A Florida woman has been ordered to take down her Blue Lives Matter flag after her home owner's association deemed the flag to be "offensive" and "racist."
According to WJAX-TV, Jeff Gaddie says his daughter recently received a letter from her HOA informing her to take down the flag because it doesn't fit the HOA's neighborhood regulations.
"She called to ask why," Gaddie said. "They told her they had received a complaint that it was considered racist, offensive and anti-Black Lives Matter."
This flag is causing controversy in one SJC neighborhood. Homeowner being asked to take it down, neighbor complained to HOA @ActionNewsJaxpic.twitter.com/Q5rEWNKh5h
— Beth Rousseau (@BethANJax) March 21, 2017
Gaddie said the HOA allowed his daughter to submit a request to fly the flag, so she did. Still, the HOA turned her down. According to WJAX, the only flags allowed in the neighborhood are American and military-themed flags.
Gaddie says his daughter plans to appeal the decision at next month's HOA meeting.
But despite what the HOA says, Gaddie told WJAX that the Blue Lives Matter flag is not a symbol of hate.
"We’ve got black officers, we’ve got Asian officers, we’re got every race," Gaddie told the news station. "I mean for them to say it’s racist, blue is not a race, it’s the furthest thing from it."
Gaddie explained that his daughter flies the flag to honor her family's long history of law enforcement service.
"If you drive by and see that flag, it kind of makes you feel a little bit better, that there’s a family that supports what I’m doing," he said.
Watch below via WJAX: