Parents say school principal 'humiliated' their son, barred him from delivering patriotic election speech
The parents of a California middle-school student are calling on their son's principal to be fired after they say he was discriminated against over his beliefs.
Saint Bonaventure Catholic School student Jimmy Heyward, who was running for "Commissioner of School Spirit & Patriotism," was "completely humiliated" after principal Mary Flock barred him from giving his speech at a school election rally, his parents say.
Heyward's mother, Hattie Ruggles, claims her son was told to remove "all parts about patriotism" from his campaign speech or he would not be allowed to deliver it before the school assembly. In the speech, the student talks about the importance of showing respect to veterans during the National Anthem or when reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
"Jimmy stood up to her and said he wasn’t going to take the parts about patriotism out of his speech," Ruggles wrote in a Change.org petition calling on Flock to be fired. "She then told him he would not be speaking. Jimmy sat on stage with all the other candidates while they said their speeches. Mary Flock directed the kids hosting the rally to skip Jimmy entirely. He was on the stage for an hour in front of his peers/teachers/parents being completely humiliated by Mary Flock."
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Pictures posted to the parents' social media accounts show the student wearing a red hat and campaign sign in the same style of Donald Trump's. However, instead of Make America Great Again, it says, "Make SBS [Saint Bonaventure School] Great Again."
After Heyward was barred from delivering his speech, his father Ed Heyward confronted the school principal and vice principal at the assembly and accused them of not letting his son speak because "his views didn't align with theirs," according to Ruggles.
The principal then called the Huntington Beach Police Department to remove the upset father, whom Ruggles said had already moved away from students and faculty. After officers showed up and talked with Heyward, they told him he was "free to stay and watch with the rest of the families in attendance."
The student's mother claims the principal later lied about the incident in an email sent home to parents that day.
A screenshot of that alleged email shows Principal Flock explaining Heyward was not allowed to give his speech because he did not have the adjusted final version approved by her. Flock also said that law enforcement was called on the father to "ensure the safety and well-being of those present."
"This incident reminds us of the importance of maintaining a respectful and inclusive environment within our school community," the email says.
The Heyward parents claim their son's final speech draft was submitted on time and viewed by the principal. St. Bonaventure Catholic School disputed that in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"St. Bonaventure Catholic School is dedicated to fostering a Catholic, Christ-centered learning environment that builds a community valuing respect and integrity. We encourage freedom of speech, recognizing that allowing students to express their thoughts and ideas is crucial for their growth and development. In line with this, our longstanding policy requires all student speeches delivered on campus to undergo an administrative approval process. This practice ensures that the content is appropriate, aligns with school values and our Christian Code of Conduct, and maintains a respectful tone. The process is applied uniformly to all students without exception," the school said.
"If a speech does not receive final approval, we adhere to our established guidelines, which means the student will not be permitted to deliver the speech. In this recent case, school administrators felt encouraged by the words of patriotism but were discouraged by what is perceived as some negative comments and sought adjustments to make it more positive."
"We understand the disappointment the recent situation may have caused. However, to preserve the integrity of St. Bonaventure School’s practices and its Christ-centered learning environment, we stand by our decision and our policies. We remain committed to maintaining a consistent and fair approach for all students."