On any other day at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Daniel Galli and his four friends would not even be noticed for wearing T-shirts with the American flag. But Cinco de Mayo is not any typical day especially on a campus with a large Mexican American student population.

Galli says he and his friends were sitting at a table during brunch break when the vice principal asked two of the boys to remove American flag bandannas that they wearing on their heads and for the others to turn their American flag T-shirts inside out. When they refused, the boys were ordered to go to the principal's office.

"They said we could wear it on any other day," Daniel Galli said, "but today is sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it's supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it today."

The boys said the administrators called their T-shirts "incendiary" that would lead to fights on campus.

"They said if we tried to go back to class with our shirts not taken off, they said it was defiance and we would get suspended," Dominic Maciel, Galli's friend, said.

The boys really had no choice, and went home to avoid suspension. They say they're angry they were not allowed to express their American pride. Their parents are just as upset, calling what happened to their children, "total nonsense."

"I think it's absolutely ridiculous," Julie Fagerstrom, Maciel's mom, said. "All they were doing was displaying their patriotic nature. They're expressing their individuality."

But to many Mexican-American students at Live Oak, this was a big deal. They say they were offended by the five boys and others for wearing American colors on a Mexican holiday.

"I think they should apologize cause it is a Mexican Heritage Day," Annicia Nunez, a Live Oak High student, said. "We don't deserve to be get disrespected like that. We wouldn't do that on Fourth of July."

As for an apology, the boys and their families say, 'fat chance.'

"I'm not going to apologize. I did nothing wrong," Galli said. "I went along with my normal day. I might have worn an American flag, but I'm an American and I'm proud to be an American."

The five boys and their families met with a Morgan Hill Unified School District official Wednesday night. The district and the school dp not see eye-to-eye on the incident and released the following statement:

The district does not concur with the Live Oak High School administration's interpretation of either board or district policy related to these actions.

The boys will not be suspended and were allowed to return to school Thursday. We spotted one of them when he got to campus -- and, yes, he was sporting an American flag T-shirt.

"I think they should apologize cause it is a Mexican Heritage Day," Annicia Nunez, a Live Oak High student, said. "We don't deserve to be get disrespected like that. We wouldn't do that on Fourth of July."

Would anyone care if someone wore a Mexican bandana on the 4th of July? Maybe I live too far from the border to see how heated this topic is in states closer to Mexico?

Although I can not in any way prove it, I guarantee that if the five kids who did this were all friends and not just random kids who go to the same school, it was absolutely done on purpose to be edgy and/or racist. And if that was the case, fuck those kids they shouldn't be in school.

Although I can not in any way prove it, I guarantee that if the five kids who did this were all friends and not just random kids who go to the same school, it was absolutely done on purpose to be edgy and/or racist. And if that was the case, fuck those kids they shouldn't be in school.

When I was in school, we weren't allowed to wear American flags on our clothing.

If it was a school policy beforehand (like Neesha was talking about) that they can't wear that stuff then fine. That's ok.

It would be no different if 4 friends decided to wear shirts from a popular band that happened to have nooses on them on Martin Luther King day...Oh but it's just a band we all happen to like and all happened to wear it today....*gasp gasp*

I see a huge difference between those 2 examples, the american flag is not a symbol of hate and is something every american should be proud of.

I would actually expect to see american and mexican flags for Cinco de Mayo parades, wouldn't you want to celebrate your heritage along with the country you live in now?

But they have been told the US is evil and should be hated why they keep coming here is beyond me.

Not wearing that shirt is not a rule based on sexual bigotry (unlike banning same sex couples from coming to prom). Seems consistent to me.

The record shows the boys have been openly American since birth and they intended to communicate a message by wearing a flag t-shirt/bandanna to express their identity through attending school with others in the same attire. The Court finds this expression and communication of their viewpoint is the type of speech that falls squarely within the purview of the First Amendment.

Not wearing that shirt is not a rule based on sexual bigotry (unlike banning same sex couples from coming to prom). Seems consistent to me.

The record shows Constance has been qpenly gay since eighth grade and she intended to, communicate a message by wearing a tuxedo apd to express her identity through attending prom with a same-sex date. The Court finds this exipression and communication of her viewpoint is the type of speech that falls squarely within th¢ purview of the First Amendment.

If you had read anything other than headlines you would know that the 20yr old rule was in place to keep boys and girls from bringing people to the prom who were of legal age to buy alcohol.

I'm fine with that considering I'm "the man" and get the majority of breaks in this country

Although I can not in any way prove it, I guarantee that if the five kids who did this were all friends and not just random kids who go to the same school, it was absolutely done on purpose to be edgy and/or racist.

