An Oklahoma high school student was recently banned from flying the American flag on his truck on school grounds, sparking an outpouring of support for the student from the local community and significant backlash against the school.
According to KOCO, officials at Edmond North High School in Oklahoma told 12th-grader Caleb Horst that he was not allowed to fly the American flag on his truck while on school property on August 21.
Horst told KOCO, “I’ve never really had a problem with it, and since it’s our First Amendment, it’s pretty difficult for them to violate our rights.”
In defense of the decision to prohibit students from displaying the American flag on school grounds, the Edmond Public Schools District released a statement obtained by KOCO, saying, “It is standard practice for Edmond Public Schools to prohibit students from flying or bringing flags of any kind onto our school grounds.”
The school district stated that this measure is “intended to avoid disruptions and distractions during the school day” and “also serves to create a safe school environment, as flying flags on vehicles can create safety issues in the parking lot and cause damage to other vehicles.”
Edmond Public Schools claimed that the issue was “not about the American flag or patriotism” and that the school “proudly displays the American flag” and follows proper “flag etiquette.”
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Although the school district defended its ban on students displaying the American flag, the New York Post reported that students and community members gathered in the school’s parking lot on Monday to peacefully protest school policies and support the American flag. The newspaper noted that while the school district sent emails to parents warning them against attending the protest, over 50 vehicles participated in the protest on Monday.
“At the end of the day, we are all Americans, all united under this flag, and there is nothing anyone can do to divide us,” Horst said.
In a video on X, formerly Twitter, Oklahoma State Superintendent of Schools Ryan Walters said, “No school in Oklahoma should be telling students they can’t wave the American flag. Americans died for that flag, they died so students have the right to wear the flag, wave the flag and be proud of that American flag.”
Walters said his department is working on policies for Oklahoma districts to “ensure that no student is ever targeted for possession of an American flag.”
