Pro-Gun Dad Wants Principal Fired For Rejecting Yearbook Photo Of His Son With ‘His Favorite Rifle’

A North Dakota father is mounting a campaign to get his son’s photo, showing him with an assault rifle, in the yearbook. 

Like most parents, Charlie Renville is very proud of his son, and is defending his son’s choice of high school yearbook photo. That photo, below, shows 17-year-old Josh Renville posed beside an American flag, wearing an American flag tank top, and holding an assault rifle over his shoulder.

Fargo North High School Principal Andy Dahlen rejected the image, citing school policy that says students cannot “wear clothing that depicts guns or weapons or any violence or drugs or alcohol,” KDVR reports.

Renville posted his son’s photo on Facebook, asking, “how does it promote violence? What item is illegal in this picture? I see a kid that loves his nation, loves free speech and loves the second the 2nd Amendment [sic]. The rifle is a rifle he built and it is his favorite rifle.”

He says Principal Dahlen “has singled out my family over the years because of our traditional conservative values and beliefs!” Renville charges the principal is “out of control,” a “morally bankrupt person,” and “a far left progressive who is using his position to promote his political agenda and push it on our children.”

“Enough is enough he needs to be fired!,” Renville demands. “So begins the fight for freedom……. we are only as strong as our weakest link!”

A walk through Charlie Renville’s Facebook page shows many pro-gun memes (several demonstrably misleading or wholly false) several anti-Muslim posts, and this anti-gay post, a photo of a gay flag, in which Renville wrote:

“What the hell is this shit in downtown Fargo for? Who paid for this? Were Fargo city funds used? Did city worker put these flags up? Yea there is no fat in our city budget to cut. As long as these flags are up I will not spend a single penny in any downtown business.”

Local Fargo newspaper columnist Mike McFeely writes that Principal Dahlen “reviewed school policy and decided the picture was not allowable under three provisions.”

One bans the carrying of weapons on school property; another prohibits publishing of materials in school-sponsored media “that violates federal or state law, promotes violence, terrorism, or other illegal activity …”; and a third bans clothing that advertises or promotes weapons.

While acknowledging none of the policies specifically prohibits photos of weapons from appearing in the yearbook, Dahlen said “it’s the combination of those three policies that we’ve interpreted prevent it.”

Renville is mounting his campaign to get the principal fired on Facebook, but now has taken to the radio to further his mission. Speaking on the nationally syndicated “Jay Thomas Show,” Renville claimed Principal Dehlen has “been picking on my family for years for our political and religious beliefs.”

McFeely, in his column, says it seems “there’s a history here and Renville is out to exact revenge.” And he throws his support to the principal, writing, “the school publishes the yearbook and has full control over what goes in its pages.”

“Nobody has to publish anything they feel is inappropriate. And it’s an editor’s discretion as to what’s unacceptable. Sorry.”

Now, the decision has moved to schools superintendent Bob Grosz. A decision is expected any day.

 

Image via Facebook
Hat tip: Talking Points Memo