(no subject)
text=" The REAL story " Hispanic students allege racism at Freedom High School
an ABC Action News report 10/06/04
NEW TAMPA - It's Hispanic Heritage Month, but at one Tampa school, kids are being suspended for showing their national pride.
Six students at the ironically named Freedom High School may be out of classes for five days each because of a dispute over flags on their shirts.
Off school grounds on Wednesday, the suspended students freely expressed themselves - something they claimed they could not do across the street at school.
"Being Hispanic Heritage Month, they were talking about, 'How come we can't wear flags at a school called Freedom?" suspended student Ryan Novitch wondered.
According to students, the dispute all started when a student wearing a Dominican flag on his backpack defied orders from an assistant principal to remove it. Other students then drew the flags of their native countries and attached them to their shirts, drawing what some said were offensive comments from non-Hispanic students.
"There was a rumor before that, that she said to the Spanish people, 'If you guys love your country so much, why don't you guys just go back to your country,'" explained Sandra Cardenas, one of the suspended students.
On Tuesday, the situation escalated to what some students described as a near-riot in the lunch room. According to the students, the non-Hispanic antagonists received no punishment while the Hispanic students were suspended.
"So we took this all very racist, because why are they going to do this to us with the flag when they didn't do anything to the other girl?" Sandra continued.
Sandra Cardenas, suspended for now, wraps herself in a flag off-campus.
In the school district policy book, there is nothing referring to flag-wearing. In the 'patriotism' section, though, it specifically states, "students are encouraged to show love for their country and allegiance to its flag."
Schools spokesman Mark Hart dismissed the students' display and suggested they should have partaken in more educational activities.
"Flag-wavings, slogans and other things, in hallways or in cafeterias -- as was the case on Tuesday, apparently -- that's not going to work and it wouldn't work even if it was a display of patriotism and the American flag," he stated.
By evening, however, the district was considering lifting some of the suspensions and punishing some of the reputed antagonists. A Thursday morning meeting with parents was planned.
I personally think society is a tad bit weird and wrong, Freedom is gay. Enough said. i HOPE freedom gets sued!
<3
an ABC Action News report 10/06/04
NEW TAMPA - It's Hispanic Heritage Month, but at one Tampa school, kids are being suspended for showing their national pride.
Six students at the ironically named Freedom High School may be out of classes for five days each because of a dispute over flags on their shirts.
Off school grounds on Wednesday, the suspended students freely expressed themselves - something they claimed they could not do across the street at school.
"Being Hispanic Heritage Month, they were talking about, 'How come we can't wear flags at a school called Freedom?" suspended student Ryan Novitch wondered.
According to students, the dispute all started when a student wearing a Dominican flag on his backpack defied orders from an assistant principal to remove it. Other students then drew the flags of their native countries and attached them to their shirts, drawing what some said were offensive comments from non-Hispanic students.
"There was a rumor before that, that she said to the Spanish people, 'If you guys love your country so much, why don't you guys just go back to your country,'" explained Sandra Cardenas, one of the suspended students.
On Tuesday, the situation escalated to what some students described as a near-riot in the lunch room. According to the students, the non-Hispanic antagonists received no punishment while the Hispanic students were suspended.
"So we took this all very racist, because why are they going to do this to us with the flag when they didn't do anything to the other girl?" Sandra continued.
Sandra Cardenas, suspended for now, wraps herself in a flag off-campus.
In the school district policy book, there is nothing referring to flag-wearing. In the 'patriotism' section, though, it specifically states, "students are encouraged to show love for their country and allegiance to its flag."
Schools spokesman Mark Hart dismissed the students' display and suggested they should have partaken in more educational activities.
"Flag-wavings, slogans and other things, in hallways or in cafeterias -- as was the case on Tuesday, apparently -- that's not going to work and it wouldn't work even if it was a display of patriotism and the American flag," he stated.
By evening, however, the district was considering lifting some of the suspensions and punishing some of the reputed antagonists. A Thursday morning meeting with parents was planned.
I personally think society is a tad bit weird and wrong, Freedom is gay. Enough said. i HOPE freedom gets sued!
<3