A Festus High School student was suspended after holding up a Trump sign at a school pep assembly Friday.

Festus Superintendent Link Luttrell said the discipline had nothing to do with the content of the sign.

He said there's no school rule about holding up particular signs, but students generally cannot have items at school events or in class that are "unnecessary and could distract from the current environment."

Luttrell also implied the student repeatedly refused requests that he put his sign away.

"If there are items that are really unnecessary, they're going to be asked that those be put away. You are violating rules about following simple commands," Luttrell said.

"I do not feel at all that this instance was an instance where anyone's freedom to express was violated at all. Again, this is like I said earlier, there's a proper place for anything."

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