**** salute in school

[ecwfan305]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Miami, Florida
I go to a public school part of Miami Dade County Schools. On Wednesday (10/10/12) during lunch I went into the cafeteria and did the **** salute while walking past a couple of German foreign exchange students. I don't support Hitler or what he did, I did it as a joke (I have a dark sense of humor). I didn't go to school on Thursday (doctor's appointment). Now today they tell me that I have received a referral. Normally I wouldn't be troubled by a referral but it's my senior year and I'm running for homecoming king. According to the school's policy if you get a referral you will be taken out of the race so today they informed me that I've been taken out of the homecoming race. Can they give me a referral for this? Is there anyway I can fight this?

 

[ecwfan305]

*N A Z I salute

 

[cbg]

Personally, I don't consider your "joke" to be even remotely funny and I'll bet the German students didn't either.

 

[ecmst12]

I bet the Jewish students wouldn't find it very funny either.

What you did was disgusting, in poor taste, and showed extremely poor judgement. You should absolutely not be eligible to run for any sort of leadership or admired position in the school after that. You should be ashamed of yourself.

 

[FlyingRon]

Basil, try not to bring up the war.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

How do you think your actions would reflect on the school, if they allowed your blatantly rude and racially oriented dis to go unpunished? You should be proactive about publicly apologizing to them in front of the entire lunchroom.

 

[Banned_Princess]

"""but what about my freedom of speech????"""

 

[stealth2]

You're a Senior and you don't understand Freedom of Speech. Sad.

And I doubt the German students found your Heil Hitler amusing in the least.

 

[Ohiogal]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Miami, Florida
I go to a public school part of Miami Dade County Schools. On Wednesday (10/10/12) during lunch I went into the cafeteria and did the **** salute while walking past a couple of German foreign exchange students. I don't support Hitler or what he did, I did it as a joke (I have a dark sense of humor). I didn't go to school on Thursday (doctor's appointment). Now today they tell me that I have received a referral. Normally I wouldn't be troubled by a referral but it's my senior year and I'm running for homecoming king. According to the school's policy if you get a referral you will be taken out of the race so today they informed me that I've been taken out of the homecoming race. Can they give me a referral for this? Is there anyway I can fight this?

You acted like a jerk and it is possible that it was seen as bullying. You thought it was funny to make fun of someone's nationality? Really? You proved you were immature if nothing else. Yes you can get a referral for that. In some schools, you could be suspended or expelled.

Consider how these German foreign exchange students viewed your actions -- they may be completely anti-Hitler and you as an arrogant, stupid American decided to show your "superiority" or "racism" or various other moronic things for a joke. What you did was NOT funny. It was many other things but NOT funny.

 

[Mass_Shyster]

You do not have a protected right to become the homecoming king, therefore the school can place any restrictions on it as they choose, unless those restrictions are based on illegal discrimination.

Basil, try not to bring up the war.

I did once, but I think I got away with it.

 

[jiggy78]

Firstly, the naz1s were a political party so what you did was as ignorant as a German labeling all Americans as democrats or republicans. So not only did you display a very poor knowledge of history, but you embarrassed your school.

You made a dumb mistake. Take your lumps and learn your lesson. That is part of growing up. You will not be homecoming king.

 

[TigerD]

1. What is a "referral"?
a. A referral for discipline
b. A referral to a qualified professional for psychological evaluation
c. an introduction to the local chapter of skinheads?

First my opinion: You acted in an immature and frankly stupid manner. You may have been trying to go for a cheap laugh, but Germans in general are still scarred by what happened in during WWII. They live with the remainder of what took place in their country. They know that the murder of more than 6 million people is within a generation of happening anywhere. As Europeans, they have a shared cultural history that includes many instances of genocide, mass slaughter of prisoners and civilians, and horrors that we generally don't understand in the US. That salute you so casually presented is not only a terrible insult to them and countless others, it is also a crime in their country. You should be ashamed of your actions.

Now, assuming referral means for discipline. You may be able to challenge the school in court. But you will have a fight that will take years and cost tens of thousands of dollars; and you would have an extremely hard burden to meet. It will have no effect on your eligibility for the homecoming election and it will elevate you into at best a national joke or a national symbol of disgust and revulsion. My advice is to let it go, read up on the Holocaust, and apologize to the German students -- perhaps attempt to engage them on how these symbols cause residual harm when used like you did.

That said: In the US, that salute would most definitely be political speech. Students do not have the same freedom of speech rights as adults. The question is: Is a single instance of inappropriate political communication in a non classroom environment sufficiently disruptive to warrant punitive measures? It is clear that the school could exercise prior restraint and punish you for violating that restraint. I think the answer would probably be yes.

I hope the school uses this as a teachable moment, but you should expect, at the least, a stiff lecture.

DC

 

[Doreen]

...In the US, that salute would most definitely be political speech.
Students do not have the same freedom of speech rights as adults...

Really??

A student does it in school and gets discipllined...

An adult does it in the workplace and gets fired...

 

[Antigone*]

Really??

A student does it in school and gets discipllined...

An adult does it in the workplace and gets fired...

The fact that the adult gets fired does not make the act of stupidity illegal and as heinous as it is, it is still free speech.

 

[Zigner]

The fact that the adult gets fired does not make the act of stupidity illegal and as heinous as it is, it is still free speech.

It can easily fall under the definition of "hate speech"