Florida Student Who Organized 'Don't Say Gay' Protest Is Suspended

[Ohio Joe]

A Florida student has been suspended from his high school after organizing a mass protest against the "don't say gay" bill.

Jack Petocz, who attends Flagler Palm Coast High School, promoted a statewide walkout against the Parental Rights in Education legislation, which would ban the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in certain grades at Florida schools.

After leading the walkout at his own school on Thursday, Petocz distributed around 200 pride flags for a rally. The teenager told The Daytona Beach News-Journal that he had been advised not to hand out the flags by the school's principal, Greg Schwartz.

In a statement posted on social media, Petocz said he had wanted to protest the "homophobic and discriminatory legislation" at the rally, which had been approved by the school.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/florida-student-who-organized-don-t-say-gay-protest-is-suspended/ar-AAUBggz?ocid=msedgntp

Trying to bully kids seems to be the right-wing theme this week.

[MLAA]

1. Brave kid to organize the protest. I hope his parents are as proud of him as I am.

[IngridsLittleAngel]

2. Bullying kids is the right-wing theme of the year. If not the decade.

The very thing I'd expect from a party of "tough guys." Like some "toughest SOB's in *insert city here*" I once knew, whose idea of "tough" was beating up women and kids and LGBTQ's half their size.

The only thing that's changed is these thugs aren't even bothering to wear their masks anymore (literally and figuratively.) They're more than happy to reveal to the world just how mean and crazy and evil they are. And it all started when Baron von Fatfuck rode down the escalator.

Jack Petocz, though, is my new hero. I salute you, young man. Thank you. Thank you for having more strength, more courage, and being more of a leader than Nazi filth like DeathSentence.

[AZLD4Candidate]

3. Well, let's look at this for a second

First, handing out flags is protected speech under Tinker (silent protest).

I guess the principal could suspend the student for skipping class if this happened when the protest was a walkout during class time. Remember, you have free speech, but there are consequences if you break rules.

But the fact that the principal told the student "not to hand out the flags" makes this suspension seem like retribution rather than based on violation of school rules.

I hope the ACLU is on this one to give the principal, and the school district, a lesson on civics and constitutional rights that don't end "at the schoolhouse gate."

[femmedem]

4. This student will grow up to become a civil rights leader.

I hope the college of his choice gives him a full scholarship.