that the leaders said that my cartoon did “not comply with North core values”. I could no longer pass out my cartoon on school grounds, even with an adviser signature. He said that the cartoon would have to “respect human differences,” and I asked him if it meant I had to draw black characters and characters in wheelchairs, and he said, “probably.” He said I would have to propose the cartoon as a publication with a mission plan; I would have to run it through the English department head, get it approved by some faculty publication board (but they will never approve of anything politically incorrect), i.e. the administration is, in an insincere, diplomatic way, preventing me from publishing this cartoon.

So, basically, it boiled down to this: Newton North administrators would not let me photocopy a sheet of paper and pass it out at the school to my friends because the cartoon did not comply with North values, i.e. it’s not PC, i.e. it did not respect diversity. One of the main reasons the administration’s actions bothered me is that Newton North claimed to be so open in expression, and so against censorship, yet they didn’t “practice what they preach.”

Afterward the administration denied distribution of cartoons, I stood up for myself. I wrote columns to the school newspaper and told my story to many kids and teachers. Finally, my issue was publicly recognized twice in the community newspaper. Eventually, the school was pressured into compromising with me for fear of their reputation, and they allowed me to distribute the publication near school grounds.

I want other teenagers to know that if your work is censored, stand up for yourself. You have the right to distribute your work. I did so, and now I can distribute my cartoon to students at “PCHS,” and I gained public recognition for the cartoon.

Thanks for your time, and good luck to all you free-spirited teenagers.

– Anna A., Age 16 (going on 17)
Newton North High School

P.S. if you would like to see what all the controversy was about, you can look at my web page:

http://www.angelfire.com/ma4/pchs/index.html

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Ok. Some background first. I’m now 13, and I go to Aurora Senior Public School in Ontario Canada. I was moved here along with several other classes atg my school and other schools by the York Region Board of Education. It was mainly a tactic to make it look like they were doing something to improve education. The entire process ended up being a mess, there was a big cover up, and a whole lot of shit got flung. But I’m not writing about that. I arrived at my school, along with my class, and things got started up. It was going pretty good until we found out that our teacher Ms. Poulidis really likes to tell us that we’re worthless (in a subtle way though — not that it justifies it). But anyway, things wwere going okay. One day, we had a supply teacher. about ten minutes before the bell, she told us to pack up our stuff, and wait around until the bell rang. So, people were just standing around doing nothing. Over the summer, I had made up some posters that said “Independant thought is a weapon, And like all other weapons, you’ll be expelled for using it.” I had about sixty copies in my locker, so I got them and gave them out before the bell rang.

The next day, I was called down to the office. The principal and vice-principal acted like a relay team, when one would run out of things to say, the other would step in. They told me that I couldn’t hand out the posters, because of board policy, and because it wasn’t true. (On a related note, later, I found out that it is in fact board policy to allow only approved material to be distributed on school property.) I went out of the office with a bad temper, and a taste for retaliation.

Two days later, I showed up sporting a black armband, and carrying ten others. I gave alot of them out to my classmates who were willing to support my cause. When I went into class and started work, my teacher Ms. Poulidis called me over to her desk, and asked my why I was wearing an armband. I told her it was a silent protest against how the school treated independant thought. She was shocked. I guess she had never had one of her sheep — er — students stand up for his rights before. She told me to take it off three time, to wich I replied “no,” and then walked away. Later on, I was called down to the office. Then all hell broke loose. I got in there, and they started asking me questions and telling me to take the armband off. I told them it was my right to freely express myself, and they couldn’t stop me. They told me that armbands are gang symbols. BULLSHIT!!! I could just as easylly say that schools are prisions that churn out psychotics that are hell bent on killing the principal! And I would have been 90% right if I had! After they told me that armbands were gang symbols, I crossed my arms, and asked them “Have you ever actually HAD a gang at this school?” The vice-principal said “Well . . . no,. . . but we have had tagging.” Now usually when someone comes along with a spray paint can, and tags up a building, it’s usually to the extent of “limbizkit rocks!” “FUCK YOU” or “School sucks!” That’s about it. Thje fact is — there are NO gangs in Aurora.

