An Indiana high school attempted to discipline a student for flying an American flag in the back of his truck.
Cameron Blasek, a teen in St. Leon, Indiana, found himself the subject of headlines when he refused to remove the American flag from the back of his blue Dodge 4×4 at the request of his school administrators.
The young man, who is a senior at East Central High School, was called into the principal’s office and told that if he did not remove the flag, he would be written up for insubordination. The school said that allowing him to fly the flag may lead to other students displaying flags that are “seen as offensive.”
Blasek held firm to his rights and refused to concede to their request. He told a local news station:
“I kind of just told them [the school] straight up from the get-go that’s not going to happen. I read them their own handbook and all their guidelines and Indiana state laws and everything that shows I’m perfectly legal and fine to fly that flag.”
Blasek’s fellow student body stood in solidarity
When word of their classmate’s experience spread through the school, dozens of students arrived the next day displaying American flags on their own vehicles in support. The teen said he was “kind of shocked” at the display and added:
“I wasn’t expecting any of that but I thought it was kind of cool seeing everybody come together like that.”
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The incident went viral and the school backed down
News of the unjust actions by the East Central High School administration quickly caught the attention of local community members and people online. The Principal, Tom Black, released a statement the following day which read:
“After careful consideration and in recognition of the importance of the US flag as a symbol of unity and national identity, I am pleased to inform you that we are allowing the display of the US flag by students in the East Central High School parking lot.”
Black apologized for any “confusion” and “lack of clarity.” Read the full statement from the school below.
Blasek stood up for his freedom and won. He reflected:
“I was always taught never to back down from a situation that you believe in. That’s just the way I was raised. My family raised me that way and I’m very grateful for it.”
Cameron Blasek gets his truck wrapped in the American flag
GCI Digital Imaging, a Cincinnati-area graphics company, heard the teen’s story and showed their support in a very eye-catching way. They offered him a custom American flag wrap for his pickup truck, free of charge. The owner, TJ Bedacht, said:
“We did it because we are proud Americans that believe that Cameron did exactly what needs to be done, stand up for our freedoms.”
Cameron Blasek’s truck looks awesome with its new patriotic makeover. Check it out below!
