Teen Marine Hopeful’s Inquiry Into Lack Of American Flags Leads To School Suspension
on May 02, 2025
School System Allegedly Violated Baltimore Teen’s First Amendment Rights
Do you remember saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school each morning?
To make this pledge, one must stand, place their hand over their heart, and look to the American flag — a flag which many of our country’s heroes in uniform have fought and died for.
But what if there isn’t a flag?
That’s the concern a high school senior named Parker Jensen, 18, of Baltimore, Maryland, had when he noticed there were classrooms at Towson High School which did not fly the red, white, and blue.
His own investigation into why flags were not being displayed, he alleges, led to him receiving a seven-day suspension from school.
“My Classes Do Not Have American Flags”
“So, I’m only in two classes, but both of my classes do not have American flags,” Jensen said in an interview with Project Baltimore’s Chris Papst, broadcast on WBFF Fox45 Baltimore on April 7.
For Jensen, who has entered the Marine Corps Delayed Entry Program in late March, the flag reflects his commitment to the country.
In his Project Baltimore interview, Jensen added, “Patriotism has always been a big thing of mine.”
Beyond Jensen, the displaying of the American flag in classrooms is mandated by Maryland law, which reads, “Each county board shall … provide each public school classroom with an American flag.”
The law goes on to state that a program for each public school classroom is to be prepared, including the observance of the Pledge of Allegiance.
While exemptions are permitted, so long as they are not disrespectful, by word or action, the law then requires “all students and teachers in charge to stand and face the flag and while standing give an approved salute and recite in unison the pledge of allegiance.”
The Suspension
Jensen initially brought his concern to his school’s vice principal in February of this year.
By March, the flags were still not up in his classrooms, Jensen said.
On March 28, Jensen left school early to speak with the Baltimore County Public Schools superintendent, Dr. Myriam Rogers. Filming his visit, Jensen was not permitted to enter the locked administrative building.
In his video, he noted that he had his student ID on him and was even wearing a Towson High School shirt.
Several Baltimore County Police Department officers, in at least four different patrol vehicles, responded to a call to have Jensen removed from the premises as he waited by the front door of the administrative building.
Audio from Jensen’s recording also captured the moment the Baltimore County Public Schools official, Richard Muth, safety manager, had Jensen put on a seven-day suspension.
The Notice of Temporary Suspension he received cites five offenses which led to his suspension, including:
- Disruptive behavior;
- Refusing to cooperate with school rules and/or regulations;
- Failure to follow a direction;
- Unexcused absence or truancy; and
- Leaving school grounds without permission.
Responding to this, Jensen told WBFF, “I feel like what they did was unlawful. You know, we have the right to record government employees in the course of their duties.”
He added, “I believe what I was doing was lawful, and I had a reason to be there, and the only reason they would suspend me is because they know they’re in the wrong.”
Jensen Files A Lawsuit
Represented by Sarah Spitalnick, an attorney with Law Firm of Sean McGuern, Jensen has now filed a lawsuit against Baltimore County Public Schools.
Claiming that his First Amendment rights were violated by the school system’s “retaliation,” the lawsuit also says Jensen has “suffered a loss of education, reputational harm, and emotional distress.”
Speaking with Fox News Digital on April 23, Spitalnick said, “Mr. Jensen believes this is a systemic problem, not just a problem with Towson High School, in Baltimore, Maryland. This is a problem with public education as a whole.”
She also noted that Jensen is “discouraged” by the school’s response to his inquiry, but added, “If he was put in this situation again, he would do this exact same thing.”
When asked by WBFF to address the suspension of Jensen, Baltimore County Public Schools declined.
However, the school system did offer an email statement, saying, “As of April 1, flags have been installed in the classrooms that did not have them.”
As of presstime on Friday, May 2, Towson High School’s website is down.
Similarly, pages about the Baltimore County Public Schools superintendent and the membership of the Board of Education of Baltimore County are also down.
Looking through transcripts of meetings, Country Rebel found that the Board of Education of Baltimore County has not addressed this situation at one of its regularly scheduled open meetings.
The Board of Education of Baltimore County has its next meeting at 6:30 p.m. on May 6.
