Parents sue New Jersey school district after students prohibited from wearing Hitler Youth buttons

[The Straight Story]

Parents sue New Jersey school district after students prohibited from wearing Hitler Youth buttons

Students were protesting new mandatory uniform policy

© 2006 Student Press Law Center

December 15, 2006

NEW JERSEY — The parents of two students who protested a school uniform policy with buttons depicting the Hitler Youth have filed a lawsuit after their children were told they could no longer wear the button because it was offensive.

The button had the words “No School Uniforms” in a circle with a line slashed through them. In the background was an image of the Hitler Youth, which was an organized paramilitary movement of German boys during World War II.

Michael DePinto, a fifth-grade student at Public School 14, and Anthony LaRocco, a seventh-grade student at Woodrow Wilson School, wore the button in protest of the Bayonne School District’s mandatory uniform policy, which was instituted at the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year.

“The button is not sending a pro-Nazi message,” said the students’ lawyer, Karin White Morgen. “Reprimand of free speech is an erosion of basic civil rights.”

Court documents say DePinto had been wearing the button for six weeks without incident until Nov. 16, when the principal sent a letter to his parents. DePinto had also been wearing the required uniform.

http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=1392

[kiahzero]

1. Do schools even bother hiring counsel these days? (n/t)

[Kelly Rupert]

2. Well, a circle-slash negates what's under it,

so it says "NO NO SCHOOL UNIFORMS," or, rather "YES TO SCHOOL UNIFORMS." Meaning it's obviously an endorsement of school uniforms, and by extension, the Hitler Youth.

Edit: I thought this would be taken as an obvious joke. Sorry for the confusion.

[progdonkey]

5. they're fifth graders...

They obviously just screwed that point up (yes, it's kind of the central point, but again, they're fifth graders), since it's equally obvious that they were protesting the school uniforms rule.

Like if someone on Cops says, "I ain't done nothin'." Yes, you could take him literally and be all smart-alecky and say, "Ha, so you've done something," but it's obvious he's denying doing something and just not very well educated.

[IndyOp]

6. The button was to protest uniforms - they encourage the same uniformity

as was expected of the Hitler Youth. That is my interpretation of what the students were saying based on this passage: "Michael DePinto, a fifth-grade student at Public School 14, and Anthony LaRocco, a seventh-grade student at Woodrow Wilson School, wore the button in protest of the Bayonne School District’s mandatory uniform policy, which was instituted at the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year."

Perhaps they should've avoided using a "double-negative" -- the word "No" and the slash sign -- but their intent is clear. School uniforms are bad. Forcing students to conform to one norm is bad.

So it is *not* an endorsement of school uniforms and *not* an endorsement of Hitler Youth.

[NoAmericanTaliban]

3. Typical right wing fascists reaction to free speech

by the principal and the school is to ban & suppress it. Good lesson for the kids to learn early on. Future DUers in the making. Hope they win the lawsuit. School uniforms is a ridicules idea. It is a means to snuff out individuality and to force kids to conform. Maybe for the next pin they should use a Mao,Stalin, or a Farwell image.

[Solo_in_MD]

4. Given that they had been wearing it for sometime, have to wonder what tripped the admin

to take action. I just love it when educrats screw up like this...