Student sues after suspension for Confederate flag cap, shirt

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- An eastern Missouri high school student is suing his school district after being suspended for wearing a cap and T-shirt bearing the Confederate flag.

Bryce Archambo, a freshman at Farmington High School, filed suit in federal court in St. Louis Tuesday, alleging the school district policy is unconstitutional and discriminatory.

A coach or teacher took Archambo's cap Sept. 27. The cap bore a Confederate flag and the words "C.S.A. Rebel Pride, 1861." An assistant superintendent told Archambo's father his son was prohibited from wearing anything with a Confederate flag "due to the alleged inherent racism that such insignia sends," according to the lawsuit.

The suit alleges the district's policy violates state law that bars prohibitions against emblems or clothing that are not disruptive. The suit asks a judge to bar the school from enforcing that policy, re-admit Archambo and remove any disciplinary record of the incident.