The Baltimore County Public School system has allegedly suspended a high school student after he pushed his school to hang American flags in two of his classrooms that did not have flags displayed, as required by state law.
Parker Jensen, an 18-year-old Marine Corps enlistee, has since sued the school district, arguing he was wrongfully suspended for voicing his concerns about the flags at Towson High School, north of Baltimore. The flags were missing from two of his classrooms, and he approached the Baltimore Board of Education about the issue.
“He really thought there’d be something that could be resolved easily, and he was looking forward to finishing out his senior year,” Jensen’s attorney, Sarah Spitalnick, told Fox News Digital. “He’s definitely discouraged that the school took this route in the way they retaliated and punished him. And it did… put a big damper on his senior year. At this point, he’s still not allowed to go to prom. … He still has teachers that he knows do not like him. That could affect his grades and affect his ability to graduate.”
The issue began in February, when Jensen — also the quarterback and captain of the Towson High School football team — noticed that two of his classrooms were missing American flags despite the fact that Maryland state law mandates that flags need to be in all public school classrooms.
“This experience has impacted me personally in both positive and negative ways,” Jensen told Fox News Digital in a statement. “On the negative side, I was suspended and trespassed unlawfully, had my character unfairly defamed by my administration, and was treated poorly by my teacher upon returning to school. Those moments were difficult and disheartening.
“However, on the positive side, I believe my persistence in standing up for patriotism may have opened others eyes to the importance of patriotism in our school systems,” Jensen said. “At the end of the day, I believe it was beneficial, not just for me, but for the entire school community. It serves as a reminder that it is our responsibility, as citizens, to hold our government accountable and I believe I did just that within my school.”
Jensen approached his school’s assistant principal about the issue in February, which went unresolved, and then brought it up again in March. Jensen said he received no response as of March 28, when he approached the Baltimore Board of Education about the issue.
BCPS told Fox News Digital in a statement that it has no comment on the lawsuit and noted that “Towson High School was already in the process of placing flags in those classrooms and the claims of inaction are inaccurate.”
Jensen visited the board’s office in person on March 28 to file a formal complaint during regular business hours, the lawsuit states.
Jensen signed in as a visitor and recorded his actions with supervisors during his visit to the office, according to the complaint, which notes that there were no signs prohibiting recording, and Jensen had a right to record in the public building.
“A supervisor emerged from behind a secure glass door and asked if Plaintiff was recording. Plaintiff confirmed he was, asserting his constitutional right to do so,” the lawsuit reads. “The supervisor demanded Plaintiff stop recording and leave the building, despite his presence in a public area and lack of disruptive behavior. Plaintiff declined to leave, citing his right to be in a public building to file a complaint. Approximately five minutes later, Police Officer Smith … and four other officers arrived, responding to a call from Board staff.”
The five officers who responded to the scene apparently told Jensen he needed to be a credentialed journalist to record in the school board’s building.
“They had the police just escort him out. The police also made statements that only reporters can film within their property, which is completely false,” Spitalnick said. “They lied to him and basically said that what he was doing was unlawful when, really, he has every right to do what he did.”
In his video, Jensen can be heard saying, “Three cop cars for a kid? Five cop cars?”
He then turns to one of the responding officers and asks, “You don’t think that’s a waste of resources, sir?” to which the officer shakes his head no, as FOX 45 first reported.
Towson High School Principal Kimberly Culbertson allegedly called Jensen’s mother on March 28, saying that her son was acting “unhinged,” “disrespectful,” and was “‘impersonating a journalist,’ and would be arrested and suspended,” the complaint reads.
Baltimore County Public School officials then barred Jensen from all BCPS central office properties, with the school district citing his “disruptive” and “threatening” behavior and suspended the high school senior until April 8, the complaint states.
READ THE LAWSUIT:
“Plaintiff received no hearing or opportunity to contest the suspension before it was imposed,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit further accused BCPS of retaliating against Jensen’s expression of his First Amendment rights, violating his 14th Amendment rights and defamation.
Jensen argues in the complaint that his high school has promoted T-shirts showing the LGBTQ pride flag and posted fliers showing “immigration support and resources” information, all while suspending Jensen for “demanding American flags in classrooms and the right to pledge allegiance, as required by Maryland law.”
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“[H]e faced retaliation for championing the military and a secure border, and for defending Donald Trump, and Elon Musk. As this lawsuit details, Jensen’s school pushes every left-wing cause, while punishing him for honoring the American flag and expressing his right-wing viewpoint,” the complaint says.
