BIXBY, Okla. — Bixby Public Schools asked two students to change shirts; now, a Bixby lawmaker is drafting a bill to prevent such incidents from happening again.
2 News learned one student wore a Charlie Kirk shirt and one student wore a President Trump shirt; the content or design of the shirts is not known at this time.
WATCH: ONLY ON 2: Bixby student asked to change political shirt speaks about incident
After the incident, lots of questions came up, and the school released a statement about what happened:
Following an incident earlier this week regarding the application of our school's dress code policy, the school district would like to provide some important clarification.
Our highest priority is maintaining a safe, positive, and focused learning environment for every student. Our dress code policy is in place primarily to prevent disruptions in the educational setting. Our core professional responsibility is to ensure our classrooms remain insulated from external distractions so that teaching and learning can proceed without interruption.
We recognize this policy is limited by the rights of free expression our students enjoy as Americans and that our school administrators must often make difficult judgment calls in the moment when balancing these two important forces. In reviewing this week's events, we recognize that the enforcement of the dress code in two instances should have been handled differently.
While the students were not disciplined, the district is nevertheless taking the following actions in response to this incident:We sincerely regret any concern or confusion this may have caused our families, students, or staff. The district remains committed to providing an environment where every student feels respected and safe, and where education is the highest priority.
- All district administrators were engaged in a discussion of what constitutes a disruption to the educational setting, and when to act on a dress code matter.
- District policies related to dress code, free expression, and other student rights will be reviewed, honed, and updated as needed to ensure compliance with the law and best practice.
- All district staff will undergo training on student rights, the policies, and the implementation that honors both.
2 News spoke with one of the students involved and his parents.
Mase Roach is a 6th grader at Bixby. His parents John and Paula said Mase had been asking for a Charlie Kirk shirt for weeks before wearing it to school.
"He had been asking us for weeks to get him a shirt. So we finally found one and got it for him, and he and his friend planned to wear it for Charlie Kirk day," John said.
Mase told us how everything happened.
"She told me to go to the bathroom and flip my shirt inside out. She actually told me either to do that, or call my parents to get a new shirt, and I told her I'd just go to the bathroom. So I went to the bathroom, and flipped my shirt," Mase said.
John and Paula said the situation was a learning experience for everyone.
"I think that the students became the teacher, and this teacher became the student. This group of 6th graders have found a way to disagree, to have different beliefs, different opinions, and still get along," John said.
Bixby Representative Chris Banning said he plans to write a bill that reinforces students' rights to wear patriotic clothing, “I have great respect for our public schools and the teachers who work hard to support students every day, but school policies must be applied equally to all students. When students are told to turn a shirt inside out in one class and then complimented for it in another, that sends a confusing message. We can do better at applying our policies fairly and consistently.”
"Our schools should be a place where students feel comfortable expressing their views respectfully and learning from one another. It is a violation of the student's First Amendment rights to prohibit him from honoring Charlie Kirk with a simple t-shirt. I appreciate Rep. Banning’s commitment to ensuring fairness in how school policies are applied," said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow.
Read the Bixby Public School dress code HERE.
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