New Hampshire School Confiscates American Flag From Boy, Citing Safety Hazard

DOVER, N.H. -- A New Hampshire woman is upset that middle school officials confiscated her autistic son's American flag because the rod it was attached was deemed a safety hazard.

Theresa Stevens, of Dover, says her 12-year-old son, Shawn, brought the small flag to school to show friends. He had received it as a gift from a family friend whose son is in Afghanistan.

Stevens says a school official called Wednesday to say that school workers were concerned that the rod's pointed end could have been dangerous.

Dover Middle school Co-Principal Kimberly Lyndes tells Fosters Daily Democrat it wasn't about discipline or patriotism, but about safety.

Stevens says she wants her son to know he did nothing wrong. She says students routinely carry around sharp-tipped items, such as compasses and pencils.