12 Year Old Wins Big In Flag Controversy
A Colorado 12-year-old just won a major victory against his school after a video of him being removed from class for displaying a Gadsen Flag patch on his backpack went viral.
Connor Boyack, an education expert and president of the Libertas Institute in Utah, announced the news in a tweet Monday.
"We won!" Boyack wrote. "Let this be a lesson — document your encounters w/ government employees. Had Jaiden's mom not recorded the video, this wouldn't have got nearly the attention that it did."
The incident began when Jaiden was asked to remove the patch from his backpack by an employee of Vanguard School in Colorado Springs on Monday.
The employee argued the patch was "disruptive to the classroom environment" and had "origins with slavery."
The Gadsen flag is actually a symbol of the American Revolution, used to represent the 13 colonies’ fight against British tyrannical rule.
Jaiden’s mother did not agree with the employee’s reasoning and argued the patch represented the Revolutionary War and not slavery.
The video of the incident went viral, prompting the school to reverse its decision and allow Jaiden to keep the patch on 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
The school board released an email to Jaiden’s mother that said, "From Vanguard’s founding we have proudly supported our Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the ordered liberty that all Americans have enjoyed for almost 250 years. The Vanguard School recognizes the historical significance of the Gadsden flag and its place in history. This incident is an occasion for us to reaffirm our deep commitment to a classical education in support of these American principles."
The school also released a comment to local news outlet KOAA News, saying, "The patch in question was part of half a dozen other patches of semi-automatic weapons."
The school went on to say Jaiden would still be allowed back in class after removing the patches of semi-automatic weapons from his backpack.
Even Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis weighed in on the controversy, taking to social media and defending the Gadsen flag as "a proud symbol of the American Revolution and an iconic warning to Britain or any government not to violate the liberties of Americans."
The incident has highlighted the importance of individual rights in a time of heightened tensions across the country. For Jaiden, it was a victory for those rights - one that he'll remember for years to come.
We won! #JusticeForJaiden pic.twitter.com/Y8dX43e9Sp
— Connor Boyack 📚 (@cboyack) August 30, 2023