COLD SPRING, Minn. - A high school in central Minnesota has reversed its flag ban after a protest Wednesday.
About 30 students and parents protested at ROCORI High School Wednesday afternoon, with nearly a dozen cars and trucks displaying American flags. The protest was in response to a ban on displaying flags and banners that was implemented last spring.
ROCORI is a high school that serves Rockville, Cold Spring, and Richmond.
Superintendent Scott Staska says the ban was put in place because students were displaying the Confederate flag.
“The issue wasn’t with the American flag,” Staska said of the rule change. “The issue was with people being disrespectful to other people.”
All the flags at the protest Wednesday appeared to be American flags.
"My son came home from school and told me that they weren’t allowed to fly the American flag on their vehicles anymore," said Don Ihrke. "We just didn’t think that was right by no means at all."
Ihrke said he attended the protest to support the kids' rights.
"I’m here to support my son who’s making a stand," he said. "This is his truck and he’s proud of his truck, and he’s proud of his American flag. He has a sister who's a sergeant in the Marine corps and he’s proud of his sister."
Superintendent Staska said administrators met with protest leaders Wednesday and agreed to withdraw the new rule if students agreed to be respectful to other people.
“The students that protested did so very respectfully, were well organized, very peaceful, positive and appropriate,” Staska said.
Hesaid while flags will once again be allowed, anything disrespectful will not be tolerated, including Confederate flags and swastikas.