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Education

Student Ordered to Remove U.S. Marines T-Shirt Due to Gun Imagery — or Face Suspension

Feb. 27, 2013 8:42am Billy Hallowell

When 14-year-old Michael McIntyre wore a t-shirt to school in support of the U.S. Marines, he had no idea a national controversy would follow. But that’s exactly what happened after the student at Genoa-Kingston Middle School in Genoa, Ill., was told to remove the shirt by a teacher who said that it violated the dress code. According to Fox News, the student was even threatened with suspension if he refused to comply.

Michael fulfilled the request by turning the shirt inside out, although he was confused, as he had reportedly worn it to school many times before without incident. The shirt, which simply said, “Marines,” had an image of two intersecting rifles. And according to the boy’s father, Daniel McIntyre, it was the guns that captured that teacher’s attention.

Rather than going directly to the school after the incident unfolded on Monday, the parent reached out to media. As a result, the district is claiming that they were unaware of the situation until they were approached by Fox News; Daniel contacted the outlet after talking about the issue with his son, the Daily Chronicle reports.

Despite the teacher’s actions, Superintendent Joe Burgess told the parent that the district would have overturned the decision had they known about it. While educator Karen Deverell told the student to remove the shirt, protocol for staff members who are unsure whether clothing violates policy is to send the student to the principal who then makes the final determination.

Teacher Orders Michael McIntyre to Remove Marines T Shirt Due to Gun Imagery or Face Suspension

Photo Credit: The Daily Chronicle

In the wake of the incident, district officials have been extremely supportive of the family. Rather than a violent symbol, Burgess noted that the rifles on the shirt are well-known as images associated with the Marines. He also reiterated that Michael didn’t commit a dress-code violation.

“Very simply, it’s not a violation. It’s a very common symbol for the U.S. Marines,” Burgess told the Chronicle. ”Had we had an opportunity to discuss it, we could have straightened out the situation.”

The district head also noted the school system’s support for the military, highlighting commemorative events for Veterans Day and Patriot Day and other activities that are conducted by students and faculty, alike, to support the armed forces.

“We’ve been accused of a lot of things, but our middle school is well-known for its support of the armed forces,” Burgess said in an interview with Fox News. “That’s why this is so disheartening to all of us.”

Daniel, though, told Fox that he found the entire incident unsettling and that the district needs to use discretion when making determinations about clothing. He also noted that clarifications may need to be made to the code in an effort to avoid future issues for children who show up wearing attire that supports the military.

“When my son wears a shirt that says Marines on it, I think they show terrible taste in telling him to cover it up, and they need to use better discretion,” he said.

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Comments (88)

roscoe569
Posted on April 20, 2013 at 8:10pm
Question: how do you know when you’re in discussion with a redneck Christian?
Answer: they will always get offended and frightened that their precious rights are being trampled on by liberals,socialists,communists,fascists **** ists and any other sit you can think of , and they will either want to shoot you or sue you for stating an opinion. And boy oh boy….they love to sue…

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roscoe569
Posted on April 20, 2013 at 8:00pm
Do you notice that most articles printed by the blaze have just enough information to get you folks all riled up, but not enough to understand the whole story. This is done for a good reason, to ensure you come back for more. And you do, again and again, and get all riled up again. Mr. Beck plays you idiots like a violin.

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Coachie
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 8:54pm
He LIED! The kid flat out lied about how this all went down.
All that happened is the teacher asked him to cover his shirt, and he did with his sweatshirt. Period.
If you read the other articles that have been written, the story is different each time.
The kid LIED! Stop throwing this teacher under the bus because she did not do anything wrong. Yes, I know all this for a fact!

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- roscoe569
  Posted on April 20, 2013 at 8:03pm
  Relax Coachie, you’re preaching to idiots they will not ever ever ever!..understand common sense.
  
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GuruMeditation
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 5:51pm
Way lame!

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AtomSmashers
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 3:12pm
But ROTC students can march around assemblies with fake guns in front of the entire school. I love this country.

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MissPlace
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 2:32pm
This is just silly. Every school has a similar dress policy, and it has nothing to do with the personal philosophy or politics of the teacher, and absolutely nothing to do with the marines or any of the armed forces.

Students can’t wear clothing that depicts profanity, drug imagery, weapons of any kind, or sexually explicit content. They also have to follow a certain standard of modesty, and in areas with gang problems, they can’t wear certain items of clothing associated with local gangs. That’s the way dress codes have been for decades. The kid can wear all the pro-armed forces shirts he likes as long as they don’t violate the dress code.

Turning a shirt that violates the dress code inside-out is standard procedure, and the teacher did nothing wrong. If the parents wanted to contest the dress code, the proper way to do it would have been to go to the administration and not Fox News. This is just attention seeking at the expense of the teacher.

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flatbroke
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 2:15pm
I would love to read the headline: And the next day all the students came to school wearing t-shirts with guns printed on them. then what would the school do??? suspend all of them??? LOLOLOL!

