Update on Nathan Warmak

[Freedomlover]

People forget that high school students do not have protected speach. Also because of the continueing attempts to enforce conformity on our society anything that stands out, whether it is worn properly or not, even if it is not offensive, is quashed.

The days of bread and circuses have returned.


Rob

Woah! You nailed it, Rob. Way to go.

[Freedomlover]

Evan didn't have any prior autorization.

Why should he, or anyone else, need "prior authorization"?

[GMan]

Just got this email this morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Didn't take long there!!!

Dear Paula and Terry,

I just received a phone call from Evan's principal.........she has reconsidered her position and has decided to let him wear his kilt to school! YES!! What a relief that we won't have to fight the district and endure a media storm.

Thank you SO MUCH for emailing Mrs. Rapp. I suspect it was just enough to make them realize what they might be getting into, if they continued to take a hard line. We are grateful for your support. Please let us know if there is anything at all we can do to help you and Nathan in your fight with the Jackson school board.

With gratitude,

Stacie Ogborn

GOOD NEWS for sure. Glad that Evan can wear his just hope Nathan will be able to soon.

[Rob Wright]

The Supreme Court believes otherwise

Kind of. The ruling provides limited protected speach, and the ruling is also very specific, if it interferes with the students learning it can be banned.


Rob

[Rob Wright]

Why should he, or anyone else, need "prior authorization"?

I agree up to a point, in a school situation if teachers and the admiinistration have a heads up they can be ready to quash anything that could flare up and disrupt the students from learning.


Rob

[lcjones]

Originally Posted by Rob Wright
People forget that high school students do not have protected speach.


and isn't that a shame.

les

[Sherry]

Student receives OK to wear kilt, with exception
BETSY TAYLOR
Associated Press


A southeast Missouri student who was told to change out of his kilt at a high school dance can wear the garment to future school
functions, a lawyer for the district said.

"He can wear that kilt to school if he wants, to the prom, to a
basketball game," Jackson school district lawyer Steve Wright said Friday.

But Wright cited one exception. Though he said it's not anticipated, student Nathan Warmack could be asked to change if the kilt-wearing somehow resulted in a problem or disruption.

That has been a sticking point for Nathan and his parents, since his wearing of the kilt was seen by a school official as disruptive in the first place.

The Warmacks have said they think a broader policy change is
necessary to allow other students to wear formal cultural dress to school functions, if they choose.

Warmack, 18, wore a kilt to a Jackson High School dance in November with a dress shirt and tie as a way to recognize his Scottish heritage. Principal Rick McClard told Warmack to change into pants, allegedly telling Warmack he wasn't going to have students coming into the dance looking like clowns. The Warmacks said they were told McClard did not recall saying that. They have requested a formal apology.

Phone messages to McClard were not returned. Wright said he believes the principal had to make a snap judgment call and has since reconsidered the decision. He said it's appropriate that the ability to make dress code decisions remain with the principal, saying that's a common practice.

A North Carolina lawyer working with the Warmacks, Kirk Lyons, said Thursday that the issue has not been resolved. "I would like for the school to do the right thing," he said.

Nathan's father, Terry Warmack, said Friday that he plans to meet
with the school board Monday in a closed session, and he did not wish to comment at length until after he found out more.

Neither the school district, citing the privacy of student records, nor the Warmacks, hoping to have more information after Monday's meeting, would allow The Associated Press to see a letter sent from McClard to Warmack in recent weeks.

Since Warmack was told to change out of the kilt at the dance, an
Internet petition supporting him - and started by Texas members of a Scottish heritage group - has swelled with more than 11,000 names and notes of support.

Many express outrage. Others offer support, like a doctor who wrote that he wore his own kilt to work one day in the student's honor.

A school board member in Pennsylvania calls for a moderate approach,
proposing that the principal apologize for a lapse in judgment and
suggests getting "back to the business of education."

Some Scottish supporters have sent him gifts, including a traditional
pouch worn around the waist in front of a kilt. Others have promised
to supply him with additional Scottish garb.

Nathan Warmack said earlier this week that he previously thought
perhaps he should back off the issue, concerned people might get mad
at him, but he'd like to see a change for other students,
too. "Seeing the petition, it made me realize other people are
backing me," he said. "I need to step up and take charge of this."
---_
On the Net:
Kilt petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/kilt05
Jackson school district: http://www.jackson.k12.mo.us
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/13567127.htm

[Prester John]

Wonderful.

Let's write the principal and thank and congratulate him.

We were pulling for him the whole time. It's a tough job, and one has to make alot of snap, last minute decisions every day.

Pretty thankless. At least we can say "thanks" for a job well done.

[Prester John]

My "thanks" letter, just sent.

Dear Principal McClard:

I'd like to commend you on what I'm sure must have been an awkward and difficult situation with regard to your kilt wearing student, Nathan Warmack.

Being principal is a thoroughly thankless job, difficult, time consuming and stressful. I know that you have to make snap decisions, often at once, every day.

I have read that Mr. Warmack will be permitted to wear his traditional tartan kilt, in the traditional manner. This is very respectful, and a win-win in what had to be mostly a lose-lose situation for all involved.

I confess I do not know all the particulars, but I support and salute your watchfulness and vigilance in attending to the well being and safety of the students of your school. Thanks for caring enough to be watchful.

I hope that, if JHS ever has additional kilt wearers, they will do so respectful of the honor of your school, and of traditional kilt attire.

Congratulations. I believe you have made many friends over this, and will have ample support for your hard work in educating the leaders of tomorrow.

It helps for them to see leadership today, and, with the exception of Jackson, MO, it is hard to find in today's world.

Sincerely
John A. Peck

Sorry, I just had it returned by their spam blocker! Ugh. Well, I'll leave the letter here in public, in case he gets a chance to see it.

[royce52]

Wonderful.

Let's write the principal and thank and congratulate him.

We were pulling for him the whole time. It's a tough job, and one has to make alot of snap, last minute decisions every day.

Pretty thankless. At least we can say "thanks" for a job well done.

Saw your letter,,very well said. I expect you will have to snail mail it..

I still have concerns about McClard, but I was impressed with the Principle in KC. She was faced with the same situation, and made the same decision, for the same reason,,and with conciderable better justification. I am sure she got hoards of emails and phone calls,,may of them at least as ugly and racist as what we have seen on the petition. I can make a fair guess at what she did. Probable did some quick cultural research to be sure she undersood the issues, talked to her Lead Grade Level teacher and the rest of that team,,probably bounced it off the Middle School Supervisior and arrived at the following conclusions.

A) Making a fight out of this is going to consume a lot of time and resources. (both in very short supply for most Principles)

B) This is a legitimate cultural issue.

C) This is a valuable "teaching opportunity"

D) The amount of disruption will be within acceptible limits.

At that point she had the judgement, maturity,,,,, AND,,(key point).. self confidence to reverse herself. At which point she can go back to what the tax payers are paying her for (an amount that a snotty nosed twenty something with the ink still wet on his college diploma would sneer at) which is managing a facility that is likely bigger than most small business, has a staff of 60-80 and is packed full of energitic "pre-humans" that are hell bent on driving her to an early grave.

Royce