A family in Bedford County, Virginia, decided to pull their teenage son from school following a controversy that arose from him displaying the American flag on his truck. Staunton River High School had asked the high school senior, Christopher Hartless, to remove the two large flags mounted in the back of his truck, but he refused.
Hartless said he only exercised his First Amendment right to fly the American flag by displaying it on his car.
“My family fought for America and I feel like I should be able to represent the flag that they fought for,” the teen told ABC 13 in an interview posted on YouTube on Aug. 22, 2023.
Hartless said the school administration told him to remove the flags because they were distracting. However, he refused and rationalized the situation differently. He said:
“I don't understand how it's a distraction if they have one on the flagpole that every other student can see.”
Hartless revealed that about ten minutes into the first period on Aug. 21, 2023, he was asked to take them down again but refused.
His stepmom, Christina Kingery, who also talked to the outlet, disclosed that her stepson’s parking pass was revoked, and since she didn’t want him to take the bus, he would be homeschooled moving forward.
“Like I told my son is if this is what he is believing in, me and his dad are both going to stand behind him all the way to the end of it,” she said. She added, “If they're willing to change and let kids want to fly the American flag, then I'll put him back in Staunton River... possibly put him back in Staunton River, but if they don't, then I'm going to continue to let him fly his flags.”