But back to the real subject. . . They started to fight dirty. They asked me how I was doing in school, if I was getting my work done in class, that sort of thing. Now, I am not a good worker in a public environment. I prefer to work in my room, in a relaxing environment, where I don’t have people screaming, or an overseer — er — teacher looking over my shoulder. School to me is just hell with flourescent lights. So anyway, I told them to get back at the topic at hand. They told me how they were sorry for me, because I disliked school and my views would never change. They said how I was fighting a losing battle, and how one person can’t make a difference (**cough! Cough! BULSHIT! Cough! Cough!**). I told them “What about Mohatma Ghandi? What About Martin Luthor king Junior? They made a difference!” They promptly told me that they were fighting against BAD things. They whined about how thye needed to follow proceedures and ploicies. Then I saw the vehicle of their destruction. On the shelf, there was a copy of the york region school board policies and proceedures handbook. I asked them to see it, and they reluctantly gave it to me. I showed them the part that said that the school had to adhere to the canadian charter of rights and freedoms. They were mortally wounded.

Knowing this, they said “ok, you can wear your armband. What are the names of the people you gave armbands to?”

“why?

“We don’t have to tell you that.”

“why??”

“well. . . we just want to talk to them.”

Not knowing my right to silence, I told them the names, and was dismissed. my associates were picked off one by one.

But it doesn’t stop there.

I started my own press company called “The Subterranean Free Press.” So far, I’ve put out three issues, and the fourth is in the works. You can visit my website at http://www.geocities.com/thesubterraneancity/

The website has a lot of cool stuff, like the free thought poster campaign, and back issues. You can also E-mail me at the_subterranean%40hotmail.com. Anyway, always fight for your rights

Vive La Resistance!

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One day last fall my teacher got a glimpse of it as I took some materials out of my locker. She asked me what it was and I said to her ” Well that’s my QUESTION AUTHORITY poster.” She asked me what it meant and I explained the whole alternative thinking thing and how authorative figures can be wrong sometimes. She gave me a cold look and told me kindly but still forcefully: “take it down please.” I replied with a “No.” and I got a feeling that an all out war was at its beginning. Well she told me again and I said”No”. well she was really boiling at the time and I tried explaining to her that it was in my rights to freely express myself. As I was telling her this she jumped to conclusions interupted me any time possible and made me sound like a pretty bad person. She started to scream and I quote: ” I’m sending you out of the room untill you decide to cooperate and that’s my right!” So I’m out in the hall doing my work induring my unlawful punishment when she comes outside and tells me to come back in. I felt pleased that I had reacted so smoothly but the scent of war was still in the air. . . I think she was trying to provoke a really bad reaction out of me so she could nail me for something, but it backfired and now she was mad. Bad move.

So let’s say it’s about a week or two after the incident and I’m walking to the school library with my class for some sort of a study period. I suddenly realise that I’ve forgotten some materials that I need, so like any smart guy I break away from my class and go back for what I need. So I get what I came for and was half way to the library when I notice the principal of our school Mr. Lester behind me and I hear a muffled voice say something that sounded remotely like “Mr. Dodds” (my last name) but smelling trouble I Ignore it hoping he’s not calling me. But he says it again and I turn around and face him. What a perfect place to strike – in an empty hall without the support of my classmates ( not that they’d give me much support anyway. . . ) and he asks me if he could see my locker. I say “Yes.” and walk him there, undo the combination lock and open it. At the sight of the sighn I smell trouble. He asks me what it is and we go through the entire thing again – me cool, him at the point of almost intrusive (though much cooler than my homeroom teacher Mrs. Stanley) and all the interuptions in between. He tells me in his most authorative and intimidating voice ” Take it down NOW.” Well, back then I really didn’t know my Canadian rights so facing the principal and possibly in-school suspension, sadly but more determined than ever, I took it down.

A couple of nights later, I thought to myself “Are you going to let them squash you just like that?! It’s internet time!” So I sighn in to interlog and start searching for info on my rights. And eventually I found it; The Canadian Charter Of Rights And Freedoms and the york region board of educatioin policies and procedures handbook. Armed with literary support, I confidently put my poster back up.

About two months later, the principal of our school was walking down the hall while I was doing some thing in my locker, and wouldn’t you believe it – he confronts me. The conversation is as follows:

“Didin’t I tell you to take that sighn down?”
“Yes.”
” And why didn’t you?”
” Because it’s against my freedom of speech right.”
” We don’t have that right in Canada. Well I’ll leave it to you to take it down.”

He was obviously scared that he was fighting a losing battle. And since then I haven’t had a single problem with him.

Contact Nick Dodds
Email: the_subterranean%40hotmail.com
Website: www.geocities.com/thesubterraneancity/

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Earlier this month, attorneys for Kandice Smith, a sixth-grader at Curry Middle School in Walker County, Alabama, filed a lawsuit in federal court to overturn what they called an “unconstitutional” dress code.

