A Minnesota high school senior who was suspended this week because he displayed a Confederate flag in his car will now be allowed to graduate with his class on Friday, the Star Tribune reports.
Senior Cody Nelson, of the Crosby-Itornton High School, was suspended on Monday after he refused to take down the Confederate flag from his car window.
Nelson’s suspension notice was posted on his mother Doreen Nelson’s Facebook page.
“My son was kicked out of school for his flag and freedom of speech. He is a senior this year. Please show your support,” Nelson wrote.
School principal Jim Christenson signed Nelson’s suspension. She did not respond to an email request for comment.
Curt Shannon, a family friend, set up a Facebook page to rally support following Nelson’s suspension.
In a phone interview, Shannon described Cody as a “a young adult with the wherewithal to appropriately and effectively stand up for his own right — an alienable right.”
“People have died for this young man’s right to defend himself,” said Shannon.
“Because he had a patriotic flag on his car, he was potentially being denied graduation,” Shannon said, explaining the Confederate flag “represents the first 13 states before there was a union.”
After Tuesday’s call for a rally, several school officials sat down with the student, his mother and Shannon to discuss the situation.
According to Shannon, “we talked about how we could resolve the matter.”
In the end, it was decided that Nelson would be allowed to graduate with his class. As for his car, displaying the Confederate flag: “He volunteered to park his car across the street,” said Shannon.