In what critics are calling a violation of free speech, four high school students have been suspended for what they claim was a peaceful attempt to hold up pro-Trump signs at a school gathering.
The suspensions occurred at Grand Rapids Christian High School, in Grand Rapids, Michigan last Friday.
The signs read “Trump,” “Trump Train” and “Build That Wall,” and were made in response to a school-sanctioned banner that reads “Immigrants are a Blessing, Not a Burden.” The video below captures a confrontation between the students and an unidentified female teacher or administrator, who immediately began confiscating the signs.
The students sat out suspended on Monday and Tuesday and returned to class on Wednesday.
Grand Rapids Christian Superintendent Tom DeJonge said on Thursday that the students were punished for what he termed “insensitive and hurtful verbal remarks,” not the expression of political views. A Vietnam-era U.S. Supreme Court decision protects the rights of high school students to initiate political speech on campus.
This week, The Gateway Pundit reported that a small group of Trump supporters rallied outside the high school in support of the four suspended students.