Published: September 16, 2015, 11:09 am Updated: September 16, 2015, 11:22 am
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WDTN) – The ACLU of Ohio said Wednesday morning they are against the decision by Kettering City School District to ban display of the Confederate flag.
In a release, Christie Link, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, said, “As an organization that has fought for civil rights for almost 100 years, the ACLU recognizes that for many the Confederate Flag represents a painful history. At the same time, suppression of constitutionally protected expression goes against our founding principles as a nation. As the U.S. Supreme Court has made clear, students’ rights don’t end at the schoolhouse gate—they also don’t end in the school parking lot.”
“The First Amendment protects the right to express any viewpoint, no matter how unpopular, and therein lies its strength. It is not up to the government—be it the local school district or Congress—to decide for us which speech is acceptable,” said Link.
The ACLU also pointed out a number of court decisions protect students’ right to express themselves at school, even when their ideas are unpopular or controversial.
Sons of Confederate Veterans Pacific NW Division 