In August, the school banned cross necklaces as part of its new dress code — claiming they are “gang symbols.” School officials threatened to discipline Smith if she didn’t hide the cross under her clothes.

But Smith’s attorneys argue the policy “violates the free speech and free exercise rights [of Smith] by denying her the ability to express her faith through the visible wearing of the necklace.” The lawsuit also charges that the school “demonstrates a hostility toward religion.”

Dasbach said Libertarians agree — but have a better solution.

“Any dress code that bans a popular Christian symbol is clearly unconstitutional, and we’re confident the court will agree. But changing this particular school’s dress code isn’t the answer,” he said.

“After all, if Kandice Smith wins, the problem will be solved at Curry Middle School. But it doesn’t change the fact that thousands of government school districts all across the country have the power to implement a similar anti-Christian ban tomorrow.

“And it doesn’t change the fact that government schools routinely teach values and beliefs that many Christians find abhorrent — while forcing them to pay taxes to subsidize those schools. That’s why this lawsuit won’t solve the real problem.”

So what will?

“Most Christians support a separation of church and state because they understand that government should not come between people’s relationship with their God,” said Dasbach. “What Libertarians understand is that we need a separation of school and state for the same reason: To protect children like Kandice Smith from the kind of religious intolerance she is experiencing at a government school.”

That’s why the underlying problem will only be solved when America starts moving toward a system where children are educated in free-market, religious, or voluntary community schools — not tax-funded government schools, he said.

“In a free-market system — where people aren’t forced to subsidize costly, failing government schools — parents would be able to send their children to schools that teach their values, and respect their beliefs,” said Dasbach. “In a free-market system, Kandice Smith’s parents wouldn’t be forced to send her to a school that makes wearing a cross a crime.”

The idea of moving away from government-run schools and towards private alternatives can be somewhat unsettling for many Christians, Dasbach acknowledged.

“But remember this: Jesus Christ was sentenced to death by his government,” he said. “So, do you want to blindly trust our government to educate your children properly — especially after what it’s done to Kandice Smith?”

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On August twelfth of this year, the two teens were walking through Northwood, Ohio, wearing “Insane Clown Posse” T-shirts, including one which had profanity on it. Not surprisingly, they were soon stopped by local police officers, who threatened to rip the shirts off if they were not voluntarily removed. Apparently yet another illiterate person incapable of reading the first amendment has slipped through the cracks of our marvelous government school system.

“Whatever the officers may think, the First Amendment protects the right to say offensive things, and police may not strong-arm juveniles for exercising their constitutional right to free expression,” said ACLU of Ohio Vice President, Jeffrey Gamso.

Apparently the agents of our government are not able to comprehend this little tidbit of information, and were quoted in the Toledo Blade, on August 7th as saying, “You can’t be wearing that out in public, … [the T-shirt] is not freedom of speech.” Another officer told the paper that he could have charged the teens with disorderly conduct as a result of the T-shirt. Their ignorance caused the two teens Free Speech rights and property rights (in the form of an illegal search and seizure) to be violated.

By not becoming violent or verbally abusive with the police, the teenagers avoided being put in a negative light by the media, and have emphasized the government’s clown-like stupidity. If this ever happens to you, you have the right refuse the officers’ demands, sue them and the city.

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But I have a disclaimer and even if I do upset and anger a lot of people around here. I’ve always kept it within the “legal” guidelines.
When word got around to the principal of my school, He “!!tried!!” to have me expelled unless I got counseling. His basis to this was that I was a threat to myself and/or the school.
I personally still believe that the whole situation was based on my comments toward the football players, the school, and the town.
I have NEVER been a violent person. I don’t get into fights. I don’t disrupt class. I’d go as far as saying I don’t even insult or “pick on” people. Everyone knows I’m not stupid. I’d never be juvenile enough to threaten anyone and surely not in writing.

