A 12-year-old boy was removed from class at a school in Colorado Springs after being told his Gadsden Flag patch violated school policy because of its “racist origins.”
The student, identified only as Jaiden in a video posted to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, is a student at The Vanguard School. He was told that the patch can not adorn his backpack “due to its origins with slavery and the slave trade.”
Of course, its origins are in the Revolutionary War, not the slave trade.
Jeff Yocum, the senior operations director for the school, followed the in-school discussion with an email to Jaiden’s mother calling the Gadsden Flag an “unacceptable symbol” and citing weak links from specious sources as a reason that it violates the school’s dress code.
His message at the time suggested the young man will not be allowed back in the school with that flag patch.
“We truly hope to have Jaiden back at school tomorrow to resume his normal school day,” Yocum wrote, “but that will require this patch to be removed from his backpack.”
Meet 12yo Jaiden who was kicked out of class yesterday in Colorado Springs for having a Gadsden flag patch, which the school claims has “origins with slavery.”
The school’s director said via email that the patch was “disruptive to the classroom environment.”
Receipts in the ? pic.twitter.com/qQ8jK1zSpR
— Connor Boyack ? (@cboyack) August 29, 2023
Gadsden Flag Has No Origins In Slavery, Is Not Racist
Particularly alarming is that one of the school officials, presumably the teacher, explained to Jaiden’s confused mother that the Gadsden flag has origins in slavery.
That is a level of ignorance unbefitting of someone trying to teach children.
The flag has been described as the “most popular symbol of the American Revolution,” as its symbolism promotes virtues of individualism and liberty.
They cited @USEEOC, which admitted that the flag “originated in the Revolutionary War in a non-racial context”…
But then said “However, whatever the historic origins and meaning of the symbol, it also has since been sometimes interpreted to convey racially-tinged messages…” pic.twitter.com/w0M74bMgN2
— Connor Boyack ? (@cboyack) August 29, 2023
There are zero links to the slave trade. Even if you wanted to somehow suggest it’s since been co-opted by various movements, the fact that school officials claim it has “origins” in the slave trade reveals their lack of knowledge.
Yocum attempts to use the shifting use argument but links to an EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) case which expressly states “the Gadsden Flag originated in a non-racial context.”
“Importantly,” the EEOC added to its ruling, “the Commission did not find that the Gadsden Flag in fact is a racist symbol.”
The director then argued that the flag is associated with “hate groups,” linking to this weak article that cites a “graphic design scholar” ? who claimed that “some may now see the Gadsden flag as a symbol of intolerance and hate—or even racism.”
Link: https://t.co/ZD6JZ4AhDK pic.twitter.com/sUOqLEwGf0
— Connor Boyack ? (@cboyack) August 29, 2023
Democrat Governor Speaks Up
Even Democrat Governor Jared Polis seemed to defend the Gadsden Flag, calling it “a proud symbol of the American Revolution” and suggesting that it was time “for a history lesson.”
“The Gadsden flag is a proud symbol of the American Revolution and a(n) iconic warning to Britain or any government not to violate the liberties of Americans,” he wrote.
“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,” he continued.
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… pic.twitter.com/sroNXnlJsf
— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) August 29, 2023
Wikipedia notes that the LGBT movement used a version of the Gadsden Flag with rainbow-colored stripes. If Jaiden had a backpack with that symbol on it, the school wouldn’t have dared to question it.
Within hours of an onslaught of negative coverage on social media, the school finally backed down and said Jaiden can return with the patch intact.
BREAKING: Colorado school who kicked a kid out of class for having a Gadsden flag patch on his backpack has decided to allow him to keep wearing the patch to school! pic.twitter.com/vEUDpnFgJs
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) August 30, 2023
We applaud Jaiden for refusing to back down from his position supporting the Gadsden flag!
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