ROYSE CITY, Texas — At first, Eric Price, a junior at Royse City High School, didn’t believe what he was seeing.
“I saw him with the flag on, talking to his friends and acting like everything is normal – like he thought he was Superman, I guess,” Price said.
During Royse City’s first period classes on April 23, Price said rumors were swirling that a fellow student was wearing a Confederate flag like a cape.
Price was in his second period class when that student came in, with the flag tied around his neck, draping down his back, almost reaching his feet.
Their teacher ordered the student to take off the flag, and then encouraged the entire class to have a healthy conversation.
“We got to speak to him about it and tell him as a class how it felt disrespectful to us as individuals,” he said. “Then, later on, he was still wearing it. After that period, he put it right back on.”
The Royse City Independent School District confirms a confederate flag was confiscated from a student, but administrators say the flag was brought to campus in a backpack and was visible for less than five minutes.
School district spokesperson Adi Bryant said administrators took up the flag as soon as it was reported to them because it was disruptive to the school environment.
Eric Price disputes that. He said video shared on social media shows the student wearing the flag in the cafeteria.
“It’s not right,” he said.
Monday, community activists joined Price, his father, and a few other parents outside the school to draw attention to the incident and question why it happened in the first place.
The district would not comment on whether the student who brought the flag was disciplined, but Walker and Price’s father, Eric Sr., said they are not as concerned about discipline as they are a lack of action and understanding.
“We think the school needs some sensitivity training,” activist Ernest Walker said.
Eric Price, Senior, is a veteran. “I didn’t serve my country for my son to see a confederate flag running down the hallway,” he said. “And it hurt my heart that Americans are allowing this.”
“You know, kids do stupid things,” Walker said. “I’m not gonna give him a pass. He knew what he was doing.”