High School Banning Student From Flying American Flag Sparks Backlash

An Oklahoma high school has been hit with major backlash after it said one of its students could not fly the American flag from his pickup truck.
Edmond North High School told senior Caleb Horst to take down the flag last week, which he posted about on social media. Parents and fellow students ended up gathering in support of Horst, with more than 100 vehicles showing up at campus on Monday morning.
The school has said that it does not allow any flags to be flown on vehicles, for safety reasons and to prevent disruptions.
Edmond Public Schools said in a statement to KOCO on Thursday: “It is the practice of Edmond Public Schools to not permit students to fly or bring flags of any kind on our school campuses.
“This practice has been in place for several years and is explained to our students at the start of the school year along with various other policies and procedures. This is designed to prevent disruptions and distractions during the school day.
“It is also done in an effort to provide a safe school environment as flying flags on vehicles creates safety issues in the parking lot as well as can cause damage to other vehicles,” the statement added.
“To be clear, this is not about the American flag or patriotism. Edmond Public Schools proudly displays the American flag prominently and in the proper, respectful way outside each of our buildings and in our classrooms. Not only do we recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning as we start our school day, but we also present the colors and play the national anthem at most of our athletic events. All of these things are done in the proper fashion according to flag etiquette.”
Horst previously said he was surprised at being told to take down the flag as he had been flying it for some time. “I’ve never really had problems with it before, and it’s our First Amendment, so it’s kind of hard for them to infringe upon our rights,” he added.
Friend Vance Miller said: “I’ve got a brother in the military so it kind of hit home to me ’cause I was like he’s fighting for that flag; we should be allowed to fly it. It’d be different if we were trying to make a political statement, but there’s nothing political about it.”
Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters said he plans to launch an investigation into the school district, as he does not buy the reasons for the flag’s banning.
Walters said: “It sounds like they’re making a bunch of excuses to me. Here’s the reality: you told the kid he couldn’t bring a flag onto campus. That is a ridiculous position, and it needs to be fixed.”
Newsweek has contacted Edmond North High School and Horst for further comment.