An Oklahoma high school has been slammed by conservatives after a student was told they would not be permitted to fly an American flag on his truck.
Edmond North High School, which previously came under fire for holding feet and armpit licking events in March 2024, informed the student of the ban on flying the Star Spangled Banner.
Some have claimed the move to be a breach of the student’s constitutional rights, although Edmond Public Schools’ public information officer Jeff Bardach defended the decision which covers an outright ban on flag flying.
“You can’t allow one [flag] and limit another,” he told local media. “It’s been our long-standing practice to not allow students to bring flags.”
The school has a range of policies which include bans on inappropriate language, signs, and flags on campus or at events.
“To be clear, this is not about the American flag or patriotism. Edmond Public Schools proudly displays the American flag prominently and in the proper, respectful way outside each of our buildings and in our classrooms,” Bardach added.
Social media users were outraged by the news.
Others encouraged the student to ignore the ban.
Another suggested the idea of a complete repaint of his truck.
Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters also criticized the ban. “Patriotism should never be penalized at Oklahoma schools,” he said on X. “[Edmond] has a history of prioritizing woke agendas over our history and our freedoms. We will investigate and I will act.”
