High School Student Realizes His Trump T-Shirt Was Edited In His Yearbook
Grant Berardo was following his school’s published dress code when he wore his “Trump: Make America Great Again” T-shirt for his yearbook photo last fall.
Only graduating seniors are subject to a dress code for yearbook photos. But someone changed the rules on him.
The Wall Township High School junior proudly wore his navy blue shirt to show his support for the president on photo day. But when the yearbooks came out, it was evident that someone had editorialized his image by blacking out the lettering.
NJ student's Trump shirt blacked-out in high school yearbook… https://t.co/ZE6LsmM1OB pic.twitter.com/hJLHzlkfbJ
— JERSEY REPORT (@JERSREPORT) June 10, 2017
Joe Berardo, the boy’s father, was just as unhappy about the incident as his son.
“I don’t like the way we have to tip-toe around political correctness,” he said. “It gets in the way of meaningful discourse. And, frankly, I hate being on the other side of it now.”
Berardo wasn’t the only Trump supporter whose image got Photoshopped. The same thing happened to a fellow junior classmate. In addition, that classmate’s sister, the freshman class president, wanted to show her support in a different way — by including a Trump quote beneath her name in the yearbook.
But someone nixed that also — again, without notice.
“Two parents have made me aware … the attire of their children was altered and that comments or quotes were not published. In all of the instances that I am aware of, references to and support of President Trump were removed.”
Even non-Trump supporters saw this as political censorship and therefore wrong.
I despise @realDonaldTrump – however, this is wrong! This dumb kid has a right to express himself!
— ** (@gindexter) June 11, 2017
Censorship and the removal of freedom is the liberal way.
— MS. FREEDOM OF SPEECH WARRIOR (@Microsingular) June 11, 2017
Berardo’s father, 51, is a Jersey guy and a Rutgers graduate, said his other two other kids graduated from the Wall school district with no problem.
The school claims it did not administer the changes and is conducting a investigation:
Superintendent Cheryl Dyer claims it wasn’t the school that made the changes.
The administration is “investigating an allegation of censorship and the possible violation of First Amendment rights in the high school yearbook this year, she wrote in a letter to parents.
“Two parents have made me aware … the attire of their children was altered and that comments or quotes were not published. In all of the instances that I am aware of, references to and support of President Trump were removed.”