Colorado school is forced to let student keep Gadsden flag patch on his bag after teacher ordered him to remove it and said it had ‘origins with slavery’
A Colorado school has been forced to let a student keep a Gadsden flag patch on his bag after a teacher ordered him to remove it.
The 12-year-old boy, named Jaiden, and his mother refused to apologize after he carried the historic Gadsden flag at The Vanguard School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which a staff member claimed was “disruptive to the classroom environment.”
Now the school has decided to reverse the decision to stop Jaiden from wearing the patch, with his defiance now making him popular among his peers.
In a video shared on Twitter, Jaiden said, “Today was a good day. The kids were really excited. They put “don’t step on me” on their locker. Now they suddenly like me.
‘But the teachers on the other hand, I did get a few dirty looks, that’s for sure. They are absolutely not happy with me.’
Jaiden, pictured here, said he made some new friends after his patch ordeal, but got dirty looks from teachers
Footage shows Jaiden, 12, and his mother talking to an administrator at The Vanguard School who claimed the flag had “slavery origins”
The Gadsden Flag was designed in the mid-1770s by South Carolina soldier Christopher Gadsden during the American Revolution.
Colonel Gadsden had seen a yellow flag with a hissing, coiled rattlesnake in the center, and below the snake the words, “Tread not on me.”
He made a copy and submitted the draft to the South Carolina Provincial Congress.
Commodore Esek Hopkins, commander of the New Continental Fleet, carried a similar flag in early 1776 when his ships first put to sea.
In a post shared by Libertas president Connor Boyack, the school board of directors said, “The Vanguard School board of directors has called an emergency meeting.
“The Vanguard School recognizes the historical significance of the Gadsden flag and its place in history.
“This incident is an opportunity for us to reaffirm our deep commitment to classical education in support of these American principles.
The district has informed the student’s family that he can go to school with the Gadsden flag visible on his backpack.”
Jaiden and his mother had been told that the patch, which read “Don’t Tread on Me” and a rattlesnake, was against district policy and that he could not return to class without removing it.
The apprentice was told by the custodian, “So the reason they don’t want the flag – the reason we don’t want the flag on display – is due to its origins in slavery and the slave trade.
“The bag can’t go back if it has a patch on it, because we can’t have that with other kids.”
But his mother was quick to defend her son, claiming that the flag originated in the American Revolution as a symbol of the struggle of the Thirteen Colonies against the British Crown and that it did not promote slavery.
But his mother was quick to defend her son, claiming that the flag originated in the American Revolution as a symbol of the Thirteen Colonies’ struggle against the British Crown and did not promote slavery.
The Gadsden Flag was designed in the mid-1770s by South Carolina soldier Christopher Gadsden during the American Revolution
The apprentice was told by the custodian, “So the reason they don’t want the flag – the reason we don’t want the flag on display – is due to its origins in slavery and the slave trade.
“The bag can’t go back if it has a patch on it, because we can’t have that with other kids.”
But his mother was quick to defend her son, claiming that the flag originated in the American Revolution as a symbol of the struggle of the Thirteen Colonies against the British Crown and that it did not promote slavery.
In the video, she can be heard saying, “It has nothing to do with slavery, that’s just the Revolutionary War bandaid that was shown when they fought the British.”
As part of the back and forth, she wondered if the school employee mistook it for the Confederate Flag.
The administrator replied, “I’m here to enforce the district’s policies, and you certainly have every right to disagree.”
But his mother was supported by Democrat Jared Polis, Colorado governor, who took up the issue, denying the flag was racist, but claiming it was a “great teaching moment.”
Colorado Governor Jared Polis weighed in on the issue, denying the flag was racist, claiming instead that it was a “great teaching moment”
The staffer claims the patch was “disruptive to the classroom environment” as she claimed it had “slavery origins”
He said, “The Gadsden flag is a proud symbol of the American Revolution and an iconic warning to Britain or any government not to violate the freedoms of Americans.
It appears on popular American medallions and challenge coins to this day, and Ben Franklin also adopted it to symbolize the union of the 13 colonies. A great teaching moment for a history lesson!’
DailyMail.com has reached out to the Vanguard School for further comment.