Bloomington High School North, Nikean, 2017, Page 44

Description:	A SCHOOL DIVIDED OVERPOLITICAL DIFFERENCESstory: by Hannah JohnsonThe tension that built up within the walls of North thisfall was unavoidable by everyone: the students, thefaculty, the town. Long before the movement to ban theConfederate flag became a school-wide discussion,students were forming opinions about and against eachothers beliefs concerning the flag sported by theConfederacy during the Civil War.However, the friction reached an ultimate highwhen a few students started wearing Confederate flagsaround their shoulders like capes. Some students evenclaimed that said students were shouting racist andhomophobic slurs at other students. What used to be adifference of opinions became a divisive conflict thatarguably affected the entire school.A group of students led by juniors Caleb Poer andTamara Brown met with Monroe County CommunitySchool Corporation Superintendent Dr. Judith DeMuth todiscuss their concerns about the flag.On that same day, Superintendent Demuth officiallybanned wearing the Confederate flag on North property.North Principal Jeffry Henderson sent out a letter to allparents explaining the situation.As an educational institution, Henderson said,one of the things we focus on is teaching tolerance foropposing points of view.Henderson then cited Supreme Court Case Tinkervs. Des Moines, which established the right for schools tolimit student expression if it caused a serious disruption.The 1st AmendmentCONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW RESPECTING ANeataMtfitjmntt of religionOR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF,*OR ABRIDGING THE FREEDOM OFSP66GH, °trhef PRESSOR THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLEPEACEABLY T© ASSEMBLEAND TO PETITION THE GOVERNMENT FOR Are^re55 vf qrietfMitesDEMONSTRATION: A large crowd of North students gather to peacefullyprotest the Confederate flag and wait to meet with the superintendent. Itwas being a part of something bigger than just me and bigger than just myschool, junior Sarah Hannon said. And even though I wasnt personallyoffended by the flag, I feel like it was important to stand up for people thatwere.TINKER VS. DES MOINESDuring the Vietnam War in 1965, a group of students in Des Moines, Iowa,planned to show public support for a truce by wearing black arm bands. Theprincipals of the school then suspended students Christopher Eckhardt, JohnTinker, and Mary Beth Tinker for wearing their arm bands. The studentssued the school for violating their rights of self expression, but the districtcourt and The U.S. Court of Appeals dismissed the case, ruling that theschool had the right to uphold discipline. This decision defined the rights ofstudents in U.S. public schools.39%of Americansx<cant name any rights guaranteedby the First Amendment.44
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomnorth/id/8394
Collection:	Bloomington High School North

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