http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31332169/

Team 4: 'Not Guilty' Shirt Gets Penn Hills Student Banned From Graduation

ACLU To Represent David Hood On Harassment Charge

ThePittsburghChannel.Com
updated 14 minutes ago

PENN HILLS, Pa. - THE PITTSBURGH CHANNEL.com
It started as a prom date gone bad, and the war of words between two high school students escalated.
But in the end, it was a T-shirt that landed one of the students in court and prevented him from attending his own high school graduation.
Team 4 investigative reporter Jim Parsons has learned the American Civil Liberties Union has gotten involved. Below is a transcript of Parsons' report.

From the same school district that expelled a student for bringing an eyebrow shaver to class, and where police zapped a student with a Taser over a disagreement about his cell phone, we now have the case of David Hood. He's an honor student who was banned from commencement and charged with harassment over a T-shirt he wore.
More than 400 jubilant Penn Hills High School graduates received their diplomas on Thursday evening, but Hood was not among them.
Hood: "And it was just really sad not to go."
David's problems started back in March, when he and his prom date started arguing over the bill for a limousine.
Hood: "It just escalated with one thing after another."
Parsons: "And then what happened? You broke off the date?"
Hood: "Yeah, we broke it off at lunch and then we got in an argument over it."

David was suspended from school and charged with harassment by Penn Hills police. The judge in the case said he would dismiss the charges if David stayed away from the girl for 30 days.
And on the next school day, David and his twin brother, along with three friends, all wore T-shirts that said "Not Guilty."
Saying the T-shirts were designed to intimidate the girl, Penn Hills police charged all five students with harassment, and school administrators told David he was banned from the prom and graduation.
Mindy Hood, mother: "I'm not justifying David's actions, by any means, and I do believe that he had to have some type of punishment for it, but I do think it was a little bit extreme."

David acknowledges he said some things he shouldn't have, but he believes the decision to ban him from commencement and prom and to charge him with harassment were all because he wore a T-shirt, and the ACLU says that's a violation of his constitutional rights.
Witold Walczak, ACLU: "I mean, he went to court and puts on a T-shirt that says 'Not Guilty.' He's making a point. Just wearing that around -- that's protected speech."
The ACLU says it will likely represent David at his court hearing on the harassment charges and is considering a lawsuit against the school district.
Penn Hills School Board member Erin Vecchio says she supports the decision to ban David from commencement. Vecchio says David caused his own problems by choosing to take the issue further when he wore that T-shirt.

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absolutely redonkulous.

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...flowering.

The school system resembles an prison camp more than institutions of learning. The teachers' union should be broken like a ming vase thrown against the concrete of a sidewalk and the public brainwashing system, err education system, abolished.

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Libertas inaestimabilis res est - Liberty is a thing beyond all price. | Sic Semper Tyrannis

Very true from like 1st grade to mid 3rd I got stuck on ritilin. Same story as every other kid that gets stuck on the poison. So in 3rd grade as I'm puking every single day if not in school at the end of the day when I got home. After that they tried all kinds of other dugs but I just lied didn't take them and said they made me ill. For a few years after I had the worst migraines(still get migraines but not near as bad and thank god for pot). To make a long story short after that I had extreme prejudice for any autoritys in school. But I remember my only half year in high school cameras everywhere, like 4 police officers at all times, and military recruiters all throught the time I was there and lunch and other times. I never really learned anything important EVER in school.

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I got lucky... the more and more I see the luckier I believe I am to have graduated in 2001 instead of any later.

As far as schools not teaching anything, I believe it. I've learned more on my own than anywhere else. Teachers' are just overpaid babysitters, and that's the problem with the public school system, and truancy laws. If people don't want to be there, they should be allowed to leave. This industrialized model of education is backwards and ignores the difference in individuals and their learning abilities and thus is self-defeating.

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Libertas inaestimabilis res est - Liberty is a thing beyond all price. | Sic Semper Tyrannis

Its unfortunate that most of the teachers have no say, hell most of the administration has no say either, nope its all government run and it all gets paid for by the citizen, but the citizen has no say in how its run. The stupid Gubbermint goons make all the decisions for all your kids. If your child day dreams once in a while, hes instantly labeled ADD and put on Ritalin. Every year the USA slips a bit more on the tests compared to other countries that spend a fraction on education than we do. A Sham, A mockery, its a shamockery.

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It is far easier to ignorantly control others than it is to wisely control yourself.

I've yet to understand the logic behind public education. I mean, I understand the theory (education) but I think there is something horribly flawed with this cooker cutter industrialized approach.

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Libertas inaestimabilis res est - Liberty is a thing beyond all price. | Sic Semper Tyrannis

the kids own mom said he should have been punished.

i don't get the big issue here. is it just the whole concept of discipline or am i missing something?

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i'm the guy i've always wanted to be

His freedom of speech was raped.

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freedom of speech does not mean you can harass people.
i love how people think there are NO rules simply because they scream freedom of speech.

his MOM said he was wrong.

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i'm the guy i've always wanted to be