Mitch Dorr
Following the virtual morning school announcements made by Assistant Principal Mitch Dorr on Thursday, January 14, complaints were filed with the district about a Gadsden flag image displayed behind Mr. Dorr on a bulletin board as he made the announcements from home.
The image of the Gadsden flag could be seen above Mr. Dorr’s shoulder, as he gave the morning announcements. It was mixed with a clutter of other bulletin board material.
Mr. Dorr has made morning announcements virtually since the school district began classes online last March 2020.
To address the complaints, Principal and acting Superintendent Megan Meyers issued a statement on Saturday, January 16, that read, “Our School District understands that this announcement caused a great deal of concern and discomfort in our community. We take the concerns of our students, parents, and staff very seriously, as it is always our intent to have a welcoming environment to all. Our School District is currently having an independent investigation conducted into this matter. Due to the pending investigation and data privacy issues involved, the school District cannot comment further on the investigation at this time.”
Christopher Gadsden created the flag during the American Revolutionary War with England. The Gadsden flag depicts a coiled rattlesnake with the words “DONT TREAD ON ME” against a yellow background. By 1775 the image of a coiled rattlesnake with the same words “Dont tread on Me” could be found on uniform buttons, banners, flags and in 1778, Georgia printed a $20 bill with the coiled rattlesnake with the motto written in Latin meaning “No one will provoke me with impunity.”
Christopher Gadsden led the Sons of Liberty in South Carolina in 1765 and later became a colonel in the Continental Army. Benjamin Franklin helped create the rattlesnake image used in the Gadsden flag. Gadsden presented the flag to Congress in 1775, and it was used by the commander in chief of the American navy. John Paul Jones is thought to be the first person to fly the Gadsden flag on the Alfred, a naval ship.
Although the flag was made to strike fear in the British army, today, the flag has become a symbol of some militant groups, and it was seen prominently at the recent riot at the capital.
On January 15, during his morning announcements, Mr. Dorr apologized for displaying the Gadsden flag. “I didn’t realize that some of the more present-day context would come out in that, and so I totally apologize to anybody who took the flag wrong, I know that it’s got some negative connotations in today’s era, and that certainly was not my intention.” He described the flag as a comic that had a joking context.
Mr. Dorr said the image of the Gadsden flag has been on his bulletin board since last June, but when he found out it had offended somebody, he took the image of the flag down immediately.
The school district has deleted the January 14 announcement from the ISD 166 YouTube page and the investigation continues.
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