The young Colorado patriot who went viral for his Gadsden flag patch scored a major First Amendment victory, even earning support from his Democratic governor.
(Video: KOAA)
Tuesday, a video of 12-year-old Jaiden Rodriguez of The Vanguard School in Colorado Springs spread rapidly on social media after he had been pulled from class over a patch on his backpack. As had been reported, an official for the school claimed the historic symbol was a disruption to the class and argued it was associated with “slavery and the slave trade.”
The attention garnered on social media led to an emergency meeting by the school’s Board of Directors Tuesday, and Connor Boyack, author of “The Tuttle Twins” series who helped Jaiden’s story spread, posted an update on X with the decision allowing the Gadsden flag patch to remain while affirming its significance.
Meet 12yo Jaiden who was kicked out of class yesterday in Colorado Springs for having a Gadsden flag patch, which the school claims has “origins with slavery.”
The school’s director said via email that the patch was “disruptive to the classroom environment.”
Receipts in the pic.twitter.com/qQ8jK1zSpR
— Connor Boyack (@cboyack) August 29, 2023
“Yesterday the student returned with the patch still visible on his backpack. Following the District’s direction, Vanguard administrators pulled the student aside so that they could speak with his parents and the District,” the message read in part. “Upon learning of these events today, The Vanguard School Board of Directors called an emergency meeting.”
“From Vanguard’s founding we have proudly supported our Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the ordered liberty that all Americans have enjoyed for almost 250 years,” continued the board. “The Vanguard School recognizes the historical significance of the Gadsden flag and its place in history. This incident is an occasion for us to reaffirm our deep commitment to a classical education in support of these American principles.”
We won! #JusticeForJaiden pic.twitter.com/Y8dX43e9Sp
— Connor Boyack (@cboyack) August 30, 2023
“At this time, the Vanguard School Board and the District have informed the student’s family that he may attend school with the Gadsden flag patch visible on his backpack,” the message concluded.
Speaking with KOAA prior to the decision, Jaiden’s mother Eden Rodriguez, who could be heard defending her son and the flag in the viral video, expressed, “I do want him to stand up for his rights too and I don’t wanna say like ‘No, you, you know, bow down to the government,’…it’s been a tough call to just let him do what he wants and say he’s at that age to make his own decisions.”
In his own post of support, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) wrote, “The Gadsden flag is a proud symbol of the American revolution and a iconic warning to Britain or any government not to violate the liberties of Americans. It appears on popular American medallions and challenge coins through today and Ben Franklin also adopted it to symbolize the union of the 13 colonies. It’s a great teaching moment for a history lesson!”
The Gadsden flag is a proud symbol of the American revolution and a iconic warning to Britain or any government not to violate the liberties of Americans. It appears on popular American medallions and challenge coins through today and Ben Franklin also adopted it to symbolize the… pic.twitter.com/sroNXnlJsf
— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) August 29, 2023
Meanwhile, administrators from the school district claimed in a press release that the story of Jaiden’s patch was “incomplete.”
“There has been National media attention on our charter school, The Vanguard School, related to a student having the Gadsden flag on his backpack. Unfortunately, this story is incomplete. The patch in question was part of half a dozen other patches of semi-automatic weapons,” the district claimed. “The student has removed the semi-automatic patches. As a school district, we will continue to ensure all students and employees can learn and work in a safe and nurturing environment.”
“The student returned to class without incident after removing the patches of semi-automatic weapons from the backpack,” the release added.
However, the boy’s mother contended that when she picked him up from school Tuesday, all of his patches, which included the Gadsden flag and two St. Michael patches, remained.
Furthermore, the young patriot whom Boyack shared enjoyed wearing a tricorn hat as “part of his shtick” in running for office to represent his class, was featured in another image, reportedly taken near the car of a school employee the day of the video, covered in political bumper stickers with messages like “Make America Green Again” and “Don’t mess with Trans kids.”
This is Jaiden, the 12 y/o Patriot who refused to remove the Gadsden flag from his backpack
School officials said it was “distracting” and “offensive” to other students
After being asked to leave school for refusing to comply, he took this picture near the car of a school… pic.twitter.com/0VXHGhsbgr
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) August 29, 2023
The success of Jaiden’s stand stood as a lesson, Boyack argued, to “document your encounters [with] government employees. Had Jaiden’s mom not recorded the video, this wouldn’t have got nearly the attention that it did.”
To that end, he shared a map displaying which states have one-party consent laws and encouraged the public to familiarize themselves with their own state’s laws.
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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