Columbia-area schools aren’t following Charleston’s Confederate flag clothing ban

A new policy banning displays of the Confederate flag by Charleston County public school students or at its schools is not being mimicked in Capital City-area school districts.

None of the eight districts in Richland, Lexington or Kershaw counties have a policy directed specifically at the images of the Confederacy.

But seven of those districts – including Lexington 1, where accused shooter Dylann Roof attended the 9th grade – told The State newspaper they have had policies for years that prohibit attire and images that disrupt the educational environment.

Photographs of Roof, who is white, holding the flag or displaying the banner have surfaced since the June 17 slayings of nine African-American parishioners at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.

Lexington 1 leaves interpretation of what constitutes a disruption to each school’s administration based on that school’s environment, spokeswoman Mary Beth Hill said. “It is not uncommon for one school to not allow a particular emblem or brand of clothing, for instance, that is acceptable in another school environment,” she said.

The State did not receive a response from Lexington 2.

Charleston County schools instituted the policy for this school year through an insert into the district’s code of conduct. It bans the flag not only on attire but images on vehicles. The policy subjects student to removal of offending emblems, but discipline will be meted on a case-by-case basis.

Two districts, Richland 2 and Kershaw County, are clarifying their policies or toughening penalties for inappropriate attire, spokeswomen for the districts said. Both said the changes are not directly related to the shooting or the removal last month of the flag from the State House grounds.

“Recent incidents prompted the board to examine that policy closely,” Richland 2 spokeswoman Libby Roof said. She did not attend the board’s Aug. 11 meeting where the changes were first voted on. On Tuesday, she was seeking a response from school officials who were present then.

Richland 2 and Kershaw County students who won’t remove offending images could be sent to in-school detention and their offense will be reported to parents, according to the policy.

This story was originally published August 18, 2015 at 5:59 PM.