Student says T-shirt slogans got her a day's suspension

http://www.accessnorthga.com ^ | 5 24 05

[freepatriot32]

A teenager was back in class Friday after receiving a one-day suspension for wearing a T-shirt with slogans including "freedom of expression" and "don't drink and drive" that school administrators considered disruptive.

Hanna Smith, 18, a junior at Tift County High School, said principal Mike Duck told her that if she wore the shirt again she would be suspended for the remainder of the year.

The principal was arrested six years ago for DUI and running a stop sign, the Tifton Gazette said Friday in a story on Smith's suspension. Duck made a public apology for the DUI and was himself suspended for five days.

Smith's mother, Tracy Fletcher, said she would defend her daughter's right to express herself, even if it means hiring an attorney and taking the case to court.

"They want everyone to fit into a mold and there's no room for individuality. These kids are our future, I think they should be treated with a little more respect. Their opinions count. Their thoughts count," Fletcher said.

The principal confirmed that Smith was back in class Friday without the banned T-shirt, which also had a peace symbol on the front and "Veritas" (truth) written on the back.

On Friday, Smith wore a different T-shirt, this one reading "Don't Underestimate Individuality," her mother said. The first letters of those words spell "DUI." Her mother said the teen plans to wear the banned T-shirt again on Monday.

Duck said he could not comment on the suspension.

"We can't discuss children and their issue," he said. "It's a matter of privacy and protection of their rights."

The school system's dress code forbids disruptive clothing, grooming and symbols. Principals decide what's disruptive.

"I have an obligation to maintain an orderly environment," Duck said. "The courts give me the authority and the right to make those decisions and as long as I'm sitting in this chair that's what I'm going to do."

Smith said she learned about Constitutional rights, such as freedom of expression, in class and wishes school officials would honor them.

"I think it's silly that we can't practice the freedoms that they teach us here," Smith said. "You would think that school officials would have respect for the law and people's rights, or at least they should."

[inquest]

I think the first paragraph indicates that the shirt contained more than one slogan. We're not told of the others.

It says further on down in the article that it contained a peace symbol at the word "Veritas" on the back. There doesn't seem to be much on the front of the shirt, anyway.

[inquest]

at=and

[xzins]

Let's put it all together. (1) Don't drink and drive (2) freedom of expression (3) peace symbol (4) veritas/truth (5) maybe something else.

I wonder why she's looking down at the piece of t-shirt she's holding out of view of the camera? On the right side next to her finger/thumb, does there appear to be a piece of black?

[Oztrich Boy]

"You would think that school officials would have respect for the law and people's rights, or at least they should."

Oh to be that youn g and niave again.She actually thinks we live in a free country with a constitution isnt that cute

Actually I think she's young and ironical

[clee1]

I noticed that as well.

However, her slogans were not offensive - the principal is a putz.

[Venerable Bede]

I was going to mention that the majority of high school students are minors and, therefore, have no rights to speak of (since they can't enter into any legally-binding contract), but she's over 18. I doubt the school's dress code supercedes any of the state's obscenity laws with the school being public property, so... yeah... the principal is a putz.

Too bad more and more school burecrats are wasting time with garbage like this instead of being concered about why they have 18-year-old students in the first place.

[Oztrich Boy]

Which likely wouldn't have happened if the principal didn't go completely overboard in response to the first T-shirt. "Don't drink and drive" is a perfectly positive message. It's crazy that such a message should not be permitted because the he once had a DUI six years ago

But what about his Right to Not Feel Uncomfortable?

If the other students didn't know about his DUI it doesn't affect him.

If they did, he should grow up and learn to live with the embarassment.

[inquest]

I wonder why she's looking down at the piece of t-shirt she's holding out of view of the camera? On the right side next to her finger/thumb, does there appear to be a piece of black?

I don't think she's holding a piece of her shirt. It looks to me like a piece of paper or a letter or something.

If you're referring to our right side (rather than hers), I think the piece of black you're referring to is just the n in "Expression". At the beginning of the word, of course, is the peace symbol.

[Oztrich Boy]

NO I agree with you.
I was suggesting that HE may be one of those guys, flirting or making advances with the girls at the high school, while under the influence.

I think you'te both wrong.

As lomg as everbody (speaking generally) is casting wild asperations about the girl

From the way of Mike Duck (left) is holding his red-shirt "teacher of the year", I don't think he plays that way.

