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Fayetteville teacher suspended for flag lesson on 1st amendment

Posted 12:40 p.m. today
Updated 8:47 p.m. today

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Fayetteville, N.C. — A Cumberland County high school teacher has been suspended after he stepped on an American flag as part of a history lesson on Monday.

A photo posted on Facebook shows Lee Francis, a history teacher at Massey Hill Classical High School in Fayetteville, standing over an American flag at the front of the class.

Students said Francis tried to burn and cut the flag before dropping it on the floor as part of a lesson on the First Amendment. At least two students walked out of the classroom during the demonstration.

"I put the flag on the ground and I took two steps with my right foot and I said, 'This is an example of free speech,'" Francis said. "Two students got up and left immediately with no word, no disruption at all...I assumed something had happened. One student came to where I was and took the flag from me."

Francis has been suspended with pay in connection with the incident until he meets with Superintendent Dr. Frank Till on Thursday.

Francis, who has relatives in the military, said he did not intend to offend students, but wanted to drive home the Supreme Court's definition of free speech.

Melissa Ramos has a daughter at the school and a son who is stationed at Fort Bragg. She said she was furious about the demonstration and demanded that Francis be fired.

"Just personally, as a military family, to have someone do that, thank goodness she wasn't in that class because of her experiences having friends not come home," she said. "There are so many other ways that he could have taught that instead of trying to desecrate the flag that so many people in this country have fought so hard for.”

In a statement, Superintendent Dr. Frank Till Jr. said in a statement, "Clearly there are other ways to teach First Amendment rights without desecrating a flag. The situation is currently under investigation."

"I think he's right, absolutely there could be other ways to teach the subject, but in the same vain the way that I taught it can't necessarily be wrong," Francis said.

The Facebook post has gone viral with more than 10,000 shares.

The investigation is ongoing.

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34 Comments

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  • Amy Broughton Sep 20, 10:13 p.m.
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    I get that freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences, but is he not teaching these kids (and from what I can tell) many members of our society a very valuable lesson? The lesson that:

    "America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours." You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms."

  • Johnny Roberts Sep 20, 10:06 p.m.
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    Yep it is a federal law to desecrate the American flag. And is still punishable by death in some states. Hope it is in NC still

  • Johnny Roberts Sep 20, 10:03 p.m.
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    Terminate is the least that should happen

  • Johnny Roberts Sep 20, 10:02 p.m.
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    yea and a new country to live in too. People like this are a huge disgrace to American society .. to tell the truth... he would be put to death in about every country but this one...

  • Russell Iglehart Sep 20, 10:00 p.m.
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    Let a White teacher blow his nose on a "BLM" Flag and watch how quickly he gets "Fired", not suspended.

  • Joey Cuddington Sep 20, 8:19 p.m.
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    When you disrespect the flag that the majority of those kids parents are defending - expect to ruffle feathers. Did he forget Fort Bragg keeps Cumberland County and Fayettville going.....

  • Zach Parrish Sep 20, 8:06 p.m.
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    North Carolina is an "at-will" state when it comes to employment. This guy can take a dump on the flag if he so chooses...personally I have a little more respect for our country than that, because of the way I was raised. But, he can be terminated for something as simple as his boss is PMSing and having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Might should've thought a little harder about that one when planning that lesson...

  • Lance Boyle Sep 20, 7:23 p.m.
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    If you have Patriotism on your mind, stop buying foreign made products. Buy American by God.

  • Lance Boyle Sep 20, 7:21 p.m.
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    I know we have people here saying this is illegal but it is not.

    1989: Revision of Federal Flag Desecration Statute — Pursuant to the Flag Protection Act of 1989, Congress amended the 1968 federal flag desecration statute in an effort to make it "content neutral" and conform to the Constitutional requirements of Johnson. As a result, the 1989 Act sought to prohibit flag desecration under all circumstances by deleting the statutory requirement that the conduct cast contempt upon the flag and narrowing the definition of the term "flag" so that its meaning was not based on the observation of third parties.

  • Lilbevr Simmons Sep 20, 7:19 p.m.
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    People kill me over this issue!! I could see if it was the original flag but like easy e said he paid for it so I could care less what he does with it!! We are quick to jump to being so patriotic but yet don't give a second look when we have nationalized citizens who commit terrorist acts here in the US. Talk about that freedom of speech, it doesn't exist in America

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