A South Carolina high school did an about-face on its flag ban on Thursday after the local community rallied on behalf of students.
York Comprehensive High School told student Peyton Robinson, 18, that he couldn’t display the American flag on the bed of his truck on Wednesday. Mr. Robinson said that someone had allegedly found the flag offensive, a local station reported.
“[An administrator] was like, ’We’re having people say stuff about your flag, and I just wanted to ask you to take it down.’ It just kind of upset me and aggravated me,” Mr. Robinson said. Students were informed at the end of the day that flags on vehicles were deemed a safety issue and barred from school grounds.
Mr. Robinson then used social media to spread the word about the American flag ban. Dozens of citizens from the local community showed up in support of the students on Thursday morning, waving American flags and honking horns. The ban was lifted by the end of the day.
“School officials have reviewed the standing policy regarding flags and have decided that an exception will be made for the American flag, as long as the size of the flag(s) does not create a driving hazard,” the school said in statement, the local station reported.
The local station spoke to the South Carolina Highway Patrol about the size of the flags for its report. Officials confirmed that the flags flown by the students are legal and deemed safe for use on roadways.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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