Don't Tread on Jaiden! School District Learns Its Lesson

The 12-year-old boy kicked out of class for sporting a Gadsden flag patch is back in school.

Jaiden, the 12-year-old boy who was kicked out of class for wearing a Gadsden flag patch on his backpack, is back in school with his constitutional rights restored.

"The Vanguard School recognizes the Gadsden flag and its place in history," wrote the school's board of directors in a statement. "At this time, the Vanguard School Board and the District have informed the student's family that he may attend school with the Gadsden flag patch visible on his backpack."

A video of the student and his mother arguing with officials went viral on social media earlier this week. The Vanguard School—a charter school overseen by Harrison School District 2 in Colorado Springs, Colorado—had initially maintained that the "Don't tread on me" rattlesnake was a racist symbol associated with slavery and the slave trade. Jaiden's mother objected, patiently explaining that the Gadsden flag's origins can be traced to the Revolutionary War; its warning was directed at British tyranny, though subsequent freedom movements have adopted the flag for various causes.

In the face of overwhelming criticism—including from Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D)—the school district conceded its mistake and reversed course. Libertas Institute President Connor Boyack, who first publicized Jaiden's predicament, reported on Tuesday that Jaiden was back at school and free to display the Gadsden flag.

Jaiden should sell this and monetize his new fame ???? pic.twitter.com/YjKjpKRAny

— Connor Boyack ???? (@cboyack) August 30, 2023

This is welcome news. Young people should not automatically lose their free expression rights when they set foot in school, and there's no reason whatsoever to think that Jaiden's Gadsden flag backpack was disruptive in the classroom. Hopefully, school officials everywhere are paying attention: Don't tread on kids.

Comments

[Super Scary]

Do kids backpacks need to be that big? Is that common nowadays? Or did this kid just want more real estate for his patches and whatnot? Either way, good for him for standing up to that teacher.

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

You'll grow into, now quite your complaining or I'll give you something to complain about.

- My father

[Super Scary]

Reminds me of being told for the first 5 or 6 Halloweens that I was going to dress up as a solider because I could just wear my dad's old fatigues. I never did get to be a ninja.

[Stuck in California]

Kids aren't allowed lockers anymore in some schools. At least that's the case where one of my coworker's kids go. They have to carry books for their whole day in their backpacks.

Wouldn't be surprised if a place that thinks Don't Tread on Me is a slavery credo is one of those places.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

It's not that big, it's just slung low on his back so it looks bigger from that angle than it really is.

[jack murphy]

yeah, some schools have eliminated lockers so the poor kids are expected to pack mule their books around all day.

[dougwesterman]

It's good exercise and preparation for future backpacking trips.

Seriously, I would like to know who the employee was that originally forbid it. A teacher, and administrator?

We had a lady at our HS with the position of "Director of Education" who did not allow a Stanford Professor to talk because she thought his beard was too messy.

[Wizard4169]

It started out with a teacher. He also had some patches showing "semi-automatic firearms" (OMGWTFBBQ! No one needs a high-capacity assault patch and we certainly shouldn't have patches in schools!) which he agreed to remove. The Gadsden patch OTOH is pretty clearly protected speech since it's neither obscene nor threatening. Read literally it's an entirely reasonable request. It's not like most people want to be stepped on after all.

[mad.casual]

A little from column A, a little from columns B, C, and D. He'll grow into it, not all schools provide lockers to accommodate all books and if you buy an appropriately-sized backpack, there's no guarantee your books, lunch soccer cleats, etc. will all fit, and only prissy chicks wear appropriately-sized backpacks.

[Wizard4169]

Some schools don't offer lockers. Even if they do, some have such short passing periods kids don't have time to go to their lockers between classes. I've read several stories over the years about kids developing back problems from lugging around ridiculously heavy packs.

[Zeb]

He's 12 and fairly small, so in a year or two it will be just the right size.

[The Margrave of Azilia]

(trigger warning: loud)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh-TKJTCtnw

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

For God sakes kid, don't run for class president. They'll have RICO charges all prepared for you before the lunch bell rings.

[AT]

Not unless he's been making calls to the leadership of various school clubs and asking them to go "find" something they've repeatedly said they don't have in order to flip them in his direction.

[Stuck in California]

Just a comment about the headline. I can almost guarantee the school leaned no lessons. They were merely forced to capitulate. Nothing more.

I may be wrong, but I'm a cynic.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

Just a comment about the headline. I can almost guarantee the school leaned no lessons. They were merely forced to capitulate. Nothing more.

I guarantee the only reason they backed down was because Polis got involved. Like I've said, he's still a huge shitlib, he's just less retarded than his fellow Democrats in the state legislature and offices, who are truly knuckle-dragging dipwads of the first order.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

Apparently they had to cancel their parent-teacher night because they were getting an earful from a lot of pissed off parents.

I don't blame them for being mad, but at least they know now that their school is full of pinkos who can now be hassled out of the place accordingly.

