Kid Gets Detention For Wearing T-Shirt With A Gun On It
A t-shirt honoring a fallen Iraq veteran, to boot.
LANCASTER, Pa. - The family of a middle school student who was given detention for wearing a T-shirt bearing the image of a gun has filed a federal freedom of speech lawsuit against the school district.
Donald Miller III, 14, went to Penn Manor High School in December wearing a T-shirt he said was intended to honor his uncle, a U.S. Army soldier fighting in Iraq.
The shirt bears the image of a military sidearm and on the front pocket says “Volunteer Homeland Security.” On the back, over another image of the weapon, are the words “Special issue Resident Lifetime License — United States Terrorist Hunting Permit — Permit No. 91101 — Gun Owner — No Bag Limit.”
Officials at the Millersville school told him to turn his shirt inside out. When Miller refused, he got two days of detention.
Things get a little absurd when the school explains its thinking on banning the t-shirt.
...an attorney for the school district said school must create a safe environment for students in the post-Columbine era, and bringing even the image of a gun to school violates the district’s policy.
“There’s a much higher level of sensitivity these days,” Penn Manor attorney Kevin French said. “But it’s based on reality.”
Even the image of a gun violates school policy. Apparently students are supposed to pretend as though guns don’t exist. In order to, you know, keep them safe.
I’m not sure I’m on board with a freedom of speech lawsuit in this instance, though. Certainly this is a stupid policy, but the Supreme Court has long upheld time and place restrictions on free speech, and I think we can all agree that the 1st amendment doesn’t necessarily mean you can wear whatever you want to school.
