A California history teacher wasn’t too happy after he discovered his substitute had folded his flag down while he was out of town. In his now-deleted post on r/mildlyinfuriating, Cfx99 explained that the American faux flag was a gift from his students and had a photo of him with a baby alpaca printed on it. “My sub apparently thought it was disrespectful to the flag,” he explained to thousands of online users tuning in to his post.
Cfx99 claims that the flag, although a playful version of an actual American symbol, had “nothing political, inflammatory, or obscene.” He also added that the flag had been placed over a sideboard behind his desk, not the main board he uses for teaching. Not to mention, the classroom allegedly has its own standard American flag.
Some Users Claimed the Faux Flag Was Actually Disrespectful, Contrary to the Teacher’s Beliefs
Unfortunately, not everyone sided with the history teacher over his gag flag not affecting regard for the real thing. “Technically, it is ‘disrespectful.’ It’s definitely against flag code, and the schools probably loosely abide by it,” remarked a commenter, with thousands upvoting in agreement. Though some others chimed in in disagreement: “Rules about flags are maybe some of the most pointless rules ever created.”
Many felt the substitute teacher was overstepping their boundaries by messing with classroom decor that wasn’t theirs. Others added how the gag flag was a symbol that the history teacher is liked by his students, and the substitute disrespected that. “It’s a flex that the teacher is truly liked and appreciated by their students,” remarked a Redditor. Cfx99 responded in kind, saying, “I am more than a flag.”
While this flag might not be a political statement, the teacher strongly believes it’s a statement about the culture of his classroom. “Even the kids that had it made knew it was ridiculous. That’s the point. It stays to break the ice immediately,” OP explained. His goal is to let all students know that his classroom is a friendly, not-too-serious space, whereas his substitute seemingly didn’t get that memo.
In the end, Cfx99 didn’t leave any explanation for deleting his post. Still, he did his best to explain thoroughly in the comments why the substitute teacher’s behavior infuriated him so much. Fortunately, according to the substitute’s writing on the board, they promised to put the flag back to normal once their shift was over.
