Idaho Student Says Teacher Tossed His Mexican Flag In The Trash

White Rain

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So guys...whose version do you believe?

TWIN FALLS, Idaho — A high school student says he may file a lawsuit against a physical education teacher who took a Mexican flag he had brought for Cinco de Mayo and put it in the garbage.
Clint Straatman denies Froylan Camelo's version of events but said he took the flag Monday because "white kids" might have hurt the 16-year-old. He said he put it in a garbage can because he had no place else to keep it.
Camelo said he was changing into gym clothes at Minico High School in Rupert when Straatman told him, "Give me the flag."
"I said, 'What's the problem?"' Camelo, speaking in Spanish, told The Times-News of Twin Falls. "He said, 'The problem is that we are in the United States and not in Mexico.' He grabbed it from me. He threw the flag in the garbage can."
Camelo said that Straatman told him the flag would be returned at the end of the school day, but that Straatman taunted him instead.
"I asked, 'Where is my flag?"' Camelo said. "He said, 'What, the U.S. flag?' I said, 'No, the one for Mexico.' But he wouldn't give it to me."
Camelo said he then took the undamaged flag out of the garbage. He said he's been contacted by the American Civil Liberties Union and is considering a lawsuit against Straatman.
more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354476,00.html
 
The kid had no reason to bring a flag to school in the first place, but that's not to say that I condone what the teacher did.
 
What a surprise the ACLU contacted him. Most interesting is the kid asked what the problem was. He's relating this in Spanish to the newspaper. Enough already with this. Enough. Leave the flag at home. Talk about an ingrate.
 
Now, did this kid make the accusation in English or are we relying on a translator to give us the kid's account...
 
The teacher ought to move to my town. They had mariachi band and dancers come perform at the school for Cinco De Mayo. The teacher acted very rude to the boy. It's not a child's fault if someone doesn't agree with politics and immigration issues.
 
The teacher ought to move to my town. They had mariachi band and dancers come perform at the school for Cinco De Mayo. The teacher acted very rude to the boy. It's not a child's fault if someone doesn't agree with politics and immigration issues.

The child has no business bringing politics and immigrations issues into the classroom. The issue does make people on both sides angry and children, IMO, have no business brining it to school. The teacher acted poorly, but JEEZUS, a lawsuit?? Really? Like the idiot ACLU really thinks that any jury in this country is going to take the kid's side????? Most of us are so sick to death of this b.s. already that they'd probably award the teacher a few million in damages.:rolleyes::):):):)
 
Ugh, ridiculous lawsuits kill me!!!!!! :mad:

When my dd was in high school, her Spanish class celebrated Cinco de Mayo. They brought in Mexican food, wore special clothing, and someone probably had a flag.

This kid was supposedly in the locker room changing his clothes, so where was the flag? If he was waving it around like an idiot, then yeah, the teacher was right in taking it away. It shouldn't have been thrown away, but should have been given back after school or that class. IMO anyway.

Doesn't the ACLU have more important battles than this teen and his flag?! :mad:
 
The teacher ought to move to my town. They had mariachi band and dancers come perform at the school for Cinco De Mayo. The teacher acted very rude to the boy. It's not a child's fault if someone doesn't agree with politics and immigration issues.

It's not a political or immigration issue. Not IMO, TV. Indeed it's his fault for bringing the flag to school. If they had some kind of diversity day then so be it. If there was a planned celebration such as was at your school that's different. He's in America. Yes, we're a diverse country, but it didn't state the school was celebrating the holiday. Not to mention the teacher said he didn't want the kid getting beat up. If in fact he was going to he did the kid a favor. I wonder when the kid brought the American Flag to school? Never.
 
I am really torn about this...On one hand I can see someone getting upset and throwing the flag away after all thats happened lately...
But on the other hand...the kid apparently speaks very little english...and if he does, then HOW would he know what exactly the teacher said...
It's just another "cause" to get people in an uproar about, IMO.
 
Ugh, ridiculous lawsuits kill me!!!!!! :mad:

When my dd was in high school, her Spanish class celebrated Cinco de Mayo. They brought in Mexican food, wore special clothing, and someone probably had a flag.

This kid was supposedly in the locker room changing his clothes, so where was the flag? If he was waving it around like an idiot, then yeah, the teacher was right in taking it away. It shouldn't have been thrown away, but should have been given back after school or that class. IMO anyway.

