Appeals court upholds boy's suspension for drawing Confederate flag

(Denver-AP) -- The suspension of a Kansas school boy for drawing a Confederate flag during a math class will stand.<br><br>A federal appeals court in Denver has upheld the 1998 three-day suspension of

Tuesday, March 21st 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Denver-AP) -- The suspension of a Kansas school boy for drawing a Confederate flag during a math class will stand.

A federal appeals court in Denver has upheld the 1998 three-day suspension of then-seventh-grader T-J West.

The court ruled that the boy knew the drawing violated his school's "zero-tolerance" policy.

The policy forbids students to have material that is "racially divisive or creates ill will or hatred." The administrators said they instituted the policy after racial tensions erupted in 1995.

The Virginia-based Rutherford Institute sued the school district on T-J's behalf, claiming that his First Amendment right to freedom
of speech had been violated by a policy that was vague and too broad.