Pro-President Donald Trump hats worn by students were blurred from a high school yearbook in Pennsylvania, an issue that infuriated some parents and prompted an investigation into how it happened.
Jeremy Gebhart, 16, was one of the students wearing a pro-Trump hat in the Littlestown High School yearbook pictures.
“I just think that whoever did this doesn’t like Trump,” he told Fox 43, saying he thinks the blurring violated his First Amendment rights.
The “Make America Great Again” hat Gebhart was wearing, along with one adorning his friend’s head, were photoshopped. “We were like they blurred our hats out!” said Jeremy.
“I was infuriated because he wears that hat because he supports our president,” said Lorraine Gebhart, Jeremy’s mother. “He’s not doing anything illegal he’s wearing a hat of support.”
Controversy at Littlestown HS in Adams County PA, after 2 students’ “Make America Great Again” @realDonaldTrump hats are blurred out in the yearbook. Coming up at 10 p.m. on @fox43, hear from one of those students who says it violates his first amendment rights. Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/YmhIQjPlqx
— Jossie Carbonare (@JossieCarbonare) May 23, 2019
“It is OK to disagree with peoples’ views but what’s not OK is taking your freedom of speech and using it to take away someone else’s,” she added to WALB News 10. “You did not silence us.”
Jeremy said he thinks Trump has been a good president.
“I just think he wants to help our country and I think he is,” he said.
The Littletown School District called what happened a mistake.
“The mistake was not noticed during the editorial preview process prior to print. We apologize on behalf of the yearbook club. It is not the policy or practice of the district to improperly censor speech.” Christopher Bigger, superintendent of the district, said in a statement sent to Fox 43. He said an investigation was launched.
Reporter Says She Yelled at Man Wearing MAGA Hat
A reporter said that she yelled at someone wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat at a concert, the latest in an expression of open disdain for President Donald Trump from the media.
Trump supporters sometimes wear the red hats, known as “MAGA” hats.
Natalie Weiner, who writes for the sports website SB Nation and has been published by Billboard and Bleacher Report, wrote on Twitter that she was in New Orleans to attend a jazz festival when she came upon someone wearing a MAGA hat.
“Just yelled at a prick with the audacity to wear a [expletive] make america great again hat in the middle of a jazz festival,” she wrote.
“I don’t understand how people can be so hateful I really don’t,” she added.
i don’t understand how people can be so hateful i really don’t
— Natalie Weiner (@natalieweiner) April 28, 2019
Imagine thinking you’re the good person for yelling at a random stranger because they had a hat you didn’t like. Millions of Americans have that hat. You don’t have to like their views, but it’s insane to react this way to them.
Go listen to some Jazz and mind your own business.
— (((AG))) (@AG_Conservative) April 30, 2019
Weiner then said that the Trump supporter “didn’t deserve” to be within 10 miles of the festival.
Weiner wrote a piece about the best moments from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival for Billboard. She didn’t mention the hat incident in the piece.
A number of prominent conservative commentators reacted to Weiner’s shouting at someone wearing a MAGA hat.
“Normal and rational adults don’t yell at strangers for wearing political gear they don’t agree with,” wrote one, AG Conservative.
“Imagine thinking you’re the good person for yelling at a random stranger because they had a hat you didn’t like. Millions of Americans have that hat. You don’t have to like their views, but it’s insane to react this way to them. Go listen to some Jazz and mind your own business.”
