Virginia high schoolers suspended for wearing Confederate flags

John Bacon | USA TODAY

More than 20 students at a Virginia high school were suspended Thursday after wearing clothes emblazoned with Confederate flags in protest of a school ban, officials said.

Montgomery County Public Schools spokeswoman Brenda Drake said 25 students arrived at Christiansburg High with clothes violating the Confederate flag ban. Twenty-one of the 25 refused to comply when challenged by school officials and were issued one-day, in-school suspensions, Drake said. She said 15 penalties were changed to out-of-school suspensions after many of the students "proceeded to disrupt the school environment through loud displays and behavior.

“We value our students’ First Amendment rights, but we must maintain an orderly and safe environment for all students,” Drake said. “Incidents of racial tension at CHS support the continued prohibition of the Confederate flag in the building.”

Drake said the school system has provided social justice and diversity training for staff members and students since 2002. But she said the school has recently dealt with incidents of "racially motivated" behavior.

“We are not issuing a judgment on the flag, but know that not allowing it at CHS supports a peaceful educational environment in the building,” said Drake. She said their is a concern that "lifting the ban of this particular symbol would cause significant disruption at the school.”

The school bans students from wearing clothes that are contrary to diversity and acceptance. This year a ban was added on Confederate flags on students' vehicles.

Senior Houston Miller who organized the rally in protest of the ban on Confederate flags on clothing and on students' cars. He told the Associated Press he doesn't believe the administration should be able to tell students what they can wear or put on their vehicle.

"I feel like I should have the right to wear whatever I want, and I'm standing up for this," Miller said.

Display of Confederate flags has come under increased scrutiny since a June shooting rampage left nine dead at an iconic black church in South Carolina. The shooter, Dylann Roof, made racist rants and had posted pictures on Facebook of himself with Confederate flags. A month later, the South Carolina Legislature had the flag removed from Statehouse grounds.