[KeninTX]

They said the patch was "disruptive" - the only thing that was a disruption was when the teacher who is apparently ignorant about our history grabbed the student out of class and frog-marched him to the principal's office because she thought the patch was somehow "pro-slavery/racism."

The school district deserves whatever non-violent blow-back it gets from this incident. They demonstrated their ignorance, argued when told what it actually represents...

[Wizard4169]

Back in my school days, administrators' created a lot more disruption over trivial shit than the allegedly "disruptive" items ever could have. (It was almost always administrators. Most of my teachers either had better sense or just couldn't be arsed to care.) Based on stories such as this one, I don't think that's changed one bit.

[jack murphy]

IGNORANT pinkos. or perhaps mendacious and deceitful pinkos. i'm going with deceitful.

[A Cynical Asshole]

IGNORANT pinkos. or perhaps mendacious and deceitful pinkos.

Probably all three.

"Fat, drunk, and stupid Ignorant, mendacious, and deceitful is no way to go through life."

[Nazi-Chipping Warlock]

I presume the teacher has now been fired for national attention grabbing incompetence.

Hahahahahahahah, just kidding, I know better.

[Dillinger]

>>School District Learns Its Lesson

zero administrators or teachers learned a lesson. maybe a lunch lady or bus driver

[Unicorn Abattoir]

School District Learns Its Lesson

Doubtful.

[jack murphy]

well now maybe some of the kids have a better understanding of the revolution and what the flag was about and NOT about. maybe there are a few that see the pure mendacity nd sophistry of the hack teacher. and a good idea of how to punch back. MAYBE

[Unicorn Abattoir]

And he's running for class VP. Keep an eye on those ballots, kid.

[Kyle T]

To me, the most disappointing aspect of the situation is that no educator/administrator researched the origins or meaning of the Gadsden Flag before disciplining a student.

Is it any wonder that schools perform so poorly in teaching students how to think rationally when the teachers and administrators fail in that endeavor.

[Jerry B.]

Oh, hell. Most liberals think Southern States are entirely populated by MAGA White Supremacists, despite the fact that most of them had 40% plus votes for Biden, and 30% plus of their population is non-White.

[AT]

They knew. This was about trying to bully the kid into submission and compliance for exclusively partisan reasons, with the perceived confidence that the media/government would back their play.

A weaksauce version of tearing down a statue or renaming a building out of spite.

[Liberty_Belle]

'Round here the Gadsen is a virtue signal of every wannabee militia weirdo. Some of them are racist, but not all. My point is you don't always get to choose what your symbol means and who uses it. The swastika symbol was used for a thousand years as a peace and prosperity symbol in India; the Navajo used it as a symbol for wind, etc; all before Adolf and his lot showed up and used it for their BS. Now nobody remembers any meaning other than Adolf's and you will get banned on social media for even thinking about posting it.

[Zeb]

The regular US flag is used for all the things you mention the Gadsden flag is used for.

[Think It Through]

Yes it's next.

[DesigNate]

Sure it is.

[Johnluke44]

It means "Don't f$%* with me." Some racists use it, some libertarians use it. Apparently some USMC still like to use it too.

Kid's too young to wear that in a school.

[Johnluke44]

He's too young for that patch.

[The Margrave of Azilia]

Here’s CNN’s explanation from 2021:

“The Gadsden flag, which is known to many as the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag, is a traditional and historical patriotic flag dating to the American Revolution. The flag and symbol are also popular among Libertarians. But it also has been co-opted by right wing groups. [ADL “expert” Mark] Pitcavage explains that while some fly it as a symbol for patriotism, others use it as a “symbol of resistance to perceived tyranny.””

On the one hand, but on the other hand…

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/09/us/capitol-hill-insurrection-extremist-flags-soh/index.html

[Minadin]

They really still believe that 'OK' gesture bullshit from 4chan? Wasn't that debunked like 10 minutes before they originally found out about it?

[Johnluke44]

The "lulz" were "we got people to believe the OK sign is a racist dog whistle! What idiots!"

Don't believe anything on 4chinz

[Minadin]

P.S. I'm eagerly awaiting CNN's 'Flags of the Intersectional SJW Rioters' feature, which I'm certain is going to hit the presses any moment now.

[Fetterman's Hump]

"Pitcavage explains that while some fly it as a symbol for patriotism, others use it as a “symbol of resistance to perceived tyranny.””

Apparently the ADL believe it is morally wrong to resist tyranny. What a truly F'ed up group of people.

[A Cynical Asshole]

Good luck to the kid, he's got a proverbial target on his back now. Teachers and administrators will be looking for any excuse they can to fail him or kick him out of school for some other petty reason.

[Stuck in California]

I'm guessing he's already on to the fact that his "permanent record" from elementary school doesn't mean a damned thing in real life.

[A Cynical Asshole]

Hopefully, school officials everywhere are paying attention: Don't tread on kids.

