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What is the Gadsden flag? Colorado boy, 12, booted out of class for wearing symbol of American Revolution

A Colorado charter school employee claimed that the patch was 'disruptive to the classroom environment' and that it has 'origins with slavery'

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO: Recently, a video of a young primary school student in Colorado Springs being expelled from class for wearing a Gadsden flag patch on his bag has been making the rounds on social networking site X, formerly known as Twitter.

The Gadsden flag, also known as the Hopkins flag or the Don't Tread on Me flag, was a historical banner that Commodore Esek Hopkins, the first naval commander in chief of the United States who used it as his own pennant during the American Revolution (1775–83).

The phrase "DON'T TREAD ON ME" is placed beneath a picture of a timber rattlesnake on a bright yellow backdrop.

Gadsden flag served as a symbol of liberty and freedom

As per Britannica, the Gadsden flag, or the Don't Tread on Me flag, was one of many medieval flags that featured an illustration of a rattlesnake, which had evolved into a well-liked emblem of unification among the American colonies.

Esek Hopkins, the newly elected commodore of the Continental Navy and the first naval commander in chief of the United States, was the first to fly the craft designed by South Carolinian soldier and statesman Christopher Gadsden.

Hopkins raised the American flag aboard his cruiser, the USS Alfred, as a rallying cry for the country's independence from British domination.

What does 'DON'T TREAD ON ME' on the Gadsden flag mean?

The Gadsden flag's motto, "DON'T TREAD ON ME," served as a symbol of liberty and freedom. The rattlesnake depicted on the flag represented both defense and retaliation.

The rattlesnake symbol first appeared in the political cartoon 'Join, or Die', published in Benjamin Franklin's 'Pennsylvania Gazette' in 1754.

The cartoon urged the colonists to band together in the face of the French and Indian War (1754–63), which was represented by the colonies as cut-up snake parts in the comic. Later, it served as a representation of togetherness during the Revolutionary War.

The snake was a widely used representation of American independence in the 1700s. Benjamin Franklin, a founding father of the United States, was often cited as saying, "The Rattlesnake never backed down when provoked."

The inscription on the banner probably meant that if the British oppressed, trod on, or otherwise treated the American colonies improperly, they would respond equally.

Is the Gadsden flag racist?

The Gadsden Flag was purposefully created to spread a patriotic message rather than a racist one.

A US Postal Service African American mechanic complained to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 2014 about a coworker who was donning a cap with the flag's design.

The worker claimed that the flag was disrespectful to African Americans because it was made by a slave trader and slave owner.

Although the phrase "DON'T TREAD ON ME" on it originated from a non-racial context, the flag has served as the message-bearer of racial prejudice in various settings, the panel claimed.

The EEOC ruled in 2016 that the design, while not a racist symbol, is "sometimes interpreted to convey racially-tinged messages in some contexts."

Also, the complaint against its use met the requirements for an investigation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

Twelve-year-old boy expelled from school for wearing Gadsden flag patch

Jaiden, a 12-year-old student from Colorado, was expelled from school for wearing a Gadsden Flag patch on his backpack, despite the governor referring to it as a "proud symbol of the American revolution."

A Colorado charter school employee claimed that the patch was "disruptive to the classroom environment" and that it has "origins with slavery," as per Daily Mail.

Jaiden's mother disagreed with the school employee throughout the discussion, claiming that the flag did not support slavery and had its origins during the American Revolution as a representation of the 13 colonies' struggle against the British Crown.

Jaiden was informed that the "Don't Tread on Me" patch was against district policy and that he was not permitted to return to class until he had removed it.

The administrator explained to the student, "So the reason that they do not want the flag – the reason we do not want the flag displayed – is due to its origins with slavery, and the slave trade. The bag can't go back if it's got the patch on it, cause we can't have that in and around other kids."

Jaiden's mother disagreed, adding, "It has nothing to do with slavery, that’s like the Revolutionary War patch that was displayed when they were fighting the British."

If perhaps the woman had misidentified it as the Confederate flag, she questioned.

Jaiden and his mother addressed the teacher about the other students' bag patches. The mother continued to say that she did not comprehend the law that was being applied.

Jared Polis, the Democratic governor of Colorado, weighed in on the controversy and supported his mother's position by disputing that the flag was racist and praising it as a "great teaching moment".

In his words, "The Gadsden flag is a proud symbol of the American Revolution and an iconic warning to Britain or any government not to violate the liberties of Americans."