LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. – An Orange County high school student was suspended after wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat to school, an action that led to an argument and his assault.
The incident occurred at Laguna Beach High School on September 11, the day after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed. The student, Zach Hornstein, said he wore the hat to stand in solidarity with Kirk.
Hornstein said at the end of the school day, a girl pulled his hat off and threw it in a trash can in the girls’ restroom. He said she then started using profanity to describe President Donald Trump.
“I made a joke towards them and said, ‘If you don’t like it here, Canada’s open borders, feel free to go,'” Hornstein said.
A teacher told administrators he said something different.
“They’re saying I told a group of girls to go back to where they came from, which I never said that,” Hornstein said. “When they called in the girl that was involved, she literally told them that I never said that.”
Hornstein’s mother, Janet Semenova, feels the school is targeting her son because of his political beliefs, placing blame on him, whom she says was the original victim.
“I think it’s a double standard,” Semenova said. “I think kids who have certain political beliefs are held to a different standard than kids who have other political beliefs.”
She said she is disappointed in how the school is handling the situation.
“I don’t think either of these students should have been suspended, and we said that in our meeting,” Semenova said. “We said, ‘You’re punishing these students and you’re creating an environment of deeper hostility instead of creating an environment of deeper dialogue.'”
The Laguna Beach Unified School District said it cannot comment on student discipline matters but sent FOX 11 a statement saying:
“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.”
The family met with the principal Tuesday morning, who is upholding the suspension. The family said it is now considering escalating the issue to the school board.
