Boy Given Detention For T-Shirt With Gun On It In Honor Of Iraq War Uncle
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.
His parents, Donald and Tina Miller of Holtwood, have accused the Penn Manor School District in a lawsuit of violating their son’s First Amendment rights with a “vague Orwellian policy” that stifles both patriotism and free speech.
But 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.”
The lawsuit was filed in January. A federal judge will hold a conference on the case March 31.
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Gee …
What’re they gonna do when all those Jihadi Killer Ts start showing up in the schools?
March 10th, 2008 at 6:33 pmingsoc is double plus good
March 10th, 2008 at 6:41 pmStop t-shirt violence now!!!
March 10th, 2008 at 7:05 pmenough with the ‘post Columbine era’ bullshit. unless you’re a terrorist why are you worried? And with the way these ass-clowns are suppressing free speech, maybe they are. I’d be willing to bet that the faggots and queers can wear a shirt with that stupid-ass rainbow symbol,and no one would say shit!
March 10th, 2008 at 7:12 pmHmm, yet it’s fine to wear paraphernalia glorifying the murderous Che Guevara?
March 10th, 2008 at 7:45 pmHeres what I have to say
on my t-shirts. Maybe a nice little your number one finger and I’ll be on my way.
March 10th, 2008 at 7:48 pmPolitical Cowardice (PC) is destroying America.
March 10th, 2008 at 8:33 pmGun free zones get innocents killed.
Our “Tolerance” is nearing zero.
March 10th, 2008 at 8:35 pmWelcome to the US of 20 years in the future.
If we’re teaching that we can’t have free speech in school, aren’t we teaching kids to grow up to be pacifists or extreme rebels?
March 10th, 2008 at 10:49 pmThe t-shirt sounds immature, but unoffensive-why not let him wear it?
March 11th, 2008 at 2:10 amOh my! That child is showing signs of patriotism! This must be stopped imediately!
There, how was that? Can I be on the school board now?
March 11th, 2008 at 4:29 amI guess my “When in doubt, empty the magazine” shirt wouldn’t be allowed, either. What a pity.
March 11th, 2008 at 6:38 amDude you forgot to tell everyone that if they don’t stop t-shirt violence now !!!, we are going to kick their asses!!
We hate violence so much that we find it necessary to use it to get our point across……………….I think?!
March 11th, 2008 at 6:53 amSorry, I forgot to add my armory.
March 11th, 2008 at 6:54 amI’m a teacher and understand what the school did. It is a slippery slope. They have a rule that says certain images cannot be displayed on clothing: alcohol, drugs, weapons, etc… If they allow them to be displayed then others with more nefarious images cannot be held accoutable. For example the next day a student arrives with a t-shirt that depicts a picture of a Columbine killer with a shotgun that says, “Death to the Students”. From the schools vantage point it isn’t about what the image implied but what the letter of the rule is. They acted rational to me by asking the student to turn it inside out. Some idiots in school would have overreacted by simply suspending the kid.
March 11th, 2008 at 7:26 amI graduated from Penn Manor in 1999, (at the school during columbine). This is the same school where the kids thought it would be cool to wear trench coats to school in “honor” of Columbine. The t-shirt also said “liscense to kill terrorists” according to the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal, Mar 10, 2008. www.lancasteronline.com
March 11th, 2008 at 1:23 pmJadedSage -
The only way to have a fair policy with your perspective is to not allow ANY writing or images. I don’t know about you, but seeing Nike or Adidas really pushes me towards the edge of reason.
March 11th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
JadedSage, Seems to me you are part of the problem. What no patriotism? Oh ya, that’s right. You have to tow the party line. Che is proud of you tonight. Remember Akbar and Habib want to cut your throat. Good for the kids uncle and I am glad he is proud of him.
Mindy Abraham, So the t-shirt is immature? So I guess Pat’s shirts are immature? Right?
March 11th, 2008 at 4:39 pmDepictions on T-Shirts of perversion is ok in the public schools. Pansy-ass public schools, one of the big problems in The U.S.
Marc,
You miss the point entirely. Patriotism is wearing a t-shirt with the US flag on it or a t-shirt with a logo of his uncle’s unit. There are many ways to show solidarity with the war effort and his uncle. If you work at a corporation there are dress codes. This is the way of the world. Having a dress code that disallows gun images at school doesn’t infringe on the 2nd Amendment, it is intended to create a climate for learning in school without distractions. And up yours with the Che thing. Would it be ok for students to wear a picture of Che with a gun in school? As I said it is a slippery slope.
One other thing. Try wearing that shirt at a Catholic school. It doesn’t just go for public schools.
March 11th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Sage; without saying it, you know what I just said.
March 11th, 2008 at 5:02 pmYa another teacher towing the party line.
Up yours too!
Mr. Sage is all for free speech as long it is what he agrees with. What a joke. A bad one at that.
Go get your masters degree and become an administrator. Stay out of the classroom.
Mr. Sage,
March 11th, 2008 at 5:13 pmHow immoral and rude of you to suggest to me “up yours”.
But what can one expect from a teacher like you?
Pissed off yet Mr. Sage?
Marc,
You have obviously been through the system and learned nothing. You must not have taken a logic unit in philosophy class. When you are responsible for dozens if not hundreds of kids come see me. If I saw this kid on the street I would commend him and his uncle but if you don’t stay to the letter of the law in a school it opens up all kinds of unintended consequences. It works the same in the military. If you give a private a privilege and deny it to another your standing in the squad will be put in jeopardy. I don’t know if you have been in the military but they tow the party line, too? Logic my friend. I’m not pissed. It takes a lot more than this. I’m a teacher remember?
March 12th, 2008 at 8:35 am