The Colorado middle schooler who was allegedly kicked out of class for displaying several patches on his backpack, including one of a Gadsden flag, is allowed to wear the symbol after his mother claimed his First Amendment rights were violated.
The 12-year-old Vanguard School student, Jaiden Rodriguez, was ordered to remove the flag — which features a coiled rattlesnake and the phrase “Don’t tread on me” — before he was allowed back inside on Tuesday.
By Wednesday, the Vanguard School Board of Directors reversed the decision, allowing the boy to “attend school with the Gadsden flag patch visible on his backpack,” according to Fox News.
“The Vanguard School recognizes the historical significance of the Gadsden flag and its place in history,” the district said in a statement. “This incident is an occasion for us to reaffirm our deep commitment to a classical education in support of these American principles.
The decision comes as a relief for Jaiden and his mother.
“I do want him to stand up for his rights, too, and I don’t want to say, ‘No, you bow down to the government,’” Jaiden’s mom, Eden Rodriguez, told News5.
“It’s been a tough call to just let him do what he wants and say he’s at that age to make his own decisions.”
By making him miss three days of school over his patches, the charter school violated the seventh-grader’s First Amendment rights, his mom said.
