TL/dr
America Night at NC high school football game
18 year old wears a jersey with Trump and 45
Not making a scene
Parents complain
Halftime the principal acts like a liberal
Spoiler:
At one North Carolina high school, “patriotic” apparently doesn’t mean the president.
According to WTVD, ABC 11 in Durham, an 18-year-old student was ordered to change a jersey he wore with the name “Trump” and the number “45” for a football game Friday night, then marched off the premises by the school’s principal.
And his father isn’t happy about it at all.
“I think any mother or father would feel like I feel,” Mike Collins told the news station.
“We don’t want any kids violated. We don’t want to see kids embarrassed over something like this,” Collins said. “He was not disrespectful. He was not acting in a manner that would cause attention to him.”
According WTVD, the theme during Harnett Central High School’s game included spectators in the student section being asked to dress patriotically for “USA America” night.
The “Trump” jersey – which was given to his son by a family friend — must not have fit the bill, Collins told the station. He said the school’s principal asked his son, Matthew, to remove the jersey.
In an interview with the conservative website Big League Politics, Matthew himself described a situation that should dismay any American — but especially high school students and their parents. HIs description is long, but worth reading every word:
“I was minding my own business talking with friends and cheering on my high school football team. I never walked to the bathroom nor committed any action that would draw attention to myself …,” Matthew Collins said.
“I was standing on the front row and people were standing behind me making it very hard to see the back of my shirt. So half time comes around and Mrs. Gordon (the principal) singled me out and pointed at me telling me to come towards her. I walk towards her as requested when she says ‘Do you have another shirt you can change into?’. I respond ‘yes but why’. Gordon then says ‘parents are complaining about your shirt’ I make the statement of ‘why? He is the president of the United States and it is America Night’. She responded with ‘its political’. I came back at her with ‘how is it political? He is our president and it’s America Night’. She then stated ‘change the shirt’. As this conversation was going on, she was walking me to the front gate. However, instead of taking the stairs right beside the student section, she walked me in front of the entire stadium.
“The student section is located near the end zone of one side of the field and she walked me to the staircase at the complete other end of the field in front of everyone. I then make the statement to Mrs. Gordon that ‘if Obama’s name was on the back of this jersey, you wouldn’t have a problem with it’ She froze up and honestly didn’t know what to say. She walked me to the gate and asked ‘if I payed’ because she was going to give me my money back. I said no and walked to my truck. At this point, I was so furious I almost had tears coming out. Mr. Booker (assistant principal) ran after me making the statement of ‘don’t let them win’ and ‘come back in the game just without the jersey’. He then says ‘it’s just parents complaining non stop’. I then respond ‘those parents are what’s wrong with America’ and he agreed with me. I eventually walk back in the game WITHOUT the jersey on because that was the only way I was getting back in. I felt everyone was looking at me therefore, a couple of guys and I completely left. I 100% believe I was discriminated against as well my first amendment right was violated. There were many ways to handle this situation and the way Cindy Gordon did it, was just wrong. She humiliated me and embarrassed me in front of everyone in that stadium.”
So, if Matthews’ account is correct, it means the principal of an American public high school let the opinions of parents complaining trample on a student’s First Amendment rights.
It’s important to note that this didn’t happen in a classroom, in a hallway, or even during school hours. It was at a public event — and one that was supposedly celebrating American freedoms. The irony is appalling.
According to The Daily Record, a newspaper based in Harnett County, the school’s principal, Cindy Gordon, had not returned calls for comment.
According to WTVD, ABC 11 in Durham, an 18-year-old student was ordered to change a jersey he wore with the name “Trump” and the number “45” for a football game Friday night, then marched off the premises by the school’s principal.
And his father isn’t happy about it at all.
“I think any mother or father would feel like I feel,” Mike Collins told the news station.
“We don’t want any kids violated. We don’t want to see kids embarrassed over something like this,” Collins said. “He was not disrespectful. He was not acting in a manner that would cause attention to him.”
According WTVD, the theme during Harnett Central High School’s game included spectators in the student section being asked to dress patriotically for “USA America” night.
The “Trump” jersey – which was given to his son by a family friend — must not have fit the bill, Collins told the station. He said the school’s principal asked his son, Matthew, to remove the jersey.
In an interview with the conservative website Big League Politics, Matthew himself described a situation that should dismay any American — but especially high school students and their parents. HIs description is long, but worth reading every word:
“I was minding my own business talking with friends and cheering on my high school football team. I never walked to the bathroom nor committed any action that would draw attention to myself …,” Matthew Collins said.
“I was standing on the front row and people were standing behind me making it very hard to see the back of my shirt. So half time comes around and Mrs. Gordon (the principal) singled me out and pointed at me telling me to come towards her. I walk towards her as requested when she says ‘Do you have another shirt you can change into?’. I respond ‘yes but why’. Gordon then says ‘parents are complaining about your shirt’ I make the statement of ‘why? He is the president of the United States and it is America Night’. She responded with ‘its political’. I came back at her with ‘how is it political? He is our president and it’s America Night’. She then stated ‘change the shirt’. As this conversation was going on, she was walking me to the front gate. However, instead of taking the stairs right beside the student section, she walked me in front of the entire stadium.
“The student section is located near the end zone of one side of the field and she walked me to the staircase at the complete other end of the field in front of everyone. I then make the statement to Mrs. Gordon that ‘if Obama’s name was on the back of this jersey, you wouldn’t have a problem with it’ She froze up and honestly didn’t know what to say. She walked me to the gate and asked ‘if I payed’ because she was going to give me my money back. I said no and walked to my truck. At this point, I was so furious I almost had tears coming out. Mr. Booker (assistant principal) ran after me making the statement of ‘don’t let them win’ and ‘come back in the game just without the jersey’. He then says ‘it’s just parents complaining non stop’. I then respond ‘those parents are what’s wrong with America’ and he agreed with me. I eventually walk back in the game WITHOUT the jersey on because that was the only way I was getting back in. I felt everyone was looking at me therefore, a couple of guys and I completely left. I 100% believe I was discriminated against as well my first amendment right was violated. There were many ways to handle this situation and the way Cindy Gordon did it, was just wrong. She humiliated me and embarrassed me in front of everyone in that stadium.”
So, if Matthews’ account is correct, it means the principal of an American public high school let the opinions of parents complaining trample on a student’s First Amendment rights.
It’s important to note that this didn’t happen in a classroom, in a hallway, or even during school hours. It was at a public event — and one that was supposedly celebrating American freedoms. The irony is appalling.
According to The Daily Record, a newspaper based in Harnett County, the school’s principal, Cindy Gordon, had not returned calls for comment.
