Marion Bae, FISM News
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A student at a California middle school was harassed by a substitute teacher because of his mask, not for how he was or wasn’t wearing it, but because of the image it bore.
Lucas Lillar, 13, went to school wearing a mask that presented the image of the “Thin Blue Line” flag. This flag resembles the American flag, but is predominantly black and white with one blue stripe in the middle. Lillar wore the image proudly in support of his father, who is a law enforcement officer, never expecting the response he received from his teacher.
Rather than being allowed to wear a compliant mask of his choosing, the substitute teacher began a verbal altercation with the teen during his math class. The encounter was caught on video, which showed the teacher yelling at the student in front of his entire class, referring to the image and saying, “That’s not the American flag, that’s the new confederacy flag.”
CBS13 obtained the footage of the event and later interviewed Lillar and his mother, Amanda McCallum.
The teen and his mother were admittedly very upset by the confrontation. When asked about it, McCallum said, “I was extremely angry and heartbroken, that this…that he had to deal with it,”
Regarding the incident Lillar said, “I never had someone talk to me like that, yell at me in my face, especially a teacher,”
McCallum went to Lyman Gilmore Middle School’s administration immediately and was assured that the substitute would not be teaching there anymore.
According to emails received by CBS13 from the Grass Valley School District Superintendent, though he could not comment on the specifics of the case while it is under investigation, he did say, “The California Education Code §44953 allows for the immediate dismissal of a substitute teacher. Our district expects all educators to perform their duties with utmost respect and professionalism.”
The Nevada County superintendent was also contacted and reiterated the district superintendent, saying, “The incident is currently under investigation, and we will take appropriate action. The California Education Code §44953 allows for immediate dismissal of a substitute teacher. We expect all educators to perform their duties with utmost respect and professionalism to afford our youth an environment conducive to learning.” He added, “The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing that governs educator credentials will be informed of this incident.”
Video footage of the incident, which was obtained from CBS13, was uploaded to the popular conservative Twitter account, Libs of TikTok, where commenters reacted in support of the teen and the flag.
https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1489315931679453184
The “Thin Blue Line” flag is widely used to show support for law enforcement. Its origin coincides with riots related to police shootings and Black Lives Matter protests, leading some to connect the flag with opposition to racial justice.
Along with the rise of Black Lives Matter protests, violence against police officers has increased. Current data shows that 2021 was the deadliest year for police in recent history.
When asked by CBS13 about being the son of a police officer in America, Lillar said, “It just makes me feel worried.”