The principal of Collinsville High School has suspended a sophomore for five days for wearing his rosary beads to school.Rodrigo Avila, of Fairmont City, said the high school told him he cannot wear rosary beads to school because they are gang-related.
"I was pretty angry," Rodrigo, 15, told St. Louis television station KSDK. "My godfather gave it to me as a gift. I want to wear my rosary because I am proud of it because I am religious."
"He was born and raised in a Catholic atmosphere, so we're just true believers of the Catholic church," said Julia Avila, Rodrigo's mother. "It's just the significance of him carrying out his faith."
Collinsville Unit 10 Superintendent Dennis Craft confirmed Saturday that Rodrigo had been suspended for five days.
Craft, however, could not verify whether the suspension was because the school principal viewed the rosary beads as a symbol of gang involvement.
"The only thing I can confirm is the young man is a sophomore and he was suspended," Craft said.
Francisco Hernandez, a Collinsville freshman, denied that his friend Rodrigo is a gang member.
Instead, Rodrigo is religious and attends Mass every Sunday, said Francisco.
Collinsville High staff have been cracking down on other students who have worn rosaries to school, Francisco said.
"I know people it's been getting rough for, for wearing rosaries, not only Hispanics, but white people, too," he said.
School districts across America -- from Schenectady, N.Y., to Los Angeles -- have been suspending students since last year because they wore rosaries to class.
The reason for the suspensions: Hispanic gangs are using rosaries as identifiers and recruiting tools, a tactic adopted after districts banned bandannas and other attire aligned with gang membership.
In Roman Catholic tradition, rosaries date back to St. Dominic in the 13th century.
Each of the beads (usually 59 in total) symbolizes a sequence of prayers and meditations on the life of Jesus or the Virgin Mary.
Collinsville Unit 10 Superintendent Dennis Craft confirmed Saturday that Rodrigo had been suspended for five days.
Craft, however, could not verify whether the suspension was because the school principal viewed the rosary beads as a symbol of gang involvement.
"The only thing I can confirm is the young man is a sophomore and he was suspended," Craft said.
Francisco Hernandez, a Collinsville freshman, denied that his friend Rodrigo is a gang member.
Instead, Rodrigo is religious and attends Mass every Sunday, said Francisco.
Collinsville High staff have been cracking down on other students who have worn rosaries to school, Francisco said.
"I know people it's been getting rough for, for wearing rosaries, not only Hispanics, but white people, too," he said.
School districts across America -- from Schenectady, N.Y., to Los Angeles -- have been suspending students since last year because they wore rosaries to class.
The reason for the suspensions: Hispanic gangs are using rosaries as identifiers and recruiting tools, a tactic adopted after districts banned bandannas and other attire aligned with gang membership.
In Roman Catholic tradition, rosaries date back to St. Dominic in the 13th century.
Each of the beads (usually 59 in total) symbolizes a sequence of prayers and meditations on the life of Jesus or the Virgin Mary.
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