Equal Protection
By Mitch Berg
California high school basketball players will be allowed to wear “I Can’t Breathe” t-shirts while warming up before games:
With backing from school officials, the athletic director at Fort Bragg High School, previously told the boys and girls teams from Mendocino High School they could not play in the three-day event if they wore the shirts inspired by the last words of a New York man who died after an officer put him in a chokehold.
Karen Boyd, a First Amendment lawyer who represents one of the players, said the reversal by the Fort Bragg School District came just moments before she intended to file a federal court motion arguing that barring the shirts violated the free speech rights of student athletes.
The agreement will stand as long as the shirts do not cause any serious problems at the tournament. It also allows spectators to wear the shirts, which several did as the tournament got underway Monday at Fort Bragg High School, Boyd said.
“This is always my preference, if we can get things worked out without a lot of court stuff,” she said.
Well, that’s great!
I’m wondering if the school district – not far from San Francisco – would extend the same courtesy to students who chose one chance to California’s racist gun control laws by wearing pro Second Amendment T-shirts?
December 30th, 2014 at 8:53 am
They should re-nickname their team the “Loosies” and smoke during time outs. What? You’re saying they are all for sticking it to “The Establishment” up until it involves doing something the establishment actually forbids? Hmm. Given that California has “Water Cops” that encourage people to turn their neighbors in for watering their lawns, there isn’t much that isn’t forbidden there.
December 30th, 2014 at 9:02 am
So the other team decides to wear shirts that say “Support your local police force.” That is why they never should have allowed the ‘breathe’ shirts. It is the schools taking sides on a hot-button political issue, based on 0 input from the people whose taxes pay for the schools.
December 30th, 2014 at 10:15 am
Not the same district, but same state where students wearing American flag T shirts on May 5th (I won’t use the other term) were banned.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/27/justice/california-school-american-flag-shirts/
December 30th, 2014 at 11:47 am
Remember when kids just did as they were told, within reason, by those with legitimate authority over them? And when the parents of these kids stood behind the authorities’ orders?
I do. I did. I wouldn’t have dreamt of contradicting anything that Sister Mary what’s-her-holy-name demanded. That is, they usually didn’t ask. They barely had to speak to make their expectations known.
Once again the kids that we chose not to raise get their self esteem validated and make their for-hire caregivers proud.
December 30th, 2014 at 12:22 pm
You can wear inflammatory speech shirts as long as it doesn’t inflame anybody. And if it does, then it’s the person who over-reacted who’s at fault.
Unless the shirt has a gun on it. Then all the rules reverse because freedom of speech must be carefully restricted to avoid giving offense to people who might over-react.
If you can understand that, please report to DFL headquarters for your sign.