Arrested last Thursday for refusing to remove an NRA T-shirt, 14-year-old Jared Marcum wore the shirt again Monday, in an “in your face” move daring school officials to further sanction him for wearing the shirt.
He was arrested Thursday by the school resource officer for disrupting an educational process and obstructing an officer.
Frankly, the police officer should be fired and suffer civil damages for a clear violation of Section 1983 of the U.S. Code, the section dealing with violating a person’s civil rights under color of authority. The school, and the teacher, should be sanctioned with civil penalties.
If you would like to contact school officials, here is their information:
Sutherland, Ernestine Principal
14 Wildcat Way , Logan, WV 25601
(304) 752-1804
Logan County Schools Superintendent Wilma Zigmond
506 Holly Avenue Po Box 477
Logan, WV 25601
Telephone: 304-792-2060
Here’s the story:
(FoxNews) – A West Virginia teenager who was arrested and suspended from school after he refused to remove an NRA T-shirt is back in class.
Fourteen-year-old Jared Marcum of Logan returned to Logan Middle School on Monday after serving a one-day suspension.
His father, Allen Lardieri, told 13 News that the situation was exaggerated and said, “I don’t see how anybody would have an issue with a hunting rifle and NRA put on a T-shirt, especially when policy doesn’t forbid it.”
The school district’s dress code prohibits any profanity, violence, discriminatory messages, but the report noted that gun images are not on the list.
“I will go to the ends of the earth, I will call people, I will write letters, I will do everything in the legal realm to make sure this does not happen again,” Lardieri said, according to the report.
Logan County Schools Superintendent Wilma Zigmond didn’t immediately return a telephone message Monday.
The teen’s lawyer, Ben White, says school administrators maintain that Marcum disrupted the educational process. He says Marcum was exercising his right to free speech and wasn’t disruptive.
Logan police arrested Marcum at the school last Thursday after he refused a teacher’s order to remove the shirt. White says prosecutors are reviewing the case to determine whether to file charges.
Marcum has said that he was arrested on charges of disrupting an educational process and obstructing an officer, though White said Monday that the Logan County prosecutor’s office is reviewing the case to decide whether to proceed.
Marcum wore the same shirt to school Monday. It displays the NRA logo and a hunting rifle.
My boys wear their IGOLD gear to school without a problem.
I know some “employees” detest them doing do so but they choose not to open that can of worms…..
At least so far.
They don’t like it but they like the idea of being in national news even less.
Stand up to ’em folks. They fold when folks actually do so.
The best way to protect and defend RIGHTS is to EXERCISE them freely.
This is a 1st amendment issue! Perhaps the young man should get a pair of white jeans and have the NRA message silk screened onto the jeans. I would hope that might preclude the school officials or police from ordering him to remove that article of clothing.
Some would argue that rights don’t exist for kids in school. I’ve fought with my kids school on that point for YEARS. They teach that fighting BACK is a punishable offense. That’s right. If your kid gets hit, even multiple times, and he or she fights back they ate punished for “fighting”. It’s quite ridiculous.
As for the attire, the first time my kids wore stuff to school was the year the IGOLD stuff had the text of the Second Amendment on the back. It was perfect cuz my position to them was simple – go ahead and toss out the tex of the Second. Go ahead and eject the constitution from school LITERALLY.
Recently had to have a discussion about a teacher telling kids that the solution is to ban all guns. I asked a teacher if he thought guns could be univented. He was dumbfounded – as in never thought about it from the PRACTICAL point if view.
The reality is that kids are TAUGHT they have no rights because exercise of them is punishable. Schools claim all authority to search all personal bags and even cars in the parking lot. They can’t pray, speak or assemble unless “approved” and they certainly cannot fight back. Our elementary even has kids walking in the hallways with hands behind their backs like MSNBC lockup prison shows. It’s called PBIS.
Yes we need armed guards at schools but we have to get the UNDERSTANDING that defending yourself is a RIGHT before we can accomplish that. They won’t allow kids to defend themselves from other kids much pleas defend the school from insane monsters bent on murder.
The teacher and the cop should be fired.