Waxahachie Student Suspended For Wearing John Edwards Tee Shirt

A Waxahachie High School student was recently suspended from school for wearing a “John Edwards For President 2008″ tee-shirt to his high school.

Although the story is only now hitting the national airwaves, it’s been discussed in the diaries at John Edwards’ blog for several days. Dallas’ FOX 4 has more:

One Waxahachie family is threatening to go to court after their son was booted from school for wearing a t-shirt supporting a presidential candidate.

Pete Palmer, a sophomore at Waxahachie High School, says he didn’t think he was doing anything wrong when he wore a John Edwards 2008 shirt to school.

But according to the district, shirts with political slogans are against dress code policy.

Waxahachie High School officials told Pete he couldn’t wear it.

“It had nothing to do with trying to stifle anyone’s free speech,” said Thomas J. Collins, WISD Superintendent.

“It was an opportunity for us to continue to try and maintain a safe and orderly environment. The dress code gives us the tools to make a decision on what is right and what isn’t,” Collins added.

I don’t think a political campaign tee shirt is going to start a riot among Texas’ high schoolers. Unlike, say, wearing a swastika shirt to school, there seems to be very little chance that the health and welfare of the entire student body is endangered by someone wearing a John Edwards tee shirt.

WISD’s dress code reads as follows:

“T-shirts, other than WISD clubs, organizations, sports, or spirit t-shirts, college or university t-shirts, or solid-colored t-shirts, are prohibited.”

The dad of Pete Palmer, the suspended student, happens to be an attorney and is ready to take the district to court. Looking closely at the above language, I wonder if the WISD dress code also bans polo-style or button-down shirts that anything other than WISD sports/clubs or college mascots? If not, there very well may be another way around this.

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