Doesn't the ACLU have more important battles than this teen and his flag?! :mad:
Waving it around on a stick I bet. I'd have said he could have knocked a bloody eye out. Oh the ACLU they sure do have important battles. Look who is manning it.
 
I am really torn about this...On one hand I can see someone getting upset and throwing the flag away after all thats happened lately...
But on the other hand...the kid apparently speaks very little english...and if he does, then HOW would he know what exactly the teacher said...
It's just another "cause" to get people in an uproar about, IMO.

See, I can't see the man throwing the flag in the trash. That was rude as TV said. Just take the flag and give it back to the kid after school. Seems he sure understood English though. He claims the teacher said this and that. Spanglish I guess.
 
Now, did this kid make the accusation in English or are we relying on a translator to give us the kid's account...

laughing-smiley-008.gif
 
See, I can't see the man throwing the flag in the trash. That was rude as TV said. Just take the flag and give it back to the kid after school. Seems he sure understood English though. He claims the teacher said this and that. Spanglish I guess.

Filly,
Yep, the teacher did something to embarress and degrade the student imo. I see it as a type of bullying.
There was no need for that.
 
See, I can't see the man throwing the flag in the trash. That was rude as TV said. Just take the flag and give it back to the kid after school. Seems he sure understood English though. He claims the teacher said this and that. Spanglish I guess.

Yeah you're right about that...I can't see someone throwing it in the trash either...according to the link that was "the only place tha man had to put it."
Baloney...I am sure there were TONS of places it could have been put.
I guess what I should have said is I can see the man "putting it away" till after school.
 
Yeah you're right about that...I can't see someone throwing it in the trash either...according to the link that was "the only place tha man had to put it."
Baloney...I am sure there were TONS of places it could have been put.
I guess what I should have said is I can see the man "putting it away" till after school.

I would have sent him to the Principal's office. Maybe there was a place there to keep it until the end of the day. With all of the marching and stuff going on here in Texas the last couple of years, schools have been very strict about this sort of thing. The kid would have been in trouble.
 
if he loves mexico so much, then why doesn't he go back there...??
 
if he loves mexico so much, then why doesn't he go back there...??

Believe it or not, he may have been born here or gasp!, be here legally! Believe it or not, he may speak perfect English. Most other countries except us speak more than one. I see this the same as all the Italian's having a parade, or the Irish and their day, or Burn's night etc.

I didn't see anyone grabbing clothing or flags (nor haggis!) away from those folks when they celebrated in the streets, bars and schools of America. And they do a heck of a lot more than just wave a flag around!

I don't care if you've been here 300 years, you have the right to be proud of where you come from...after all, most of the people who live here come from some other place.

It can't be alright for one group and not another. Not if you believe in the basic principles of democracy. It's not give me your tired, your poor, your hungry....but only if you aren't Mexican.
 
I would have sent him to the Principal's office. Maybe there was a place there to keep it until the end of the day. With all of the marching and stuff going on here in Texas the last couple of years, schools have been very strict about this sort of thing. The kid would have been in trouble.

The schools SHOULD be strict...there's a time and place for everything...but school is NOT it.
 
Believe it or not, he may have been born here or gasp!, be here legally! Believe it or not, he may speak perfect English. Most other countries except us speak more than one. I see this the same as all the Italian's having a parade, or the Irish and their day, or Burn's night etc.

I didn't see anyone grabbing clothing or flags (nor haggis!) away from those folks when they celebrated in the streets, bars and schools of America. And they do a heck of a lot more than just wave a flag around!

I don't care if you've been here 300 years, you have the right to be proud of where you come from...after all, most of the people who live here come from some other place.

It can't be alright for one group and not another. Not if you believe in the basic principles of democracy. It's not give me your tired, your poor, your hungry....but only if you aren't Mexican.

The link said he spoke "poor english."
You ARE right about having the right to be proud of where you came from....BUT, if you're SO proud of it, why didn't you (not meaning YOU, just in general) stay there to begin with?
Why leave Mexico (or anywhere) and come here to the USA and wave a flag from the country you CAME from?
If you're SO proud of that country then STAY there....
If you come to America looking for a different life, more opportunities...etc...be proud and show your respect for America....
IMO
 

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