Authorities at a rural high school in southeastern Indiana apologized after a social media post about them asking a student to take down the U.S. national flag from his truck last Thursday on the campus went viral, according to reports.
The counselor and vice-principal of East Central High School in St. Leon summoned the student, Cameron Blasek, over the matter, and threatened him with insubordination if he did not remove the flag from his truck, local outlet The 765 reported. Principal Thomas Black reportedly also told him the school had the right to request him to take down the flag.
“I kind of just told them straight up from the get-go, I said, ‘It’s not gonna happen,'” Blasek recalled, FOX News reported. “I read them their own handbook and I read them all the guidelines and I read them Indiana State laws and everything that shows them that I’m perfectly legal and fine to fly that flag.”
The only mention of the word “flag” in the school’s handbook was the flag twirling section, WKRC reported.
The school claimed to have the right to the request since Blasek’s truck was on the school’s premises, and the school can enforce a rule, even if unwritten, on a case-by-case basis, the school authorities reportedly replied to Blasek.
“‘You’re right,’ I said, ‘…but since it’s just a request, a request means that you’re not demanding or telling me that I have to. So, I’m going to decline your request,'” Blasek recalled replying to the authorities, according to WKRC.
Blasek said he did not know what prompted the complaint, WKRC reported. The authorities’ concern was that some other students could then display other flags that could be offensive, local outlet The 765 reported. (RELATED: College Professor Says American Flag Makes Him ‘Anxious’)
The principal said there was neither a complaint about the American flag at the school nor any insinuation that the flag was offensive, according to WKRC. Nonetheless, posts emerged on social media, including one by Blasek’s mother which garnered over 6.5 million views on Libs of Tiktok as of the time of this report.
“People were sending me messages throughout the night and everything of everybody going out and buying flags left and right. I was getting messages. My phone was blowing up,” Blasek told WKRC.
Nearly 24 students of the school reportedly flew the flag on their vehicles Friday. The school authorities relented.
“After careful consideration and in recognition of the importance of the U.S. flag as a symbol of unity and national identity, I am pleased to inform you that we are allowing the display of the U.S. flag by students in the East Central High School parking lot,” read a copy of Black’s signed letter shared by Eagle Country 99.3, which indicated that the community raised concerns with the authorities regarding their handling of the situation.
“I would like to extend my sincere apologies for any confusion that may have arisen due to the initial lack of clarity on this matter,” Black reportedly wrote.
Blasek, 17, has veterans in his family and intends to join the military upon graduation, WCPO 9 News reported.
“I was always taught never to back down on a situation that you believe in,” Blasek told FOX News. “That’s just the way I was raised — my family raised me that way — and I’m very grateful for it.”