An 8th grade West Virginia Logan Middle School student, Jared Marcum, was arrested and suspended for wearing an NRA Protect Your Right T-shirt to school.
Marcum faces charges of obstruction and disturbing the education process after is teacher started an argument with him over his T-shirt.
Jared told the station the he was punished by officials at Logan Middle School after arguing about the shirt with his teacher, who reportedly objected to the image of the gun on the shirt.
"What they're doing is trying to take away my rights, my freedom of speech and my Second Amendment," Jared told the station.
Jared's father, Allen Lardieri, told WOWK-TV he is upset his son was briefly jailed for something he believes was blown out of proportion.
"I don't see how anybody would have an issue with a hunting rifle and NRA put on a T-shirt, especially when policy doesn't forbid it," Lardieri told the station.
TheBlaze publishes the school's written policy:
A student will not dress or groom in a manner that disrupts the educational process or is detrimental to the health, safety or welfare of others. A student will not dress in a manner that is distractive or indecent, to the extent that it interferes with the teaching and learning process, including wearing any apparel that displays or promotes any drug-, alcohol- or tobacco-related product that is prohibited in school buildings, on school grounds, in school-leased or owned vehicles, and at all school-affiliated functions.
Marcum's father has obtained a lawyer, is working on getting the charges dropped, then they’ll plan on filing any federal or civil suit that is in order, according to Washington Times.
“No matter all the attention, I have a genuine fear for my son,” Jared’s father, Allen Lardieri, said. “I do not know where his future lies. He has criminal charges, he has a bright future, this could do a lot to damage that.”
“I will go to the ends of the earth,” he added. “I will call people, I will write letters, I will do everything in the legal realm to make sure this does not happen again.”
Since the teacher is the one that got into the student's face, why wasn't she arrested for obstruction and disturbing the education process, instead of Marcum?
[Watch the news report below]
Contact Information
Principal: Ernestine Sutherland
Assistant Principals: Elizabeth Thompson & Camille P. Evans
14 Wildcat Way
Logan, WV. 25601
Phone: (304-752-1804)