School officials at Trinity College in Connecticut removed two patriotic flags hanging from a student’s dorm room while seemingly allowing other students to hang Pride flags, according to viral video footage posted to TikTok.
Two students hung a “Don’t Tread On Me” flag and an American flag with a blue, red, and green line representing law enforcement, firefighters, and federal agents. Under the supervision of the self-described Director of Housing Operations, an alleged school administrator removed the flags from the dorm. Students protested the removal of the flags, according to a video of the interaction.
“Who are you touching our flags? You have no right to do this,” said one student who claimed ownership of the flags.
“You were directed to take it down,” an alleged school official responded. “The dean’s office has requested — put your phone away.”
“Absolutely not,” the student said. “I have every right to record and you know that. This is America. We have the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, freedom of expression. I don’t know why you’re taking our flags down.”
The alleged administrator directed the two students recording the interaction to visit the dean’s office. The duo alleged in the video that while other students were directed to remove their flags, only the American flag and the “Don’t Tread On Me” flag were physically removed.
“Why are you targeting us specifically,” one student asked.
“[Other students are] being asked, but ours are being ripped off,” another student said.
WATCH:
.@TrinityCollege forcibly removed a student’s “don’t tread on me” American Flag and a red, blue, and green line flag. Meanwhile pride flags are allowed to stay hanging. pic.twitter.com/AG892oaRyv
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) October 31, 2022
An online commentator noted that the college previously displayed Pride flags around campus. (RELATED: Ithaca College Allegedly Requests Faculty Members Add Their Race To School’s Database)
Kristen Cole, a senior director of media relations at Trinity College, told the Daily Caller that the dean was enforcing the Student Handbook.
“The Trinity College Student Handbook states that objects are not allowed to be placed outside of residence hall windows for safety reasons,” Cole said.
The handbook states that “no objects of any type (including liquid), may be thrown, dropped, pushed out of, placed outside of, or allowed to fall from any residential building window. Students found responsible for such actions will face residential censure.”
Cole admitted that the event showcased how the rules are applied inconsistently on campus.
“The event has highlighted the need for more consistent enforcement of handbook rules, and the college is working with the student body to create awareness and compliance,” Cole said. “The dean’s office will directly work with students for more consistent enforcement.”
The Daily Caller was unable to contact the two students in the video.
