VT High School Courts Controversy Over Student Photo

[Webster]

American Family News: High school courts controversy after senior photo not allowed

After a Vermont high school rejected a student's senior portrait because he is holding a rifle, the decision is creating controversy over whether a firearm should be banned from a yearbook.

Mill River Union High School has found itself in hot water after the student, Preston Flanders, was told his photo would not be included in the yearbook.

Defending his photo, Flanders told a local TV news station, WCAX, he “grew up hunting” and wanted the photo to reflect that part of his life. The photo shows Flanders holding an AR-15 rifle. That type of magazine-fed rifle is generally not known for hunting small game, such as squirrels, or large game such as white-tailed deer. That type of rifle is also referred to as an “assault weapon” by anti-gun activists.

The school district's superintendent told WCAX the photo was rejected because depictions of guns are generally not allowed under school policy.

Aaron Terr, director of public advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights Expression, says he believes the school is overacting because the photo shows a gun. “The point of a senior portrait is for a student to express their authentic selves,” Terr says, “and that's exactly what the student was doing here.”

Terr also points out the student wanted to convey his enjoyment of hunting in his senior photo, which is probably common in that rural Vermont community. “It’s just pretty farfetched for the school to suggest the photo was or creates a safety concern,” he tells AFN. “It's not like the student was threatening anyone."

One wrinkle in the controversy is Nick Flanders, father of the high school senior, serves on the school board for the Mill River Unified Union School District. Yet another wrinkle in the story is the high school’s mascot: a colonial minuteman.

 

[passenger]

Let's pretend that this problem does not exist!

Kinda reminds me of 'erasing' the cigarette-smoking scenes out of the old movies; except that all of the dead actors have no 'say' about their civil rights.

 

[DrLeftover]

Next they'll be banning the Jr ROTC...

like

East Valley School District to end JROTC program next year

East Valley School District officials will suspend the high school's JROTC program next school year, but students can participate at West Valley.

www.yakimaherald.com

 

[Webster]

Next they'll be banning the Jr ROTC...

like

East Valley School District to end JROTC program next year

East Valley School District officials will suspend the high school's JROTC program next school year, but students can participate at West Valley.

www.yakimaherald.com

Quoting....

Since 2016, participation has dropped from 180 students to 43 students signed up for next year, the district said. During that time, overall high school enrollment increased from 886 to 1,100 students.

As Jim Cornette would say Doc, "Well wouldn't you know who won the pony?"

 

[Doc Nova]

Why does it seem like common sense isn't so common anymore? It's a fucking yearbook picture. Of course guns aren't allowed in the pics. If I grew up playing Billiards, they wouldn't let me take a picture holding a pool cue. Seriously people, this isn't some generalized personal album.

First off, and obviously, school policy is strict on the whole firearms thing. but second, yearbooks are supposed to spark happy memories and smiles. If you look at a picture of yourself holding a gun and it makes you smile, there's some underlying mental issues going on there.

 

[KO896]

Not everyone who owns a gun is a threat to society. This guy enjoys hunting and lives in an area where he can do that. I don't understand why hunters are suddenly the problem? They feed families and as someone who grew up poor, having a dad who could hunt helped put some meat on the table. Let the poor guy have his happy photo.