A Clay County, Florida, high school student was told to take a Confederate flag off of his truck or face consequences, his mom says.
The teen told Jacksonville's WJAX-TV that he gave up his Clay County High School parking pass in order to continue flying the flag.
The Clay County School District said students raised concerns about the Confederate flag, so administrators asked him to take it off of his truck while on school grounds.
The teen's mom, Erika Willis, said administrators threatened to write him a referral if he refused.
Willis said students regularly wear Confederate flags on their clothing at school.
The school district sent WJAX a statement:
"The school district respects a student’s right to self-expression; however, our policy states that the right to self-expression may not infringe upon the rights of others and cannot interfere with the orderly educational process," the district wrote. "Students raised concerns about the display of the Confederate flag on campus. Therefore, to prevent any potential disruption to the school environment, the school’s administration followed policy by asking that the student remove the flag from the vehicle while on school grounds.Administrators met with the students and his parents to reach a resolution that respects the rights of all students. No disciplinary action has been taken against the student."
The teen's friends put Confederate flags on their trucks to show support for him on Tuesday.
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