Seventh Grader and Sisters Expelled from School Following Principal’s Controversial Decision to Limit Free Speech Over Use of the Word ‘Patriotism’ (VIDEO)
A California seventh-grade student, Jimmy Heyward, who recently went viral after his principal censored his patriotic speech, has now been banned from attending the school next year.
The Gateway Pundit reported last month that Heyward was a student at Saint Bonaventure Catholic School, where Principal Mary Flock reportedly told him to edit his campaign speech for the role of Commissioner of School Spirit and Patriotism, instructing him to remove “all parts about patriotism.”
The incident was first shared by LibsofTiktok, who wrote, “This is Jimmy. A middle schooler in California… His principal allegedly made him change his speech and remove all mention of patriotism. When he refused, she reportedly didn’t allow him to give the speech and he was forced to sit there humiliated, and watch the other contenders give their speeches…”
Below is Jimmy’s speech that triggered the principal’s actions, (excerpt via Infowars):
“My love for America is my motivation for running for Commissioner of Patriotism in School Spirit.
“It is an honor to live in this country. Sadly, some people take their citizenship for granted, whether it is disrespecting the people who protect us, or eating nachos during the National Anthem at a sporting event.
“Many people recite the Pledge of Allegiance without understanding its meaning. If someone doesn’t truly know what they are pledging to the United States of America, they might as well be reciting the lyrics to ‘Shake It Off’ by Taylor Swift.
“I want to fix this so everyone understands the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance. As the commissioner of patriotism, I would have the crucial task of creating ways to bring more patriotism to SBS. I love my country and I love Saint Bonaventure, but I want to strengthen our patriotism in school spirit.
“So, accordingly, I Jimmy Hayward am running for Commissioner Patriotism in School Spirit. I want to clarify that my ideas are not promises, but I can promise to make pep rallies great again. I will make the school spirit great again. I will make patriotism within SBS great again, and mostly I will make SBS great again. Thank you and God bless Saint Bonaventure Catholic School.”
WATCH:
This is Jimmy. A middle schooler in California. He ran for “Commissioner of School Spirit & Patriotism” at school.
His principal allegedly made him change his speech and remove all mention of patriotism. When he refused, she reportedly didn’t allow him to give the speech and he… pic.twitter.com/25IaDjP5Zw
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 21, 2024
According to the letter sent by Mary Flock to the parents, “The packet includes clear directions that require candidates to submit their campaign speeches in advance for approval by the student council moderators; it is essential to ensure speeches are relevant to their respective offices and the content is appropriate. Several students were asked to adjust their speeches and resubmit them for approval. Despite our prior guidance and collaboration, not every speech was approved and could not be delivered to the student body. Those who were asked to modify their speeches to align with their office and school appropriateness did so willingly and were able to deliver their speeches.”
A petition organized by Jimmy’s mother, Hattie Ruggles, calling for Mary Flock’s removal as principal details the incident. It reveals that Jimmy was not allowed to deliver his speech and was humiliated in front of his peers, teachers, and parents. The school’s administration called the police on Jimmy’s father when he protested their decision.
“My son Jimmy Heyward decided to run for Commissioner of School Spirit and Patriotism at his school this year. The Principal, Mary Flock, told him he needed to make changes to his speech. She wanted everything in his speech regarding patriotism to be removed, even though “Patriotism” was a part of the position’s title that he was running for. Ms Flock said that if he did not remove ALL parts about patriotism, he would not be able to read his speech to with the rest of the candidates.
Jimmy stood up to her and said he wasn’t going to take the parts about patriotism out of his speech. 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.
My husband upset with her decision told her and the Vice Principal, Caleb McFarren how out of line they were for not allowing Jimmy to speak to his classmates just because his views didn’t align with theirs.
They told my husband to leave or they would call someone to make him leave. He said he wouldn’t as he was there to support his son and then walked to the opposite side of the gate, away from everyone else and all students/faculty. The principal then proceeded to call HBPD to further humiliate Jimmy.
HBPD showed up spoke with my husband and got the whole story about Jimmy’s speech and what had happened. They then told him he was free to stay and watch with the rest of the families in attendance. When the officers were leaving they asked Ed to let Jimmy know that they said “Thank you” for the things he wrote in his speech.
Later in the day Mary Flock sent an email to all parents at SBS informing them of the incident but completely lying about what truly happened earlier in the day. This woman has no business being in a head position at our school, or any school.
This kind of behavior is unacceptable and does not align with the values we expect from our school’s leadership. We demand that Mary Flock be removed as principal immediately.”
A school-wide email sent last month announcing Flock’s resignation from her position at the school served as evidence that Ruggles’ petition had been successful.
“It is with sadness that I inform you that Principal Mary Flock will not be returning to St. Bonaventure next school year,” according to the email.
However, in a shocking twist, Saint Bonaventure School has now informed Heyward’s family that Jimmy and his sister won’t be allowed to attend the school next year due to “serious violations of the Christian Code of Conduct and the Parent Electronic Communications Policy.”
“Finally heard from St. Bonaventure. This morning we received an email terminating Jimmy, Alice, and Livia from the school and will not allow them to return next year,” Hattie Ruggles wrote on Facebook.
The letter sent to the family reads:
“This letter is to inform you of a decision regarding your family’s association with St. Bonaventure School. After careful consideration and thorough review of recent events, and with the support of the Diocese, the decision has been made to terminate your family’s enrollment from St. Bonaventure School for next school year.
The decision comes as a result of serious violations of the Christian Code of Conduct and the Parent Electronic Communications Policy, as outlined in our Parent Student Handbook and included below. These policies are in place to ensure a safe, respectful, and supportive environment for all members of our school community, and adherence to them is crucial for the welfare and integrity of our educational environment.”
UPDATE: Jimmy, the middle schooler who wasn’t allowed to give his speech at school because it was too patriotic, was just notified that he and his sisters will not be allowed back to this school next year. https://t.co/MVKmbnXyc6 pic.twitter.com/V9KkaCri2T
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 11, 2024
You can email Jim Hᴏft here, and read more of Jim Hᴏft’s articles here.