Imagine having to call your parents and inform them that you have been suspended...not for a behavioral infraction, but for your T-Shirt. Sounds a little a ridiculous, right? According to the article http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/13/new-york-high-school-suspended-for-nra-pro-2nd-amendment-t-shirt/, 16 year old New York High Schooler Shane Kinney would agree. Recently, Kinney was suspended from his high school for sporting a T-shirt that stated "2nd Amendment Shall not be Infringed." He was told by an administrator that he either had to cover the logo on the shirt with duct tape, turn the shirt inside out or accept a suspension; Kinney held his ground and refused to cover the logo, therefore, he was suspended for a day.
However, the school administration stated that Kinney had attended school wearing a sweatshirt that contained a firearm logo, and was asked not to wear it again. Kinney ignored the request by wearing the shirt that contained an image of fire arms, again. Kinney's father sided with his son stating that no where in the school handbook is there a rule that outlaws apparel containing images of guns. He also added that he completely disagrees with the suspension stating that "the NRA does great things and there was nothing wrong with that shirt."
Can a school administration really suspend a student for what they wear? In my opinion, this is a rather tricky situation because there are many factors at play here. I do believe that Kinney's shirt did not contain any violent imagery, it was simply imagery that promoted an amendment found within the US Constitution, the right of all citizens to bear arms. Yet on the other hand, Kinney was asked in the past not to wear that type of attire to school and he chose to ignore school policy; therefore, I can understand why the school would take such disciplinary measures. I do believe that the punishment would've been too harsh had the student not been asked not to wear the shirt before.
photo source: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/13/new-york-high-school-suspended-for-nra-pro-2nd-amendment-t-shirt/
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