Several major retailers, including Walmart, Amazon, Kmart, eBay and others, are no longer selling Confederate-themed merchandise. NASCAR recently announced it would not allow the Confederate flag to be displayed as a part of any official NASCAR events.
It is not unheard of for students in area districts to occasionally show up for classes wearing shirts, belt buckles or other apparel bearing the Confederate flag. Just this past year at Monroe High School, the principal there had to speak with a student who showed up wearing a Confederate flag belt buckle.
“The principal sat with him and had a private conversation about how some of our students felt about it,” said Monroe schools Superintendent Phil Cagwin. “The student was very cooperative and removed the belt.”
Butler and Warren county school districts contacted by the Journal-News all said the same thing when it came to the Confederate flag: they have no specific ban on it, but their dress codes are clear about offensive clothing. In almost every district, a student caught violating the dress code is removed from class until the violation is resolved and/or disciplinary action is taken. Disciplinary action can range from simply removing the clothing item or accessory to detention, in-school or out-of-school suspension to expulsion depending on the severity of the violation.
“We do not have specific language on the Confederate flag, but in our dress code, we have the following: ‘Clothing that bears statements, slogans, images or insignia that harass, threaten, intimidate, demean, suggest violence, or sexual innuendo and that creates a reasonable risk of substantial interference of the educational process is not permitted,’” Cagwin said, noting the district recently did an update of its dress code policy.
Fairfield schools has similar wording in its dress code policy: “Clothing, jewelry, tattoos, or other personal items which specifically or generally contain, promote, glorify, or refer to alcohol, drugs, tobacco, sexual innuendo or sexually suggestive contents, profane, vulgar, or lewd symbols or slogans, gangs or cults, antisocial or harassing behavior, hate, violence, death, suicide, gore, and/or blood shall not be worn or displayed.”
Middletown’s dress code, adopted in 2004, says “school dress should not threaten the health, welfare and safety of the members of the student body and enhance a positive image of the students and the District. Any form of dress or grooming which attracts undue attention, prompting a disruption of the learning environment or violating the previous statement, is unacceptable.”
Hamilton, Talawanda, Franklin and Carlisle schools all have similar policies in place.
Staff Writer Eric Robinette contributed to this report.
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