High school student suspended for showing off American flag he painted on his chest

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A senior at Kearney High School in Kearney, Missouri was suspended after showing off an American flag he and two friends painted on their bare chest as part of a school-approved video.
While 17-year-old Dylan Eckstein, who is also a member of the Missouri Army National Guard, said he thought the move was patriotic, the school’s principal said that showing off their bare chests was a violation of the school’s rules.
The students were asked to cover their chests and when Eckstein refused, he was told to go home.

Dismissed: Dylan Eckstein, center, was suspended from school after he and his friends showed off an American flag they painted on their chest

‘I was pretty much the one who was standing up for my rights, you know,’ Eckstein told The Kansas City Star shortly after being suspended for the day. ‘I was asking, ‘Why can’t we do this? Why can’t I show the American flag?’’
The exhibition was part of a school-wide prep video that featured many of the more than 900 students dressed in costumes or school uniforms and lip-syncing to the Cher Lloyd song ‘Oath.’ The three boys decided to paint an American flag across their chests for their screen time.

 

Eckstein said he was particularly confused by the school's decision, especially considering that the school’s men’s swim team, which was also featured in the video, were only wearing their Speedos.
‘Once I got [to the principal’s office], I talked to them, and all they said was that we told you not to,’ Eckstein said. ‘After a while, they did tell me that it is inappropriate to have our shirts off. But I brought up the fact that the swim team is in Speedos and they just said we told you not to.’
He said that he believes he was asked to go home more because he challenged the principal on the decision than for what he actually did.

Rules Violation: The principal said that the boys violated school policy and that Eckstein was sent home after he refused to put on his shirt

Principal Dave Schwarzenbach told the Star, however, that because the video was designed to promote school spirit, athletes were permitted to wear their uniforms, and with the swim team’s uniforms being just their bathing suits, they did not violate any rules.
‘The only ones who were allowed to not wear shirts were the boys’ swim team,’ he said. ‘The students knew the expectations.’
Meanwhile, the two other boys said that they thought the decision was unjust.
'I think it is an unfair use of power,' Jackson Specker told the Star via text message. 'When Dylan got sent to the office, I followed him to defend him. … He didn’t get to reason with them.'

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/12/06/3952196/bare-chest-leads-to-suspension.html#storylink=omni_popular#storylink=cpy

Eckstein’s father, who picked him up from school after he was asked to leave, said that he supported his son’s decision.
‘He is in the National Guard. He’s been to basic training and everything,’ Herschel Eckstein told the Star. “No, I don’t think it’s right. The principal told me that all the other kids had to follow the rules except for the sports teams. I was like, well, I could see where Dylan would feel upset about it.’