A Colorado seventh grader has the country's attention after a situation at his school went viral earlier this week. Jaiden Rodriguez attends The Vanguard School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where administrators reportedly told him he violated the school's dress code policy by putting patches on his backpack.
One patch of the Gadsden flag that includes the phrase "Don't Tread On Me" garnered much attention. Jaiden's mother, Eden Rodriguez, thought that the district unfairly targeted her son. Video of the meeting at the school on X, formerly known as Twitter, went viral, and people have a lot to say.
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Jaiden decorated his backpack with patches like many other kids.
The fact that he had patches on his backpack evidently wasn't the problem, according to his mother. The school district, Harrison School District 2, took issue with Jaiden's patches, particularly that of the Gadsden flag, which features a rattlesnake on a yellow background and the phrase, "Don't Tread On Me."
The Gadsden flag was designed during the Revolutionary War, and the school claimed it was rooted in slavery.
The boy also had several patches on his backpack that featured semiautomatic weapons, the school district noted, according to KOAA, and those were removed. The Gadsen flag patch, however, remained.
Eden Rodriguez recorded her meeting with the school, asking why her son could not return to class.
His mother told KOAA that administrators told Jaiden he could not return to class until he removed the patches. In a video of their meeting, a school official tells the family, "We do not want the flag due to its origins with slavery and slave trade."
Eden Rodriguez told the news station that racism is subjective.
"I was like this is wild that this is happening, is this America?" the mother asked. "I do want him to stand up for his rights and (not) say '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."
Eden Rodriguez believed that barring Jaiden from wearing patches was 'one-sided.'
The frustrated mother spoke up in the meeting and said there was no total ban on patches and said she believed Jaiden was targeted because of what his patches said. The boy agreed with his mother, saying that other kids had patches of the US Flag, and no one seemed to have a problem with them.
"We teach him to always stick up for your beliefs, and you're, I mean, going over the Revolution for seventh grade. I mean, the founding fathers stood up for what they believed in against unjust laws. This is unjust," she said.
The video went extraordinarily viral.
Connor Boyak, aka @cboyak, shared the video on X, which has 12.1 million views. Most of the comments praised Jaiden and his mother for not backing down.
"This 12 year old standing up for his beliefs is braver than most adults of our current time. Raise your kids to be like this," someone tweeted.
"This kid smiling at his mom cause they know history better than these liberal teachers," another person agreed.
"I don't get it? The kid had a patch on his backpack along with many other patches . The Gadsden or Hopkins flag dates back to the American Revolution and independence from British rule. Why are some people making something out of nothing?" someone else asked.
But, there were some critics.
"Meet 12yo Jaiden who isn't old enough yet to understand that he was carefully taught by his parents that their guns & Gadsden memes are more important than his life #GunReformNow," one user argued.
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The school district and the governor responded.
Governor Jared Polis agreed with Jaiden and his mom and encouraged the boy to continue to stand up for himself, Colorado Public Radio reported.
"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!" he wrote on X.
The district released a statement to families that it had reconsidered its position.
"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," it reads in part. "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. 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."
