A Florida high school student said he was forced to remove a condom-wrapper costume he wore for the school's character day.
Jack Englund told WFTV in Orlando that his costume promoted safe sex, and he was surprised he was forced to take it off.
"I got to class, first period, and the teacher told me to go to the administration office," Englund said. "I was told to take it off and leave it there for the day."
He said his costume was for character day, which is part of spirit week at Dr. Phillips High School.
"I just feel like school uses their authority over the students that go there to only allow what messages they want to get out," Englund said.
First Amendment attorney Larry Walters said the incident raises some red flags.
"There's certainly a First Amendment issue here. There is a right to express yourself, even as a student," Walters said. "Students don't leave their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse door."
The school district code of conduct prohibits clothing that displays sexual, vulgar or drug- or alcohol-elated wording. It also prohibits graphics that may provoke disruption in school.
"The actual makeup of the costume itself did not appear to be lewd as most people would understand that term and as the courts have interpreted that term," Walters said.
Englund said wants an apology and hopes the school administrators will be more open-minded in the future.
"If the school were to allow me to wear it again for the day, I would love to," Englund said.
