These T-shirts are mostly about hunting and fishing and they just happen to have the Confederate flag in the background. They have worn them to school for years. Georgia has had a series of clashes over Confederate T-shirts since the Legislature's sudden move in January to change the state flag, which had been dominated by the Confederate battle emblem since 1956. This spring, seven students in Richmond Hill, south of Savannah, were suspended for a day for wearing shirts with the emblem. Students wearing Confederate emblems also have been punished in recent years in Kentucky, North Carolina and Virginia.
Educators say they have banned the symbol to prevent racial violence.
In a world where violence in school is all too common, it is important that students be taught respect and civility for each other. He said black students and teachers had complained about the Confederate T-shirts. About half of the county's students are black. It is not a private communication.