The fact that I’m different and into the whole dark/spooky era always brings with it questions of the status of my mental health. I think they knew my “sanity” was the only issue they could use and tried to take advantage of that.
Hines (principal of MHS) claimed to have received two phone calls from “concerned” parents claiming I had a hit-list. The thought of someone with such a deep intent to kill posting a hit list on the Internet is preposterous. At this time the principal had not even seen my site. Someone had printed the “Moorefield” page and the old “Info about Me” page. So basically narrowed down he told me and I quote “I do not want you in MY school unless you get some kind of counseling”
All of this based on rumors and accusations. All of which were untrue.
This “expulsion” was not in writing. It was not backed up or documented in any way. Also The matter was also never discussed before the Board Office. [hmm, I wonder why]
Hines called my father to come to the school for a lil meeting in the guidance counselors office. I had to get my stuff and leave science class to go immediately to the office disrupting the education process and interfering with my right to learn.
In my opinion the whole “meeting” was a pseudo drama in which he basically said a bunch of bullshit and I sat in shock while he rambled about my vile use of profanity on the site and the fact that he thought I need help “…more help than Mrs. Butts or I can give you..” [Mrs. Butts is the guidance counselor at MHS] When I try to question why I so horribly need help, all he can answer is that I use profanity a lot and I seem to have a lot of deep rooted anger and I “continue to work below my potential”. Now, On a personnel note, I think I’d be quite hilarious to compare histories with this man, who claims *I* need help but I think everyone already knows and that’s a different subject.
These threats of expulsion were not indirect. It was made very clear that I did not have a choice. So For that time being, I agreed to go to the counseling and I guess they thought the situation was taken care of.
Little did they know that I have a voice and when I’m backed into a corner, I do not retreat, I lash back.
I was overridden with e-mails and comments from people telling me that this is not right. So I tried to gather as much information as possible. And I began contacting numerous anti-censorship organizations including the ACLU.
I planned slowly while containing my vengeance and attending the counseling.
After lawyers and books galore. I KNOW I am in the right in EVERY way.
One of my personal favorite quotes from a “special” group of people is :

“I do not believe that what they are doing to you at your school is even close to any definition of legal as far as your first amendment rights are concerned.”

So when I decided I was going to sue, I went to Mrs. Butts office with Sandi, and I hesitantly told her what I planned on doing, She kept insisting that we talk with Hines first. I told her, He can talk to me, I just wouldn’t be talking back.
I didn’t really think at this point, I was at a position to compromise. Which he most likely had no intention of doing anyway.
Sandi and I had permission to be out of computer class.
We looked through the BOE’s school handbook and we called lawyers [on their quarter - haha SUCKA] in the guidance counselors office. You’d be amazed at what’s in those books. Knowledge IS power. Never Forget that.
I believe Mrs. Butts broke our vow of confidentiality. Sadly, I have no proof to this. But actions speak louder than words. Nonetheless, I am not alone in my view that she is a backstabbing traitor. I am more than happy that she retired this year. One less fuct teacher in the system.
Anyway, Hines had first said Sandi and I could sign out to go to the Board Office, in a smirk way with our parents permission. Minutes later, He tells us that if we want to go, we have to go on our own time and to go back to class [Even Though WE HAD PERMISSION to be out]
At this point, I was just fed up with it all so, I wait a few days, and then I go tell him, That I refuse to go to counseling anymore. Hoping/Expecting that he would follow through and expel me. And what happens..

NOTHING!

By this time he had heard my plans to sue, so He mutters something about “I’m gonna have to call the board and see what I can do. I can’t expel you ’cause you never threatened anyone but I can suspend you for not following my direct order”… Hehe.. “DIRECT ORDER” .. Um, ok, sure, …..so I went back to class,

Where’s the expulsion?? Where’s the suspension?? Where’s my fucking $30,000!!?? So now it’s Friday, July 9th and I’ve yet to be suspended. I’ve yet to hear ANY apology. I’ve got nothing. This proves that Every psuedo “big shot” in this town, is All Talk, No Action. Like a turtle retreating when you hear ACLU. Everyone including the principal knew I was in the right.. MY OPINION – But come on; dare to challenge it??

All of this and The Hardy County BOE STILL claims their schools are the anti-theis of censorship.
With the resignation of the superintendent, [for other matters] I hope this will set an example and I hope more people will become aware that THEIR OPINIONS DO MATTER and if you want something done, YOUR VOICE HAS TO BE HEARD.

Everytime I think about the situation, I get more and more pissed. The whole incident was bullshit. The damage they’ve done is in-fixable. I want MHS to know, if this was an attempt to break me, You failed miserably. But once I upload this, All the “hate” I had for anyone involved will be gone. I can forgive and get over the hate because I believe I am above those of you who chose to remain ignorant and misinformed and/or misunderstand me, my comments or my actions.
But I will always remember and I want yous to know, None of the people who had any part in this will Ever mean anything to me.

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What can you do? Well, you can own your very own suspension-provoking T-shirt and simultaneously support the right to self defense. Visit the Illinois State Rifle Association’s store.

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