School Superintendent backs off

The Morgan Hill School District held their first school board meeting since the controversy over the May 5 wearing of American Flag t-shirts by 5 students on the High School campus. Over 200 packed into the school auditoreum to voice their concerns. Most backed the students. Some outraged Pro-America activists called for the immediate resignation of School Superintendent Wes Smith. But some others who testified, called Americans who support the Flag, "racists."

After the meeting School Superintendent Wes Smith reversed his previous stance. Interviewed by a local TV news reporter stated forthrightly: "They have a right to wear the t-shirts; they should not have been asked to take them off."

Free Speech winning out over bureaucratic Liberal Authoritarianism

Watch the video news report at KGO TV - San Francisco

Previously Smith had defended the actions of the Principal and Vice-Principle, saying it was an issue of "safety." He praised "diversity," over patriotism and blamed the "agendas of others," for sparking the controversy. He even blamed "bloggers" from all over the U.S. and Canada, at one point in his initial press conference on the matter. (See video press conference here.)

Local liberal academics defended the school district's right to ban certain type of dress on campus.

From FoxReno.com:

Kirk Hanson, executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, said the action taken by the school was warranted if their objective was to maintain the security and safety of the other students.

"Was there a danger of a fight between the students celebrating Cinco de Mayo and the students wearing the American T-shirts? If there was a threat, then their action was ethical," Hanson said.

The District is located directly south of San Jose.