BRADFORD, ONTARIO – Recently, a 17-year-old high school student in Ontario, Canada was suspended for three days for flying a pro-police flag on his pickup truck.
Carson Young is a well-behaved, well-respected teen with many family members who serve as police officers. To honor them, and to honor all other law enforcement personnel, he chose several months ago to display a Thin Blue Line flag on his vehicle.
He told Rebel News:
“It represents support of the men and women who have protected our country.”
View this post on Instagram
Suddenly, the Bradford District High School principal found the flag unacceptable. This response reportedly stemmed from a complaint about the flag from an unidentified flag football coach from another school.
The principal, David Brooks, demanded that Young remove his flag from his truck. At Young’s refusal, Brooks suspended the student for three days, also telling him that another infraction would result in expulsion.
According to Young’s mother, Kimberly, Brooks said that the flag was not “inclusive enough.”
Interestingly, Rebel News pressed principal Brooks for comment on exactly what flags are disallowed at the school, but Brooks refused to answer and referred Rebel News reporter David Menzies to the school board.
The Toronto Sun has found that there is no policy on symbols on the school’s website, but:
“the board’s Twitter account has November posts supporting important initiatives like World Kindness Day, Remembrance Day, a program to celebrate ‘history, culture and contributions of Indigenous peoples,’ Transgender Day of Remembrance, and Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week.”
The Toronto Sun also reports that Brooks wrote in Young’s disciplinary letter:
“The reason for his suspension is opposition to authority.”
He continued:
“Carson refused to comply with directions from school administration.”
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In a well-reasoned letter to the principal, Young explained that his father, mother, sister, aunt, and grandfather have all served as law enforcement officers, and that:
“Flying the thin blue line flag is not only a symbol of my respect and appreciation of law enforcement officers, but also is very meaningful for me since its so close to home….
“The flag shows my support of these people in my life, as well as the other law enforcement officers who are in the ‘line’ of duty and who walk the ‘thin line’ every day.
“They serve and not only protect our community, but our country’s safety and freedom.”
Young explained further:
“Police and members of the law enforcement community have received a tremendous amount of hate during these pressing times of COVID-19 and BLM movements, but they are the ones protecting us when we need it the most.
“Police are the force that stand between law and order, and chaos. The force that safeguards society against irrationality.”
According to Young’s mother Kimberly, this well-crafted letter was forwarded on to the superintendent, who “never replied or responded.”
Friends, family and local residents came out in a show of support for BDHS student Carson Young who wa suspended last week for refusing to take down the thin blue line flag from his truck https://t.co/m1pySljoye
— BradfordToday.ca (@BradfordTodayCa) November 23, 2021
Following Young’s suspension, Young and his mother had an apparently nonproductive meeting with Brooks and superintendent Dean Matby.
According to Orillia Matters, the Youngs stated that “during the meeting the superintendent did not want to discuss the suspension or the reason behind it.”
Kimberly Young added:
”They’re saying that it’s divisive and polarizing.”
She continued:
“‘Opposition to authority’ is what is written on the suspension letter. But today they did not want to discuss the reason for it….
“They just said the flag is not permitted on school property and we’d like to fight for the inclusion of the blue line flag.”
Carson Young attends Bradford High. From his pickup, he flies a Canadian flag with a blue line. The flag represents support for police. He was suspended for 3 days. And when we visited his school, the flag-hating principal… called the police!? Irony. https://t.co/0DCBenzErk
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) November 26, 2021
Ironically, when Rebel News reporter David Menzies went to the school campus to try to interview Brooks, Brooks called the police.
Bradford Today reports that the day Young returned from his suspension, 30 cars flying Thin Blue Line flags gathered in a show of support and drove around the block of the school before classes started.
Carson Young now covers his Thin Blue Line flag with a sleeve while on school property, but once away from school, he displays the symbol of respect for law enforcement for all to see.
