CONTROVERSY ERUPTS AS 12-YEAR-OLD EXPELLED FROM CLASS FOR GADSDEN FLAG PATCH ON BACKPACK: LINK TO SLAVERY UNVEILED
A video that went viral on social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, this week showed a young elementary school student from Colorado Springs, Colorado, being taken out of class because he had a Gadsden flag patch on his backpack.
The video seems to have been recorded by Jaiden's mother during a conversation with a school administrator at The Vanguard School. The discussion revolved around the boy being removed from class that day because of the patch.
The school staff believed that the Gadsden flag was associated with slavery and racism, which is why they prohibited its display. In the video, a woman can be heard saying, "The reason we do not want the flag displayed is due to its origins with slavery and the slave trade."
The mother asked, "The Gadsden Flag?" and the staff member replied, "The 'Don't Tread on Me.'"
Governor Jared Polis addressed the reports on Tuesday about a 12-year-old boy named Jaiden being removed from class because of a patch displaying the Gadsden flag, also known as the "Don't Tread On Me Flag."
Governor Polis wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, "The Gadsden flag is a proud symbol of the American revolution and an iconic warning to Britain or any government not to violate the liberties of Americans."
In a statement to the media, Harrison School District 2 defended the action taken, stating that the Gadsden flag was just one part of the problem. Mike Claudio, assistant superintendent of student support, explained in an email, "The patch in question was part of half a dozen other patches of semi-automatic weapons. The student has removed the semi-automatic patches."
The statement also mentioned that after removing the patches of semi-automatic weapons from the backpack, the student returned to class without any issues. Both The Vanguard School and Harrison School District 2 collaborated to resolve the matter.
According to Britannica, the Gadsden flag depicts a coiled rattlesnake on a yellow background and has its origins in the American Revolution. It symbolizes colonial unity against British oppression and was flown above the U.S.S. Alfred during the war.
A woman can be heard arguing in the video, "It has nothing to do with slavery. It's the Revolutionary War patch. The Founding Fathers stood up for what they believed in, against unjust laws. This is unjust."
In the closing line of his social media post, Governor Polis mentioned, "It appears on popular American medallions and challenge coins through today, and Ben Franklin also adopted it to symbolize the union of the 13 colonies. It's a great teaching moment for a history lesson!"