(Update: 4:42 p.m., 8/30/2022): Harrison School District 2, which includes the Vanguard school, is now telling a different story about the one everyone actually saw and heard.
According to The Gazette, a Colorado outlet, the district said the following in a statement:
There has been National media attention on our charter school, The Vanguard School, related to a student having the Gadsden flag on his backpack. Unfortunately, this story is incomplete. The patch in question was part of half a dozen other patches of semi-automatic weapons. The student has removed the semi-automatic patches. As a school district, we will continue to ensure all students and employees can learn and work in a safe and nurturing environment.
That's pretty weak sauce, especially after the fact. We all saw the video interaction between the school, Jaiden and his mother. Nowhere in that video clip does the school representative mention any patches concerning "semi-automatic weapons." And even if the kid was wearing that variety of patches, does that change the story, or will the weapons on the patches magically conduct a school shooting?
Also, if this addition -- or re-telling -- of the story is true, then why didn't the Vanguard school address those patches in the statement posted below in the original story? Something just doesn't add up, and it looks like yet another example of a school, school board or school district trying to vilify its students that don't fall in line with their indoctrination.
Original Story: If you remember, on Tuesday, yours truly reported on a 12-year-old Colorado boy named Jaiden. This courageous little man was removed from class for having a patch on his backpack of the Gadsden flag, because a school administrator erroneously said the flag had “its origins in slavery and the slave trade.”
Well, chalk up another victory for the truth, because after Jaiden said he would not back down and continue to wear the patch, the Vanguard School Board of Directors recognized not only his right to wear the patch, but also the true history of the flag itself.
“From Vanguard’s founding we have proudly supported our Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the ordered liberty that all Americans have enjoyed for almost 250 years,” the statement read. “The Vanguard School recognizes the historical significance of the Gadsden flag and its place in history. This incident is an occasion for us to reaffirm our deep commitment to a classical education in support of these American principles.
At this time, the Vanguard School Board and the District have informed the student’s family that he may attend school with the Gadsden flag patch visible on his backpack,” the board added.
We won! #JusticeForJaiden pic.twitter.com/Y8dX43e9Sp
— Connor Boyack 📚 (@cboyack) August 30, 2023
Related: 'One Brave Woman:' Free Speech Advocates Praise Sage Steele
Good on the board for recognizing Jaiden’s rights, but it wasn’t without mounting pressure.
First off, Jaiden wasn't backing down. He reportedly said that he would continue to wear the patch, and if he caught any more grief for it he would stage a sit-in at the school.
For those asking for an update:
— Connor Boyack 📚 (@cboyack) August 29, 2023
- Jaiden decided to go back to school today. With his patch will in place. He said he'd do a sit-in if necessary to protest.
- Two law firms have stepped forward to assist as necessary to fight the viewpoint discrimination.
- Lots of media… pic.twitter.com/lEVH6XiLDm
Well, chalk up another victory for the truth, because after Jaiden said he would not back down and continue to wear the patch, the Vanguard School Board of Directors recognized not only his right to wear the patch, but also the true history of the flag itself.
If that wasn't enough, administrators for the school cancelled a “back-to-school night” that was originally scheduled due to “some unforeseen circumstances,” according to RedState. It also probably didn’t help that Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) tweeted the historical significance of the Gadsden flag, despite not doing a thing about the situation.
Who knows? Maybe there was some pressure from Polis’ office that we’re not being told about, to be fair.
Any way you slice it, Jaiden stood up for his beliefs and rights and won. There’s still hope out there for the heart of America that we all want to believe still exists.
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Representative Donalds knows how frustrated Americans are with the DOJ for blasting Trump with indictments while turning a blind eye to the corruption and scandals in the Biden family. pic.twitter.com/V8cVKcdedQ
— MRCTV (@mrctv) August 29, 2023