Student's American Flag Banned by School Because of 'Potential to Distract'

Bedford County Public Schools requested one of its high school students to remove the American flags flying on the back of his truck because of their "potential to distract" other students in the parking lot.

The student refused, and when the school revoked his parking permit, he opted to pursue homeschooling instead of riding the bus.

Flags have become a central part of the discussion involving the culture war, with the American flag, the Black Lives Matter flag, the LGBTQ+ flag and political flags all coming under fire as the culture war intensifies. A store owner in California was killed last week by a man who was reportedly angered about the display of a rainbow flag at her store, LGBTQ+ flags have been ordered to be removed from classrooms, American flag displays have been destroyed and the culture war has caused some students to leave their public school system.

Christopher Hartless became a recent example of that when he opted to choose homeschooling rather than ride the bus after Staunton River High School in Virginia revoked his parking permit. Hartless had equipped his truck with two large American flags. The school's parking permit policy strictly prohibits large flags or banners displayed on vehicles, according to a report by the Daily Mail.

A school spokesperson told local media outlets that the student parking contract bans all flags and banners, citing safety concerns. Flags are banned on vehicles "due to their potential to distract or obstruct the view of student drivers as they are navigating the school parking lot," the statement said.

However, students are permitted to wear clothing printed with the American flag.

Newsweek reached out to Bedford County Public Schools by phone for comment.

The school issued a warning before ordering Hartless to remove the flags. After Hartless refused, the school revoked his 2023 parking pass. Instead of riding the bus, Hartless opted for homeschooling, which his mother Christina Kingery supported, the Daily Mail reported.

Hartless has since defended his decision.

"I don't understand how it's distracting if they have one on the flagpole that every other student can see," he told ABC 13.

Hartless' Facebook messages were restricted, so Newsweek reached out to him through a Facebook comment.

Kingery said that Hartless would return to public school if the district changed its stance on the flags.

Since the ordeal, comments criticizing the district's stance littered the Bedford County Public Schools' Facebook posts. Critics posted images of American flags on unrelated posts by the school system.

"Opposed to the American [flag]," one comment said. "Sad."

"If this image offends or distracts you from being able to go to school.... your [sic] in the wrong country," another said.

Rifts have risen more frequently since 2021 as flags shifted to become a central point in the culture war. In May 2021, an Indiana teacher was ordered to remove LGBTQ+ flags from the classroom. In July of that year, Utah Black Lives Matter leader Lex Scott called the American flag a "hate symbol" and a few months after that, some Florida high school students reportedly trashed a 9/11 flag display after deeming it an offense against Black Lives Matter.