The Baltimore County Public Faculty system has allegedly suspended a highschool scholar after he pushed his faculty to hold American flags in two of his school rooms that didn’t have flags displayed, as required by state legislation.
Parker Jensen, an 18-year-old Marine Corps enlistee, has since sued the college district, arguing he was wrongfully suspended for voicing his considerations in regards to the flags at Towson Excessive Faculty, north of Baltimore.
The flags had been lacking from two of his school rooms, and he approached the Baltimore Board of Schooling in regards to the situation.
“He really thought there’d be something that could be resolved easily, and he was looking forward to finishing out his senior year,” Jensen’s lawyer, Sarah Spitalnick, advised Fox Information Digital. “He’s definitely discouraged that the school took this route in the way they retaliated and punished him. And it did… put a big damper on his senior year. At this point, he’s still not allowed to go to prom. … He still has teachers that he knows do not like him. That could affect his grades and affect his ability to graduate.”
The problem started in February, when Jensen — additionally the quarterback and captain of the Towson Excessive Faculty soccer staff — seen that two of his school rooms had been lacking American flags even though Maryland state legislation mandates that flags should be in all public faculty school rooms.
“This experience has impacted me personally in both positive and negative ways,” Jensen advised Fox Information Digital in an announcement. “On the detrimental facet, I used to be suspended and trespassed unlawfully, had my character unfairly defamed by my administration, and was handled poorly by my trainer upon returning to highschool. These moments had been tough and disheartening.
“However, on the positive side, I believe my persistence in standing up for patriotism may have opened others eyes to the importance of patriotism in our school systems,” Jensen mentioned. “At the end of the day, I believe it was beneficial, not just for me, but for the entire school community. It serves as a reminder that it is our responsibility, as citizens, to hold our government accountable and I believe I did just that within my school.”
Jensen approached his faculty’s assistant principal in regards to the situation in February, which went unresolved, after which introduced it up once more in March.
Jensen mentioned he acquired no response as of March 28, when he approached the Baltimore Board of Schooling in regards to the situation.
BCPS advised Fox Information Digital in an announcement that it has no touch upon the lawsuit and famous that “Towson High School was already in the process of placing flags in those classrooms and the claims of inaction are inaccurate.”
Jensen visited the board’s workplace in individual on March 28 to file a proper grievance throughout common enterprise hours, the lawsuit states.
Jensen signed in as a customer and recorded his actions with supervisors throughout his go to to the workplace, in keeping with the grievance, which notes that there have been no indicators prohibiting recording, and Jensen had a proper to report within the public constructing.
“A supervisor emerged from behind a secure glass door and asked if Plaintiff was recording. Plaintiff confirmed he was, asserting his constitutional right to do so,” the lawsuit reads. “The supervisor demanded Plaintiff stop recording and leave the building, despite his presence in a public area and lack of disruptive behavior. Plaintiff declined to leave, citing his right to be in a public building to file a complaint. Approximately five minutes later, Police Officer Smith … and four other officers arrived, responding to a call from Board staff.”
The 5 officers who responded to the scene apparently advised Jensen he wanted to be a credentialed journalist to report within the faculty board’s constructing.
“They had the police just escort him out. The police also made statements that only reporters can film within their property, which is completely false,” Spitalnick mentioned. “They lied to him and basically said that what he was doing was unlawful when, really, he has every right to do what he did.”
In his video, Jensen will be heard saying, “Three cop cars for a kid? Five cop cars?”
He then turns to one of many responding officers and asks, “You don’t think that’s a waste of resources, sir?” to which the officer shakes his head no, as FOX 45 first reported.
Towson Excessive Faculty Principal Kimberly Culbertson allegedly known as Jensen’s mom on March 28, saying that her son was appearing “unhinged,” “disrespectful,” and was “‘impersonating a journalist,’ and would be arrested and suspended,” the grievance reads.
Baltimore County Public Faculty officers then barred Jensen from all BCPS central workplace properties, with the college district citing his “disruptive” and “threatening” habits and suspended the highschool senior till April 8, the grievance states.
“Plaintiff received no hearing or opportunity to contest the suspension before it was imposed,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit additional accused BCPS of retaliating in opposition to Jensen’s expression of his First Modification rights, violating his 14th Modification rights and defamation.
Jensen argues within the grievance that his highschool has promoted T-shirts displaying the LGBTQ delight flag and posted fliers displaying “immigration support and resources” data, all whereas suspending Jensen for “demanding American flags in classrooms and the right to pledge allegiance, as required by Maryland law.”
“[H]e faced retaliation for championing the military and a secure border, and for defending Donald Trump, and Elon Musk. As this lawsuit details, Jensen’s school pushes every left-wing cause, while punishing him for honoring the American flag and expressing his right-wing viewpoint,” the grievance says.
