A Pennsylvania school district is apologizing after two students鈥� pro-Trump hats were blurred out in the yearbook.
Jeremy Gebhart and his friend wore their red baseball caps with U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 slogan 鈥淢ake America Great Again鈥� during Littlestown High School鈥檚 spirit week in October. He said they鈥檙e both strong supporters of the president.
鈥淚 just think he wants to help our country,鈥� Gebhart told local television station WPMT.
During the festivities, someone snapped a photo of the boys wearing their hats. The image was later published in the high school鈥檚 yearbook with a noticeable alteration.
Trump鈥檚 name and his slogan had been removed from the photo so that it appeared as if the students were wearing plain red caps.
鈥淭hey, like, blurred our hats out,鈥� Gebhart said. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥榃ow. Are you serious?鈥欌��
The edited photo also surprised Gebhart鈥檚 mother.
鈥淚 was infuriated because he wears that hat because he supports our president,鈥� Lorraine Gebhart said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 not doing anything illegal whatsoever. He鈥檚 wearing a hat of support.鈥�
The teenager said he felt like his right to free speech had been violated by whoever modified the photo.
鈥淓verybody has First Amendment rights to have freedom of speech and they鈥檙e allowed to think what they want, say what they want, but they鈥檙e not allowed to take that away from other people,鈥� he said.
In response, the superintendent of the Littlestown School District issued a statement apologizing.
鈥淭he mistake was not noticed during the editorial preview process prior to print. We apologize on behalf of the yearbook club. It is not the policy or practice of the district to improperly censor speech,鈥� .
Lorraine Gebhart said it was upsetting that someone tried to silence her son鈥檚 political expression.
鈥淪omeone did this on purpose to blur out that Trump logo and make their own statement,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t is OK to disagree with people鈥檚 views, but what鈥檚 not OK is taking your freedom of speech and using it to take away someone else鈥檚.鈥�
With a report from Fox43 News鈥� Jossie Carbonare
