The Crown That Wasn't

When I was 15 years old I wore a hat to school. During 2nd period I was called into the principle’s office. He asked me to remove my hat and when I refused due to ”hat head” I was sent home to take care of my hair. I was never certain what caused his aversion to hats.

Years later, my sister was called into the same said principle’s office regarding the patches on her blue jeans. Denim with holes was condemned yet decorations were okay. My smart-ass sister, Rachel chose a peach (sorta flesh colored) fabric. She was accused of trying to make it look like her underwear. *

Last spring, a school district in the same county, made half a dozen (or more) students donning a shirt stating, “Save the Ta Ta’s” turn their shirts inside out as the school deemed the shirt inappropriate. These students were trying to raise awareness to Breast Cancer as one of the participants mothers had been diagnosed.** Mona Shores High School went under attack.


More recently, as in the last two weeks, the school has been in the news twice. First, they were victims of a Ponzi scheme when they—among other schools--gave an unknown, out of town investor, 3.5 Million and he disappeared. However, one cannot overlook the magnitude of their latest media related frenzy. Yep, at this moment they are receiving international attention for not letting the fore-runner in the election of Homecoming King receive his crown due to the fact that he is a transgender student.


According to the school, the students get to vote for one male and one female and his documents list him as female. Never mind that the teachers and students refer to him by male pronouns, or that at graduation he will be donning a blue (male) gown, or that he has worn a Tux to school sponsored events. In this incident he is a she.

Mona Shores, with a little forethought this could have been beneficial for you. National—if not Global—media attention for how progressive and open you are with your students. Instead, you are being lambasted on an Worldwide level. Soon you will soon be up to your eyeballs with lawsuits.

You will really miss the 3.5 million you gave to some snake oil salesman, as it will not begin to cover your legal fees.

Ta Ta girls I suggest you weigh in as your rights were also violated. I suggest you research a case called Cohen V California. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cohen_v._California
or Tinker Versus the Des  Moines Independent School District http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinker_v._Des_Moines_Independent_Community_School_District


And Oak, I too have been discriminated against about things which I have no control. I will not compare your plight to mine but I sympathize. I empathize with feeling like who—or what—you are in bad and wrong. Your story hits close to home in light of experience and geography. I also have a handful on transgender acquaintances.
Lastly, Mona Shores—and all schools—stop trying to suppress free speech—that will only lead to trouble.


Support Oak: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=103699403028170&ref=ts#!/group.php?gid=103699403028170&ref=ts



Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the school district is being sued for constraining a three-year-old autistic child.


Let me know what you thing of this blog…


*She argues vehemently that is was not meant to look like underwear.

** Until you have a parent diagnosed with the big C—you have no idea what it is like.