Judge lifts ban on Stars and Bars at high skewl

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Judge lifts ban on Stars and Bars

Blount Co. students seek reversal of ban on Confederate flag

KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- In federal court in Knoxville Thursday, a lawyer representing three William Blount High students asked a judge to throw out the Blount County School Board's dress code banning the representation of the Confederate flag on clothes.

William Blount High has been dealing with racially charged incidents, culminating in the lockdown of the school at the end of last school year.

The students' attorney, Van Irion, said the students' rights of expressing themselves are taken away by the ban.

Irion told 6 News, "The school has to show there's a reason for that and we are alleging they have no grounds that would justify such a ban."

Irion was then asked if he felt th
e school district was targeting the Confederate flag and Southern pride. He replied, "That's correct, that's exactly correct."

The attorney is asking for a temporary injunction to discontinue the ban, while the litigation proceeds. But he said a permanent ban would be one goal of a possible trial.

Lawyers for the Blount County School Board did not comment after the hearing due to the pending litigation.

But they argued in court that the dress code is in place because of the racial incidents and has prevented further violence.

Federal Judge Thomas Varlan said he will consider both sides and render a decision in "due time."

In a second case related to this one, Irion is suing the Blount County School District for $10 million, on behalf of a former student.

Shana Miller claims her principal at William Blount High, Steve Lafon, harassed her in March, instead of punishing her for violating the dress code.

Miller told 6 News the principal took inappropriate pictur
es of her thighs, because she violated the dress code by wearing ripped jeans. Miller has since transferred to Heritage High School and will graduate this month.

There's no word on when that case will be back in federal court.

 

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Here's another version:

Debate Moves from Classroom to Courtroom

Knoxville (WVLT) - A battle is brewing over whether or not students should be allowed to display the confederate flag or symbols on clothing.

Our Blount County Bureau Chief Stephen McLamb has been following this federal court case.

School attorneys told the judge they had not enforced their dress code policy until racial tensions increased last year which included a lockdown.

An attorney for the students filing the suit agreed the school had some racial tensions last year, but the confederate flag had nothing to do with it.

School officials declined comment but were in court for the first time to present their case to the judge defending their ban against the Confederate flag. Atto
rneys told the judge the flag was deemed as racially divisive.

"The principal could have said, well we're going to ban birthday balloons because those are racially divisive. Well, who says?" argues Kirk Lyons from the Southern Legal Resource Center.

They also told the judge they began implementing their dress code more stringently after a series of racial instances at William Blount High School last year but the plaintiff's say it wasn't over what was on a t-shirt.

"We have absolutely no idea what caused it. All we know is that the Confederate flag has never been alleged to have been involved in it at all," says Van Irion, attorney for the plaintiff.

The plaintiffs maintain their clients want the right to express their southern heritage and honor their forefathers.

"To ask them to leave part of themselves at the schoolroom door while everyone else in that school gets to proclaim whatever it is that they want to proclaim is irreparable injury," says Irion.

School
attorneys asked the judge to maintain the ban which includes other symbols like Malcolm X and Mexican flags.

But the student who filed the suit says he sees kids wearing gangster rap clothes at school and his attorney is questioning equal enforcement.

"There have been no reports, no discipline of any student so therefore they must not have been there or they're being ignored," says Irion.

With both sides at opposite ends, it might be a long drawn out case.

"When the board of education fails, the only place we can come to is a court," says Irion.

School board attorneys sought to have the judge keep the attorneys from talking to the media. That did not happen.

The judge has taken the issue of a preliminary injunction under advisement and expected to rule at a later date.