Retired police officer facing daily fines from HOA over refusal to remove the thin blue line flag from his home
Originally published November 26, 2021
WESTCHASE, FL- A homeowner in Tampa, Florida, who happens to be a retired police officer, dedicating his life to protecting and serving his community, is now being threatened with HOA fines over the thin-blue line flag he has hanging outside his home.
The homeowner, identified as William Seitz, is a retired Cleveland, Ohio police officer. Seitz displays the flag in support of his fellow police officers and those who work in law enforcement.
Seitz said in a statement:
“I’ve been a policeman for 36 years, I’m retired. My 84-year-old dad who lives with me, he was a policeman. I lost my brother in the line of duty, he was a policeman. This is all out of respect.”
He said that for an entire year, the thin blue line flag has been displayed in front of his Westchase home without any issues, until now.
Seitz received a letter from his HOA to remove the flag because it violates the rules. He said:
“They gave me guidelines for it, it can’t be obscene, it can’t be political, they can’t be offensive. I went through and I said it’s none of these.”
An attorney for the Westchase Community Association stated that the flag is viewed as a “political statement.” Attorney Jonathan Ellis added:
“Westchase’s current board of directors, I believe, view that as a political flag or at least the property manager does.”
FL: Retired police officer facing HOA fines in Westchase over thin blue line flag https://t.co/aOgUR1hcrz
— Community Assns Net (@canetwork) November 19, 2021
According to the letter from his HOA, if Seitz does not remove the flag he can face fines of up to $100 per day. Seitz said he spoke with HOA staff, but was not able to come to a resolution. He added:
“It’s just respect out of our, for our law enforcement personnel. I seriously just said to them, let me replace it with something that has to do with respecting either police or all first responders and they said no.”
Seitz does not plan to give in any time soon and is looking to fight for a rule change. He said:
“They also said if I needed to change the bylaws I have to write up all the stuff, send it to them, it goes to their counsel or meeting board, and it could be anywhere from six to eight months before we get a reply maybe. I said well, it’s going to fly until then and we’ll see what happens.”
OH: Condo owner fined for displaying "Thin Blue Line" flag near New Albany https://t.co/88ODKPDfUn
— Kaman Cusimano (@ohiocondolaw) October 14, 2021
It was also reported that the same HOA took issue with another homeowner who put their Christmas lights up too early. That homeowner is also facing charges. 8 On your Side added that for full disclosure, Seitz is married to an employee of Channel 8.
This is not the first time an HOA has tried to fine a homeowner for flying the thin-blue line flag. In October, in New Albany, Ohio, a homeowner racked up hundreds of dollars in fines for displaying an “Old Glory” and thin-blue line flag on his condo’s porch.
The homeowner, Joe Swantack, who does not work in law enforcement, said:
“It’s just our show of support to those men and women that sometimes ultimately give all.”
In response to questions about Swantack’s flag, the lawyer for the New Albany Park Condo Association, Brad Terman, said:
“Every person who purchases a unit in our condominium agrees to abide by certain restrictions, including limitations on items that may be displayed outside of their units. Our condominium prohibits the flying of most flags.
Our residents are welcome to display the United States flag, State of Ohio flag, national league of families POW/MIA flag, and service star flags, all of which are permitted by Ohio law.”
Swantack said the crime surge and increase in violence has hit home with him. Both his sisters have been robbed at gunpoint. He added:
“Violence. It’s out there and the only thing that stands between that and civility and civilization are the men and women of law enforcement that maintain order in our community. You have these campaigns to defund the police occurring at a time when we actually need more peace and calm.”
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Editor note: In 2020, we saw a nationwide push to “defund the police”. While we all stood here shaking our heads wondering if these people were serious… they cut billions of dollars in funding for police officers. And as a result, crime has skyrocketed – all while the same politicians who said “you don’t need guns, the government will protect you” continued their attacks on both our police officers and our Second Amendment rights.
And that’s exactly why we’re launching this national crowdfunding campaign as part of our efforts to help “re-fund the police”.
For those looking for a quick link to get in the fight and support the cause, click here.
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