yaf logo
yaf logo

The New Guard

High School Conservatives Erroneously Told Gadsden Flag is ‘Racial Harassment,’ Forced to Remove From Video

By

Kara Zupkus

September 24, 2020

A conservative group at a Catholic high school in California was informed by administrators that their promotional video could not include the Gadsden flag, after the director of student activities told them the flag could be considered “racial harassment.”

According to an email obtained exclusively by Young America’s Foundation, Chris Walter, Loyola High School’s Director of Student Activities, told a conservative student “you will have to remove the Don’t Tread on me image,” erroneously citing an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission case.

Walter claims that the EEOC ruled that displaying the Gadsden flag in the workplace “could be considered racial harassment, depending on the circumstances.” This is blatantly false.

The EEOC case he is citing clearly states that “it would have been premature and inappropriate for EEOC to determine, one way or the other, the merits of the U.S. Postal Service’s argument that the Gadsden Flag and its slogan do not have any racial connotations whatsoever,” and that “EEOC’s decision simply ordered the agency – the U.S. Postal Service – to investigate the allegations. EEOC’s decision made no factual or legal determination on whether discrimination actually occurred.”

YAF reached out to Loyola High School but did not receive a response in time for publication.

The student who reported this incident to YAF’s Campus Bias Tip Line spoke with YAF on the condition of anonymity.

“This is just a small example of the different struggles conservative students go through while in school,” the student told YAF. “Students should have the freedom to express their beliefs and values in a school environment without having to fear the repercussion that can arise.”

This administrator is using bullying tactics to silence speech with which he disagrees–trying to intimidate young conservatives into believing a lie. We must not be afraid to call out the Left’s misinformation and attempts to censor conservative ideas.


Are you facing bias on your campus? Submit a tip to YAF’s Campus Bias Tipline.

Related Resources

Article

July 19, 2023

The New Guard

White Women Are ‘Instruments of Terror’: Salisbury Reading List Villainizes White People, Police

Article

July 19, 2023

The New Guard

‘Dismayed,’ ‘Disappointed,’ & ‘Troubled’: 35 of America’s Top 50 Universities Condemn SCOTUS Decision Banning Racial Preference Practices

Article

July 19, 2023

The New Guard

Landmark Supreme Court Decision Strikes Down Racial Preferences in College Admissions

Get Involved

Become a Member

Chapters

Events & Conferences

Host a Speaker

Campus Activism

Programs

Center for Entrepreneurship

National Journalism Center

Reagan Ranch

Reagan Boyhood Home

Campus Lectures & Activism

Defending Student Rights

Middle School Programs

News & Media

All Media

Articles

Videos

The New Guard

About

About Us

Staff Members

Our Boards

Careers

Financials

Get Involved

Become a Member

Chapters

Events & Conferences

Host a Speaker

Campus Activism

Programs

Center for Entrepreneurship

National Journalism Center

Reagan Ranch

Reagan Boyhood Home

Campus Lectures & Activism

Defending Student Rights

Middle School Programs

News & Issues

All Media

Articles

Videos

The New Guard

About

About Us

Staff Members

Our Boards

Careers

Financials