http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2010/11/...7081289511876/



DENAIR, Calif., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Officials in a California school district said a middle school student was told to take a U.S. flag off his bike to avoid "racial tension."



Denair Unified School District Superintendent Edward Parraz said Cody Alicea, 13, was told not to fly the U.S. flag from his bike while at Denair Middle School after complaints from other students, KCRA-TV, Sacramento, Calif., reported.



"(The) First Amendment is important," Parraz said. "We want the kids to respect it, understand it, and with that comes a responsibility."



Parraz said racial tensions boiled over at the school this year around the Cinco de Mayo holiday.



"Our Hispanic, you know, kids will, you know, bring their Mexican flags and they'll display it, and then of course the kids would do the American flag situation, and it does cause kind of a racial tension which we don't really want," Parraz said. "We want them to appreciate the cultures."



Alicea's parents said he flies the flag from his bike as a tribute to veterans in his family.



"He's got that flag on his bike because he's proud of where he comes from," Alicea's father, Robert Kisner, said.



Alicea folds up the flag and keeps it in his backpack while attend class, the TV station said.





I've said this once and I guess I am saying it again. if I ever decided to move to mexico I WOULD NOT celebrate Independence day for the U.S.A. there cause I would feel that it would be inappropriate because I decided to move from the U.S. to Mexico for hopefully what I would want of a better life. I get so sick of hearing people make a damn big deal of "cinco de mayo" while they live in the states. If you think you need to celebrate the (Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862) then by all means, go celebrate it in the state of Puebla!!! Hell, cinco de mayo isn't even celebrated entirely over the whole country of mexico even!!!

 

they are infringing on the student's free speech. He has it on his BIKE, it isn't a school situation. Even if it is on school property, it isn't during school hours.



Stupid people. You can't tell a Mexican to put away a Mexican flag. You can't tell an American to put away an American flag.

 

At school, student's are not guaranteed all of your rights. And by extension any school activity is included. This includes school buses, anything on school property with a collaboration of students, and even sitting at the bus stop. Anything that includes 1 or more students is considered school matter just as much as a civil matter.



I can only assume the school was trying to protect the student over infringing on his rights. I can't really blame the school, but more of the unruly students.

 

I agree with the extension of school activity... BUT he's riding his bicycle during his individual commute to and from school. The school isn't responsible if he's in a fight, abducted, or if he robs a grocery store on the way to school. I'm sure he parks his bicycle on school property, but it sounds as if he removes the flag when he parks it. I doubt he's riding circles around the groups of latinos singing "God bless America" in an attempt to provoke them.



There are laws the prohibit rules and regulations that don't allow someone to display a flag. I doubt they single out schools (I don't know). For example, CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions from Homeowners Associations) can prevent you from flying decorative flags outside your house, but it's illegal to prevent a homeowner from flying an American flag.

Note: These are things I've heard; I don't know the laws that actually apply.