Almost Two Dozen Virginia High Schoolers Were Suspended for Wearing the Confederate Flag

A group of over 20 Virginia high school students were suspended last week for wearing Confederate flag clothing to school.

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Complex Original

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Throughout the year, we’ve seen many retailers and government entities take steps to eradicate the Confederate flag, which is a completely understandable and long-overdue measure. However, a group of Virginia teens weren’t so down with their school’s new policy that prohibited the flag from the parking lot; so they decided to protest the ban by wearing the Confederate flag to school last week.

According to NBC News, over 20 students from Christiansburg High School were suspended for wearing the symbol on their clothes, which has been prohibited by the school’s dress code for more than a decade.

Brenda Drake, a spokesperson for Montgomery County Public Schools, told NBC the policy was implemented back in 2001 and 2002, following several "racially motivated behavior" related the controversial flag. But this year, Christiansburg High went one step further and banned its students from displaying Confederate iconography on their vehicles; if the students didn’t sign the agreement, they were not given a parking pass.

“They're trying to get rid of it, and they're not trying to get rid of any other flags," student Forrest Taylor told WSLS. “They say that it's a racist thing even though it's not."

Out of 24 students who showed up in Confederate gear, three of them decided to comply before entering the school. Most of the other students were given a one-day suspension, while a few others were given three days due to their “loud displays and behavior.”

"We are not issuing a judgment on the flag, but know that not allowing it at CHS supports a peaceful educational environment in the building," Drake told NBC. "Continued racial friction suggests that lifting the ban of this particular symbol would cause significant disruption at the school."

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