[TheForceOfOne]

Yeah, I listen to 98Rock in the morning sometimes and they're all torn up about it. I think the fight against the cancer took its toll on the poor guy.

Lopez was a liberal but I respected him, unlike most liberals he tried to make sense out of what he said. He will be missed.

He later became a devout gun advocate after several muggings where he lived. I started listening to them years ago, the cast has changed many times. The hot rock stations in Baltimore have come and gone through the years.

Darn, I remember WKTK, WLPL, and even though he was not in Baltimore, I listened to the Greaseman on DC101 until he got in some trouble and moved on.

[SoVaDPJ]

remember WAYE? The AM rock station...I also remember WCAO way back in the 60s.

Gawd, I'm old.

[TheForceOfOne]

No you're not!

The most I remember about the 1600's oops! I mean the 1960's lol was Hee Haw, The Monkees, and Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In on TV. I loved Tim Conway as the old man that Ruth Buzzy would beat up with her purse.

We had a Magnavox TV with a broken channel selector. The TV only got about three channels and we had to use a pair of plier's to turn the channel. lol

[SoVaDPJ]

For extra credit, identify:

Commander Jim
Johnny Walker
Captain Chesapeake

[TheForceOfOne]

Damn, I only know Captain Chesapeake and I used to know what the bells were too. I think four bells was Speed Racer. lol

I also remember Professor Kool's Fun School with Stu Kerr and the horrible lunch menu.

Even at an early age I though Miss Sally of Romper Room was on drugs when she held that tennis racket up and started spouting off the people she could see through it. She called my name out once and I ran like hell! lol

[motzman]

LOL! You get funny when you're frustrated.

I'm always funny.

I'm series about that.

[motzman]

I sense you are an educator, past or present. If not then you should be.

Nope. I'm just amazed that so many people who should know better are cheering on an open act of defiance, designed to humiliate a school authority, because the guy had a DUI some years ago--which is absolutely irrelevant to the issue..

I graduated high school in 1985---if I ever tried do do something like this girl did, regardless of how much of an a@#&*%e the teacher or principal was, my parents would have (fill the blank of any really bad thing you'd like to imagine).

They sure as hell wouldn't have cheeered me on and defended me....

[motzman]

Well, well, well...as usual, there's more info available

"Tifton- At the Tift County School Board meeting Tuesday night, nothing about Hannah Smith and Principal Mike Duck was on the agenda, but you wouldn't have known it by the choice of clothing.

Students and staff piled in to support their principal, most of them wearing t-shirts with "We support Mr. Duck" printed on them.

This saga started when Mr. Duck disciplined several students for wearing clothing containing "anarchy symbols". In protest of what she saw as a violation of those student's "free speech" rights, 18 year old Junior, Hannah Smith wore a shirt to school that said Freedom of Expression on the front and Don't Drink and Drive on the back.

This may not sound like a particularly controversial message until it is understood that six years ago, the principal, Mr. Duck was arrested for DUI. Smith's shirt was thus meant to embarras Mr. Duck.

After Ms. Smith refused to remove the shirt, Mr. Duck suspended her for violation of the school dress code which states that clothing may not contain disruptive symbols.

Most of the students at the meeting supported Mr. Duck's decision "Because [they felt] that Mr. Duck was perfectly within his administrative rights to take disciplinary measures,".

Staff and students say their principal did the right thing. Smith wasn't at the meeting, but her mother did speak. Though most at the meeting were silently protesting against Ms. Smith, her mother thanked them, stating that, by wearing their protest shirts, they were "silently recogni[zing] what Hannah wants everyone to understand. You have the freedom of expression,"(Yeah, Right!)



HO-HO-HO LOOK AT YOU KNOW.

ALL wrong....Wrong I tell you!

I'M the Wiz--and Nobody Beats Me!

[xzins]

ping to #177. Looks like we were on to something.

[Rebelbase]

"DUI some years ago--which is absolutely irrelevant to the issue.."

DING DING DING! You got it. As the message on her shirt is complete irrelvant to everyone else in school until the principal made it the issue.

"Don't drink and drive" is taught by every high school in America. This principal is the only one taking issue with that message and is the disruption himself in this matter.

[brytlea]

I guess her mother is too stupid to recognise the difference between school and a meeting.
Thanks for posting more to the story!
susie