Does this kilt make me look fat?

By Greg Reeves
This is Nathan Warmack, 18, with his girlfriend Kendra Mizzell at a high school dance in Jackson, Mo.
Nathan has become a cause celebre because his high school principal told him to change into pants.
"You can honour your heritage in Scotland, but you can't go in here looking like a clown," the principal allegedly said.
A Scottish heritage organization, the Clan Gunn Society, has posted a stunned-and-appalled petition for you to sign to support Nathan's right to wear the clothes of his Scottish heritage.
Other links:
Star AP story today
Scotsman Heritage and Culture

(This is a crime blog. There must be a crime in here somewhere. Can you spell d-i-v-e-r-s-i-t-y?)

(Photo and quote from Scotsman Heritage and Culture)

Comments

[frances]

If he wants to wear traditional heritage clothes to a gala event , he should . more power to him . But we should also look at the boy who was suspended from school for speaking spanish , since we are speaking of
heritage & culture . It was in the Star yesterday .

I love the look of a man in a kilt, but those white socks are off putting.

[Tony]

That's great work man. Stand up the for the persecuted Scots. We all know how tough they have it. Everybody confusing them with the Irish and all. I’m sure that Lucky Charms guy just rubs it in their face everyday.

Diversity is a crime or some thing else that will make all your Black co-workers hate you.

Are you trying to make me mad, Greg?

[Helen]

So, Prince Charles and the other male members of the British royal family look like clowns in kilts. I am proud of my Scottish heritage and this principal's attitude sucks. (Please tho, lose the white socks and wear proper plaid ones.)

[Keith Sharp]

Why would Greg wearing a Kilt make anybody mad? Those who want to differentiate themselves from what is common cherish diversity. One must be sensitive to those of different cultures. Remembering, honoring, respecting where one came from is not a crime. Everyone wants to be a __ American. Whether it is African, Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Irish, German, Russian, Swedish, Norwegian, anybody I might have forgot, and so on and so on and so on. We’re all Americans. The melting pot of the world. If we can have Multiculturalism shoved down our throats, than why not an individual wearing a Kilt. What will the next 20 years bring?

I can't imagine what this principal would say to a girl who is multigenerational American with Indian heritage if she wore a sari to the dance.

[Clyde Thompson]

High School Principal
We do Civil War re-enactments at High
Schools.Which involves our Union Blue uniform
( We also could wear the Grey).Also we whip
in there with a 1862 cannon. Load and fire black powder. Safe and controled in memory
of our forefathers.
You don't want a boy to wear kilts to a dance. What's this world coming to.
Clyde Thompson 19th Ohio Light Artillery

[Eric]

Actually, this happened in Jackson, not Cape. The dateline was cape, but your newspaper's own story said Jackson High School. I realize all of Missouri probably seems the same once you get out of Joco or wherever, but the 10 miles between these towns is significant difference...

[Crime Scene KC]

Hi Eric,
Thanks for the correction. I followed the AP dateline of Cape Girardeau and thought Jackson High School was the name of a school there. I've fixed the post.
Greg Reeves

[Beth Gardner]

I am the author of the online petition supporting Nathan's right to wear his kilt. The point of our protest is that if other ethnicities are protected under law in their celebration of their heritage, then so, too, should we be likewise protected.

Furthermore, as an educator myself, I feel it is incumbant upon those of us who work with kids to take our roles in their lives seriously. It is imperative that we choose our actions wisely as we work to build kids UP and help them grow into the persons they will become. We choose if we are going to make a positive or negative impact on a kid with every action and word. This incident was not only experienced by Nathan, it was also experienced by every other kid at that dance. The message? "Intolerance for other cultures and intolerance for pride in heritage." That's just not okay.

Had Mr. McClard been wise, he could have turned it into a really awesome dialogue amongst the kids at his school regarding history, culture, geography, traditions...and personal heritages. He, unfortunately, did not show the leadership that one might expect from someone in an administrative role within an educational institution.

The crime? Nathan's civil rights were stomped on. purely and simply. The reason given? "because it would cause a distraction" and he "looked like a clown."

Totally and utterly unacceptable. ..and the Scottish community is NOT going to sit still for this. Nor are we going to quietly fade into the background like Mr. Anderson and Mr. McClard would like.

All the petition has asked for is an apology. All we want is for anyone of Scot descent to be allowed the same respect and rights as any other group and to be allowed to wear their traditional attire as would another culture be allowed.

I have read in some of the news reports about this that Mr. Anderson has claimed that he has not received any calls about the situation. I know for a fact that people have tried to reach him. ....but he isn't RETURNING any calls. ..abit different from "not receiving" calls. I understand that he is also trying to make the school board meetings closed meetings.

Mr. Anderson, buck up and face us...DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!

Mr. McClard...get an education. ..and apologize to Nathan. It is the very least that you could do at this point. ..and it's a very small price to pay.

[Kathryn]

There must be other photographs of this event. Perhaps the principal could be asked to provide all of these so that everyone can be reassured that the same standards of dress and lack of provocation were applied to all students of both sexes?

[Mike]

It's a shame that the Jackson School district has allowed this cast a shadow on the community. The lack of a simple apology and an unwillingness to review and update school policies has led to a potential legal showdown where money collected for education of students may very well have to be spent in a lawsuit. The taxpayers should be clamoring for a response from the school district.

[Matt]

My Email To Jackson High's Principles:

Sirs

As someone born in Glasgow, Scotland, of the sept Alexander of the Clan McAllister, I am strongly moved to write in support of your student Nathan Warmack regarding the right to wear the kilt as part of his school dance attire.

I favour uniforms or specific dress codes for most students and employees during work periods. Out with that I think that individuals should have a broadly free choice to dress as they wish. However it is not even necessary to agree with me on that to understand that Nathan Warmack was wrongly barred from wearing an item of traditional national dress.

Despite them working in an education authority, I believe both Ron Anderson and especially Rick McClard are in serious need of some fresh education themselves. I also believe that if Mr McClard fails to apologize voluntarily to Nathan, then the principles of the school district should require him to do so under threat of appropriately severe sanctions.

Matters like this don't tend to disappear by ignoring them. Common sense and an early apology might have ended the matter quickly. However the failure to respond positively or to at least recognize the indignation of thousands toward your misguided employees could see the issue grow to become an even bigger, more uncomfortable controversy.

Matt Alexander

[Crime Scene KC]

Hi Matt,
Thanks for your comment. I was going to ask you if you'd mind if I revisited this matter in a new post and included your comment, but your e-mail bounced. Could you e-mail me at greeves@kcstar.com?
Thanks,
Greg Reeves

[marianne]

What's sad is the principal is of Scottish descent as well. McClard? What's his problem? As far as I'm concern all the lads should wear kilts.