Twelve-year-olds shouldn’t be asked to take up arms and battle against the constant suppression of free speech, but that burden was thrust onto a Colorado middle school student who was asked to remove the Gadsden flag from his backpack or face punishment. When Jaiden felt that his right to freely express his love for his country was being taken away by administrators at the school, he fought back.
Now, administrators have admitted that it was a mistake to tell Jaiden to remove the patch and have decided to allow him to continue proudly carrying it around campus. The Vanguard School in Colorado Springs, CO, owned up to their mistake after a long and arduous battle by Jaiden and his family ended in a victory.
The school board of directors released an impactful statement that was shared on Twitter by Josh Alexander, in which they described their reasons for the decision.
Jayden Won!#JRod4VP pic.twitter.com/X54aanB4a4
— Josh Alexander (@officialJosh_A) August 30, 2023
The board said, “Upon learning of these events today, The Vanguard School Board of Directors called an emergency meeting. From Vanguard’s founding we have proudly supported our Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the ordered liberty that all Americans have enjoyed for almost 250 years. The Vanguard School recognizes the historical significance of the Gadsden flag and its place in history.”
The board continued, “This incident is an occasion for us to reaffirm our deep commitment to a classical education in support of these American principles. At this time, the Vanguard School Board and the District have informed the student’s family that he may attend school with the Gadsden flag patch visible on his backpack.”
This case comes on the heels of Jaiden’s plight going semi-viral, as people from all around America rallied around him and around the flag that our nation’s founders saw so much meaning in. To many, the request that he remove the flag was a statement that school administrators no longer saw value in the values that America was founded to uphold.
In the case of specific employees at the school, that may still be true. Someone certainly told Jaiden to take the patch off. It’s unclear who and it has not yet been made clear why the request was made. What is clear is that the Vanguard School Board of Directors has placed its support fully behind the right to display the Gadsden flag.
Jaiden and his family will be breathing a sigh of relief now. He can continue to attend school without compromising his morals or having to bow to the unjust demand that he hide his pride in America. Following the school’s statement, it seems that the issue is now in the past. Jaiden fought bravely for himself and for his love of country, and he won the battle.
The viral video that set the internet on fire can be seen below, in which Jaiden’s parents secretly recorded the meeting with his school administrator.
Featured image: Screen shot from embedded YouTube video.
