School officials in Minnesota have suspended a high school senior because he displayed a Confederate flag in his car's window. Cody Nelson is only days away from graduating with his class, but he was sent home Monday due to the offense. However, his mother and some of his friends are backing him up.
Crosby-Ironton High School officials sent the teenager home after he refused to take down the Confederate flag in his Ford Taurus. He was also told that he might not graduate if he continues to display this. The flag is seen as offensive by some people, but Nelson said, "If they think it represents slavery that's their opinion," per Kare 11.
School superintendent Jamie Skjeveland stated that the boy violated school policy because the act of displaying the Confederate flag sends "a message that is racist, sexist or otherwise derogatory to a protected minority group." While the school does not condone this, Cody Nelson's mom, Doreen, and some of his friends do not think he did anything wrong.
Doreen believes that as long as her son is "not hurting anybody," then he can express and fight for what he believes. She posted the school's suspension notice on her Facebook and asked for support from her followers.
Dorene describes her son as respectful and only displayed the Confederate flag out of pride for those who fought during the Civil War. "Then he gets this thrown at him, with controversy and racism," the mom said via Brainerd Dispatch. "When half his family is black. He took it pretty hard today."
The day following Cody Nelson's suspension, the teenager returned to school to protest with his friends and his mother. Star Tribune reports that the Nelsons later met with the superintend and guidance counselor and have come to an agreement. The boy was allowed to keep the Confederate flag in his car with the condition that it should be parked out of the student's view. He will also graduate with this class.
Did the school overreact on Cody Nelson's suspension? What do you think of the mother's support for her son? Let us know your thoughts about the issue in the comments.
