A North Carolina high school student was forced to remove a “Trump” jersey he was wearing at a patriotic-themed high school football game, according to his father who appeared on “Fox & Friends” Saturday morning.
The student’s father, Mike Collins, said that his son was wearing a baseball jersey that had “USA” on the front and “Trump” on the back with the number 45 back on October 5, when the principal demanded he change his shirt.
WATCH:
“Right before halftime he was kind of signaled out by the principal. And just was told to come with her and asked if he had another shirt. And he said he did. And she said ‘well, you need to change.’ And he said, ‘why?’ And she says ‘well, this shirt is political. I have some parents in the stands that are complaining and you are going to have to change,'” Collins said.
A father tells me his son was asked by the school principal to remove this jersey during a patriotic-themed football game after people complained. Dad, a registered Democrat, says his son complied but felt humiliated. @HarnettCoSchool says it supports expression not disruptions pic.twitter.com/W9U9v2vBLF
— Tim Pulliam (@TimABC11) October 10, 2018
“Then just to be signaled out and then made to kind of, you know, humiliated, paraded in front of everyone to the front gate. And then asked to leave if he did not remove the shirt. And at this point, he was embarrassed,” he continued. “He felt like he was violated, we still don’t — we still just can’t comprehend the decision the principal made. You know, he did respect her. And her wishes. Just as he respected — he respects the president.”
Harnett County Schools issued a statement saying, “Harnett County Schools supports and affirms students’ rights to express themselves – including wearing clothing expressing political messages of supporting political candidates or officeholders.”
“You know, there is nothing political about this shirt. Whether you support our president or you agree with our president or disagree, that has nothing to do with we are respecting our president,” Collins added. “We’re respecting authority. And that’s what my son did. From what I understand, the principal has been removed from the school.”
Fox News also reported that Collins is a registered Democrat.
Follow Mike on Twitter.