Unless you want to trans the kids, then go right ahead.

[I, Woodchipper]

For god's sake can we just get rid of public schools already?

[Old Engineer]

Public schools have always been propaganda instruments. The major complaint against them today is that the "wrong" people are propagandizing.

Abolition of government based schooling at all levels is the only solution. Neither funding nor standards should be based within any level of government.

[Johnluke44]

There was a story about some dude in Dallas that hung out in schoolhouse textbook repositories...

[Eeyore]

Learned thier lesson - haha haha lol lol - wait until tomorrow, they will do some sort of similar shit.

[JFree]

Don't you people even know how to find the school website to figure out what narrative will work to demonize them?

This charter school is built on a Hillsdale Academy Model

HILLSDALE ACADEMY, founded in 1990, serves as a model kindergarten-through-twelfth grade school. Under the auspices of Hillsdale College, the Academy bases its curriculum on a solid grounding in fundamental academic skills, an exploration of the arts and sciences, and an understanding of the foundational tenets of our Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman heritage.

This is the same Hillsdale - a private Christian college in Michigan - that deSantis wants Florida schools to model themselves after.

This ain't a bunch of intersectional transpinkos. You moronic bots.

[VinniUSMC]

This ain’t a bunch of intersectional transpinkos.

Apparently, there's at least a few that managed to become teachers and/or administrators at the school.

But, thanks for your insight, JFear. Truly special, as always.

[Terran]

Wait until he says that all Americans are constitutionalists because they are in an institution that is ostensibly constitutional.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

This ain’t a bunch of intersectional transpinkos. You moronic bots.

Yes, because commies have never subverted existing institutions before, you reactionary dingdong.

The vast majority of the teaching profession, and that includes the administrators, are trained off of the Freire "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" model and are as left-wing as they come. As if this moron administrator who got stun-locked when the kid's mother pointed out the flag's actual history wasn't elegant enough proof of that.

[JFree]

Well I for one am impressed that those dastardly commies sneaked in to disguise themselves as teachers of ancient Greco-Latin and Judeo-Christian heritage. But of course I would be impressed wouldn’t I because I too am a pinko who is trying to keep those commies hidden and safe.

I’m sure they were diabolically clever at sneaking dialectical materialism and critical race theory into a classical conservative curriculum. Infecting all those children until one witty juvenile exposed it all by remembering that the well-known Achilles heel of all commies is how easily triggered they are by the Gadsden flag.

Someone deserves the Presidential Medal of Freedom here for exposing this vast conspiracy

[Old Engineer]

Motivation is not the issue, the issue is the banning of an idea. The mania for seeking to establish the motivation of an act is a distraction from understanding the effect of the act.

No one should give a rodent's derriere about the motives of the people attempting to ban the Gadsden Flag. The act speaks for itself - it is based on the idea that words are violence or at are at least the equivalent of violence. Seeing something may agitate you, enrage you, make you laugh or bore you, but it is not the same as being physically beaten and cannot justify censorship.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

Well I for one am impressed that those dastardly commies sneaked in to disguise themselves as teachers of ancient Greco-Latin and Judeo-Christian heritage

Are you saying the teacher and administrators weren’t indulging in bullshit left-wing narratives about the Gadsden flag patch? Where exactly does this fall in line with the Hillsdale motto? Or are you simply upset that the right got a W in this case? Because you're displaying all the traits of someone with Stockholm Syndrome from being surrounded by Coloraod's shitlib malbushim population on the Front Range.

[Fetterman's Hump]

To me, that just shows how deep the teachers' colleges have brain washed "teachers".

Resist tyranny, it is the most patriotic thing you can do.

[DesigNate]

I love that you think that this teacher’s complete lack of historical knowledge, let alone trying to bring down the specter of slavery and racism onto a 12 year old kid to shame them into the behavior the authority wants, doesn’t make them some brain dead pinko fuckstick.

Never change Jfree.

[Livemike]

Tell me I should homeschool without telling me I should homeschool.

[Jerry B.]

This incident is gold for Babylon Bee.

https://babylonbee.com/news/fbi-seizes-jaidens-backpack-in-predawn-raid

https://babylonbee.com/news/colorado-school-releases-powerful-commercial-for-why-you-should-homeschool

[Dillinger]

lolz

[rloquitur]

There should be a 18 USC 242 prosecution here.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

There isn't any need at this point because the school backed down. But the family better be prepared for retaliation, especially from the administrators and the kid's teacher who narc'ed on him.

[JFree]

Someone needs to be executed here to prevent that retaliation

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

"Don't do anything to embarrass the school" tends to be a boilerplate warning to teachers when the school year starts.

[Wizard4169]

With all the attention this has gotten they're going to be walking on eggshells around him for at least a little while. Training kids to accept tyranny is okay. Getting a humiliating exposure of your tyranny not so much. Granted, petty tyrants tend to have long memories. Once the publicity fades he'll be the one who needs to tread cautiously.