bv Matthew Hay Brown
An Idaho high school teacher put a student's Mexican flag in a garbage can this week, fueling a protest from the community's Latino popluation, according to news reports.
Froyland Camelo told The Times-News of Twin Falls that he was celebrating Cinco de Mayo on Monday at Minico High School in Rupert when a physical education teacher "grabbed" the flag from him. When the 16-year-old ninth-grader asked for the flag back, he said, teacher Clint Straatman taunted him.
"I said, 'What's the problem?'" Camelo told the newspaper. "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."
Straatman acknowledged taking the flag and putting it in the garbage can, but said he was protecting Camelo from "white kids" who might have hurt him.
"I had to confiscate it so it wouldn't escalate any problems in class," Straatman told The Times-News. "We're worried about that stuff all the time. We always have kids saying stuff to each other, and we have a lot of fights between kids."
Some 50 Latino students, encouraged by a local radio station, brought Mexican flags to school on Wednesday, The Times-News reported. About 10 students responded by waving American flags.
Following is an account by the Associated Press:
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.
Camelo and others brought Mexican flags to the south-central Idaho school to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, the May 5 recognition of Mexico's victory over the French army on that day in 1862. About a third of the student body is Hispanic.
Straatman denied saying the words Camelo attributed to him, and said the student may have misunderstood him because of his poor English skills. He said he took the flag from Camelo after Camelo had been waving it in the school gym, and denied withholding it later.
"I had to confiscate it so it wouldn't escalate any problems in class," Straatman told The Times-News. "We're worried about that stuff all the time. We always have kids saying stuff to each other, and we have a lot of fights between kids."
Scott Rogers, superintendent of the Minidoka County Joint School District, said an investigation has been started. He said he could not comment specifically about personnel decisions.
"We believe in nondiscriminatory practices and cultural sensitivity," he said. "We train for that and talk about that. If there is a teacher making derogatory comments we don't approve of that. We also don't approve of a student disrupting the classroom."
Rogers said he was at the school early Wednesday and that the school was quiet. He said he noticed a few students wearing clothing in the colors of the Mexican flag -- red, white and green -- in protest of Monday's incident.
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Comments
Dear God, does this kind of infantile fascism ever stop in America?
This garbage about flags has been repeated many times in one American jurisdiction or another.
You may remember the huge uproar over the American anthem sung in Spanish. Pure bully-like stupidity.
In Canada, we are proud if someone translates "Oh Canada" into another language. It's charming in the Innuit language.
Please grow up, America, before you destroy the world out of pure infantile rage.
Posted by: John Chuckman, Toronto, Canada | May 8, 2008 9:01 AM
maybe this teacher should concentrate on teaching tolerance rather than dumping another countires flag into the garbage which sends an even worse message to the kids! Geesh!!
Posted by: Scot S. Blakeley | May 8, 2008 9:16 AM
This has racism written all over it. I guarantee you, the teacher would not have taken a Canadian flag away from a student on Boxing Day or a Polish flag on Pulaski Day or an Irish flag on St. Patrick's Day. This teacher obviously has a problem with Mexicans.
Posted by: Cesar Chavez | May 8, 2008 9:33 AM
Don't these dumb ass kids realize that have left mexico. That they are law breakers by being here anyway. They are not citizens, nor should they be entilted to anything that Americans are entilted to. Like going to school for free. They never attended school in mexico, the home land. ROUND UP all of these scum bags and send them back.
Posted by: Gary Burdick | May 8, 2008 9:54 AM
Would this teacher have taken a student's flag of Ireland on St. Patrick's day? My guess is he would if that student's skin was brown. This teacher is a liar and a grade A jerk.
Posted by: john | May 8, 2008 10:07 AM
Straatman denied saying the words Camelo attributed to him, and said the student may have misunderstood him because of his poor English skills. He said he took the flag from Camelo after Camelo had been waving it in the school gym, and denied withholding it later.
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Yeah, that's the ticket. He waved it. He almost hit Miley Cyrus.
Posted by: The Pathological Liar | May 8, 2008 10:31 AM
In the months leading to the Oklahoma City bombing, the news was saturated with Republican politicians saying how bad the federal government is, basically calling it evil. Then a couple of years ago, in the months leading up to a rash of federal judges being attacked, the news was saturated with Republican politicians saying how evil federal judges are. I'm worried it's just a matter of time before something terrible happens to a Hispanic because of all the hate speech we hear from Republicans. There's a pattern here of ignorant people doing what their ignorant leaders imply they should do.
Posted by: Paul | May 8, 2008 10:49 AM
The teacher was right. THIS IS NOT MEXICO. They can do whatever they want there. In here, we have our own flag.
Posted by: Catalina | May 8, 2008 10:59 AM
Posted by: Gary Burdick | May 8, 2008 9:54 AM
Your comment is racist an ignorant. One should be able hold on to their racial heritage no matter where they go. And it should be celebrated, not denied.
You also have no clue if these students are "illegal immigrants". Even if their parents are "illegal" if the student was born in the US, he/she would be "naturalized" and a full US citizen.
Posted by: David J | May 8, 2008 11:50 AM
Even if their parents are "illegal" if the student was born in the US, he/she would be "naturalized" and a full US citizen.
Posted by: David J | May 8, 2008 11:50 AM
Actually, such a kid wouldn't be naturalized, but instead a natural born citizen entitled to grow up and become President, much to the dismay of racist morons such as Gary Burdick.
This topic is really interesting because it draws out two "attributes" of the wingnuts, not just racism, but this really bizarre nationalism thing where people judge a person's patriotism based on adoration of a flag, or a flag pin, or saluting during the national anthem, or other such superficial trappings.
Posted by: a blinkin | May 8, 2008 12:31 PM
Alright, I go to this school to start off, and know probably anymore. WHat they arent telling you is this.
After straatman threw the flag in the garbage, an ESL teacher, who is white, had a meeting with Straatman and the vice principal.
during the meeting, the esl teacher, in a fit of rage grabbed the american flag off of the wall, broke the pole, stomped on it and cursed both the principal and straatman, but no one mentions that.
everything that kid says straatman said is wrong, and assumed.
Posted by: John | May 8, 2008 5:33 PM
This teacher must have listened to Rush during his lunch break.
Let him try to grab the Polish flag from my son. We'll see who'd wind-up in the garbage can.
Posted by: RomanB | May 8, 2008 6:22 PM
For starters I live in this community. However I lived the 1st 35 yrs of my life on the Mexican border. I have a deep love for Mexico and it's culture here in the US. In my opinion Straatman did the "Right thing" the "Wrong way" Throwing anyone's flag in a trash can is overstepping boundaries. That being said, it's not Straatman who is driving the racial wedge in this community. It's the students and those who are encouraging these flag rallies that should be held accountable for the racial tension that will ensue. Again I love the Mexican culture, but by GOD don't ask me to draw a line in the sand against MY United States.
Posted by: JWilly | May 9, 2008 1:11 PM
So in this great nation it is legally protected to burn an American flag, but not alright to throw away a Mexican flag? Think about it....... people are making this into a much larger issue than it should be.
Posted by: Jake | May 10, 2008 2:43 AM