PITTSBURGH (WTAE/CNN) – A student in Pittsburgh had his parking permit revoked after the school says his Confederate flag license plates “caused a substantial disruption.”
Randy Roscoe Jr. says the Confederate flag license plates were ripped off his truck at Brashear High School Thursday, one day after his dad defended the vanity plates.
"To them, it means they're country hicks, or they're into fishing and hunting and listening to country music,” Randy Roscoe Sr. said.
The student’s father says the school revoked his son’s parking pass, so now, if he tries to park his truck on their property, he runs the risk of being towed.
"I feel my First Amendment right is being taken from me. I'm not allowed to park my own vehicle at school over license plates on my truck, and I'm just trying to come to school every day and just be left alone,” Roscoe Jr. said.
A spokesperson for the school district says they asked Roscoe Jr. to remove his Confederate flag vanity plates as a requirement for maintaining his parking pass.
“[This] does not violate a student’s free speech rights,” the spokesperson said.
To many at the high school, the Confederate flag is a symbol of slavery and hate, and some classmates say they aren’t just upset about Roscoe Jr.'s use of the symbol.
"He says a lot of swear words, a lot of bad words toward black people and everything, and it's just not right,” classmate Mickey Sheehan said.
The senior says she doesn’t agree with Roscoe Jr.’s language but does agree he should be able to continue to drive to school with the Confederate flag on his truck.
"It's his right. It's his right. Soldiers fought for our rights, and if he feels it's right, it's right,” Sheehan said.
Copyright 2017 WTAE via CNN. All rights reserved.
MOBILE USERS: Download our WTXL news app on your Apple and Android devices for the latest from South Georgia and North Florida. Also, download our WTXL Weather Now app for Apple and Android devices to get the latest local weather wherever you go.
Copyright 2017 WTXL via Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
