(NewsNation) — Controversy has broken out over a Virginia school’s policy prohibiting students from flying flags on the back of their vehicles.
The debate began after a student at Staunton River High School in Bedford County, Virginia, drove to school with two large American flags attached to the back of his truck. The school district said the policy is about safety concerns, while the student and his family have said it is an issue of free speech.
Christopher Hartless drove to school with the flags and was told they were not allowed. He posted about the incident on social media, and his parents subsequently pulled him from the school to homeschool him.
In a statement, Bedford County Public Schools said the rule is part of the student driving contract. “The contract, which has been in place in all three of the high schools for over a decade, prohibits student drivers from flying large flags or banners on their vehicles due to their potential to distract or obstruct the view of student drivers as they are navigating the school parking lot. The underlying concern for this rule is student safety.”
The school system also announced it would be launching a fundraiser to purchase appropriately sized American flag decals for students who wished to display the flag on their vehicles.
As for Hartless, he told local news station WSET he didn’t think that was a solution because the flags would be too small.