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helicop
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 1:32pm
“Educator Karen Deverell” my ass. Try liberal propagandist and democrat shill, Karen Deverell.

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- Coachie
  Posted on February 27, 2013 at 8:55pm
  The kid lied. Why not insult the kid and the parent who are media hungry instead of an innocent teacher???????
  
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jungle J
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 1:23pm
Today’s teachers are like yesterdays Manson followers….

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Youngamericangirl
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 12:53pm
Reading stories like this make me so thankful that I live in a relatively conservative school district where we can wear our rebel flag t-shirts and not be told its offensive, you even see a few black people wearing them. We also have a large JROTC program and a bunch of rednecks, so you’re gonna see quite a few shirts with guns on them and military themed t-shirts.

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frogg
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 12:34pm
If he followed their orders then he deserved it! Politely tell them to go to HELL! That’s where they will be going anyway!!!!! You do have rights!!!!!! Check out http://www.rescueourconstitution.com/

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galaxie_man
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 12:34pm
Zero tolerance inside a “Gun Free Killing Zone”. It’s the same at just about every indoctrination camp…..er, I mean school in America.

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zoro51
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 12:11pm
sue the school sue4 the teacher principal school board ITS A T SHIRT stupid asses.. or are YOU teachers SOCIALISTS as well AGAINST the 1st n 2nd amendments OUR CIVIL RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH N TO BEAR ARMS FIRE THE TEACHER PRINCIPAL SCHOOL BOARD SUE FOR THE FREEDOM TO WEAR WHAT EVER WE PLEASE this PC **** has gone on long enough.. ITS a shirt SUPPORTING not going against DUMB ASSES YOUR ACTIONS towards this kid n the shirt PROVES THAT YOURE PINKO n should be removed form your jobs

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thegreatcarnac
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 11:30am
The ‘federal’ school system is a brainwashing organization. Even if we are talking about state schools they are still federal because most of their funding comes from the feds. This policy of gun hating has a definite agenda besides safety. They go beserk when a kid draws a gun, points his finger like it is a gun, or has an obviously toy gun on the school grounds because they want to instill on a younger generation how “terrible” guns are and to’ never, never touch one’. They are growing generations who will be terrified of just the sight of a gun so only the government will have a gun. Public schools are a menace.

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TEUFELHUNDENUSMC
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 11:07am
Good for the school district! You cannot stop liberal teachers from being who they are and stomping on everyone’s rights but you can do the right thing. I spent 8 years in the United States Marine Corps and I can tell you now that if that sort of thing came up with my kids they would tell the teacher to call their dad if the teacher has a problem.
Liberals say that they support the armed services but that is a very sparse bush that they hide behind. They hate the military machine and the republic that is supports but know if they came out openly against the military that it would turn public support against them.

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Charles the Hammer
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 11:00am
Problem #1: T-Shirts are NOT appropriate attire for school. They set a tone that is more useful at the beach than in the classroom. The long established decline of proper dress contributes greatly to a corresponding slide in conduct, attitude, and, no surprise, performance. “Business Casual” should be the minimum standard for students.

Problem #2: Since my dress code ship sailed long ago, students do not, as the U. S. Supreme Court has ruled, leave their first amendment rights at the schoolhouse door. An artistic logo for the USMC showing images of weapons can hardly be considered a substantive disruption of the educational process. This student has a legitimate case. The school is overreaching to satify the arbitrary and capricious political agenda of the teacher via selective enforcement.

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B-Neil
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 10:56am
Every student in the school and schools around the country that believes in Feedom and the United States of America, should wear t-shirts with military symbols preferably with weapons. Let the Progressive Liberal educators know they are overreaching there power and responcibilities. Do this every wenesday untill the powers back down and return to educating instead of socual structuring.

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gzorpe
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 10:52am
14-year-old Michael McIntyre should have “hewed” that teacher in pieces,..

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perry1980
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 10:40am
Suspend me then. I dare you.
Parents will support the child.
We will Not Comply

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wilbstal
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 10:00am
My area they would have given this teacher an ass whupping and the Police would have held him down as it happened.

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wilbstal
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 9:59am
Go ahead suspend him Let him get home schooled my nephews get home schooled and once a month they go to the Rifle range and shoot at Liberal paper targets. This is the best part of home schooling they say. America is great if you make it so. They also get tested on learning the Bill of rights and the US Constitution. Plus they get schholed on the bad presidents US has had a,, 99% were all Democarts and One Communist bastard??? hmm wonder who that was????

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Teufel Hunden
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 9:52am
I’m guessing any enlisted Marine from Lance Corporal on up, wearing their uniform into these politically crazy schools will cause a disturbance because of the crossed rifles beneath the chevrons and on their expert marksmanship badges. These educators need their collective as.ses removed! The sooner, the better.

Semper fi!

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