A high school student had his MAGA hat snatched from his head and thrown in the trash by a female classmate on 9/11, but he is the one now suspended from school in Laguna Beach this week.
Zach Hornstein is serving a two-day suspension for “harassment” over the incident, both the school and the family confirmed to FOX 11. Hornstein says he wore the hat as a tribute to Charlie Kirk following the Turning Point USA founder’s recent assassination a day earlier.
A teacher at Laguna Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) apparently claimed Hornstein told a group of female students “to go back to where they came from,” which Hornstein denies. Hornstein said the girl began using profanities about President Donald Trump after trashing his hat, to which he responded “if you don’t like it here, Canada has open borders, feel free to go.”
Hornstein also said the girl involved in the dispute confirmed to school officials that he did not say what he was accused of having said to her.
The story exploded online Thursday, with posts on X racking up tens of thousands of shares and nearly a million views within hours.
LBUSD told the Daily Caller News Foundation it could not legally comment on matters of student discipline but said it would not suspend a student for expressing an opinion or wearing a hat.
“Protecting free expression is fundamental to our democracy, and schools play a critical role in helping young people navigate differing viewpoints with respect,” the district said.
Hornstein’s family also shared their perspective in an interview with FOX 11.
“Our responsibility as educators is to support students in engaging through constructive dialogue and healthy debate that is respectful, empathetic, and rooted in civil discourse,” LBUSD added in their statement to DCNF. “High school is a formative time, and we are committed to helping students grow into thoughtful citizens who understand both their rights and responsibilities in a diverse community.”
“When disputes arise on campus, schools must evaluate the behavior involved. California law defines the grounds for suspension, and we are reviewing the facts in this situation through that process to ensure it is handled fairly and consistently,” they said.
But the family believes the student was treated unfairly.
“I think that it’s a double standard,” Hornstein’s mother, Janet Semenova, told FOX 11. “I think that kids who have certain political beliefs are held to a different standard than kids who have other political beliefs.”
“I don’t think either of these students should have been suspended,” she continued. “You’re punishing these students, and you’re creating an environment of deeper hostility instead of creating an environment of dialogue.”
Many students as well as educators are facing backlash over comments made following Kirk’s assassination on Sept. 10. Several have been suspended, expelled or fired for mocking Kirk’s death.
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