Then that is your choice not to "buy it". We don't know the real reason it was adopted 20yrs ago and I am sure when the case comes to a real trial and not a hearing, they will have substantiated proof of what happened 20yrs ago that made them adopt the rule.

On a side note, I can't believe your school, the winner of the "Ultimate Prom" has that rule in place. Not very progressive there Frib. The High School I coach at is a VERY well known Catholic School in Indiana and we don't have a rule like that. "OMG, The Fag-Hating Catholics don't even disallow same sex dates to the prom! How can this be?!?!?!?!?!"

Maybe someone should call the Good Ol' ACLU on your school the day before your ultimate prom and let them know what kind of bigots and backwoods hicks you all are...

Wait.... we don't know the real reason? I thought you just told me it was to somehow limit alcohol consumption? I'm confused. Oh wait I remember. That reason is complete bullshit and now you are backpedaling because it actually took someone challenging it on a message board before you realized it.

And BTW... your "well known" high school really isn't. Sorry to break it to ya. Carmel HS is well known in Indiana. Perhaps Avon. Yours is just another high school just like mine, except yours also teaches kids that there's a magical being in the sky that will provide for them if they refrain from meat on Fridays.

Again nice try. Carmel and Avon? Carmel yes. Avon hardly. I agree though, your school is pretty much unheard of and is pretty much a non-competitor in most sports. But you are wrong on my schools notoriety. Multiple State championships in practically every sport, Network televised games, we are invited to play at east 1 game every season in the old dome/Lucas oil. Ask anyone what schools are a perennial athletic powerhouses in Indiana and we are always listed in the top 10. Oh and before you start spewing your bullshit about academics vs sports. We whip your ass there as well I am sure. 98% Graduation rate with 95% of graduating students going on to college with numerous athletes going on D1/D2 scholarships.

1. If the kids wore the shirts on Cinco de Mayo out of the blue as an organized effort, they don't need put in jail. They need a *gasp* mature adults to say "hey, this really isn't necessary, swap out the shirts. It's like wearing a "have safe sex" shirt the day after a class mate dies of AIDS (even if they normally wear those shirts). Illegal? not really. Tasteless and disruptive - yes. Have a little class.

We teach kids this sports shit actually matters in life and they turn into adults who think getting to a division I school is the end-all-be-all.

I'm still curious not only in how precisely it was decided that allowing same-sex partners into the prom would result in more alcohol coming onto the premise, but more importantly how that ended up justifying discrimination against same-sex couples for all these years.

Tim Dury UI Grad - Is in camp with STL Rams right now Rookie.

wrong thread

You teach Band, of course you are going to say sports don't matter.

Here is a clue since you obviously don't know shit about HS sports or about private vs parochial schools. We are Parochial and if you are a parishioner in the Archdioceses you can come here. If you can't pay we have financial assistance.

Do you even know what school I coach at?

How many full or 3/4 Band scholarships are offered?

In the last 2 weeks I have had 48 D1 recruiters come in to look at the kids. So far I have had 43 kids go to D1/D1AA/D2 schools in the past 6yrs. Of those 43, 2 are now in the NFL, 2 others will probably be drafted next year. Not bad for a school with only 683 kids.

D1 scholarship is about 250-300k depending upon where you go in education $$$. Anyone who thinks that isn't big shit is 1) someone who is rich and can afford to pay it out of pocket 2) someone who's kids don't have a chance in hell of ever getting one. Which are you?

So of all these kids, only 2 are actually going to make a living at football - maybe 4? I rest my case.

You said you asked because you honestly didn't know. The answer is actually many. I unfortunately don't have statistics; I was told in college itself that far more kids get scholarships to play music in college than to play sports. It was one of the points made over and over again in classes where we discussed music advocacy. One of the big differences between music and sports is the percentage of kids that participate who get scholarships. In your own stated statistics you pointed out the rarity of high school kids getting scholarships for sports (8% of high schools getting 87% of scholarships). In contrast, almost every senior leaving my band and going to college got some kind of scholarship for their music playing. Full scholarships? Not always, although there are lots of those out there. But help? oh yes.

As far as "only" having 2 kids that are able to make their living and possibly set themselves up for life, there are only 1696 players playing football in the NFL. With a bare minimum of $225,000 a year. Yeah man, way to go, that's trivial alright.

And what do you "have" that's so vastly more important? You act like giving a shit about excelling at something is a bad thing because it's a sport. D1 schools have to offer something like 76.5 scholarships per year for football and as high as 85, it drops down for each division. I have a good friend that's first chair piccolo, one of about 5 in her county and she can't get a free ride like that.

I don't particularly give a fuck about sports, but to completely write it off is more then a bit naive.

I have a good friend that's first chair piccolo, one of about 5 in her county and she can't get a free ride like that.