A student at Hampton High School is asking the school to reconsider after it banned his “f— cancer” sweatshirt that he wore on picture day to honour his late father.
“I’m not trying to use the word in a mean way or like get everyone in the school to start wearing inappropriate clothing with all this stuff, trying to be all rebellious,” said Marcos Garcia-Martin. “I’m using this as a way of grief and to try and overcome what I’ve been through.”
Garcia-Martin’s father Ramon Garcia died of cancer last month. He says he thinks his father would stand right beside him as he fights to have the shirt accepted at school if he were still alive.
“He was a small guy that always wore a smile on his face,” Garcia-Martin said of his father.
“He always taught me to stay strong and to stand your ground for what you love … I know right now if he was here he would be here standing with me and would help as much as he could.”
READ MORE: Man survives cancer twice — then wins $4.6M lottery ticket jackpot
With so many in his school that have been impacted by the disease, Garcia-Martin says he thought the shirt was a way to show support for those around him who are also in pain.
- ‘Summer of discontent’ coming over public service in-office order: unions
- Panera to remove ‘Charged Sips’ drink from Canada amid wrongful death lawsuits
- Minister Boissonnault to testify before ethics committee over ties to lobbyist, PPE company
- Family says infant killed in 401 crash leaves a ‘void that can never be filled’
“I thought it would be a nice thing,” he said. “I know there’s kids’ parents in the school who have battled it, kids who have lost their family, kids who have battled with it. I’m not trying to be a rebel. Not trying to use profanity to be tough, but I’m trying to show support for the other ones out there who have gone through something like this.”
The Grade 12 student was told he was not able to wear the sweatshirt even though he had previously worn it at school without comment, as recently as two weeks ago. When other students heard what had happened they made shirts of their own to wear on Friday morning. They were quickly summoned to meeting in the library, wear they were told that the shirts needed to be covered up or removed, or they would have to leave the school.
“The school administration is very understanding of the situation and the sentiment of the students, as well as the sensitivity of the topic,” wrote school board spokesperson Jessica Hanlon in a statement.
“The students were informed that the logo was not appropriate for school and that they would have to change or cover it up, but were encouraged to work together to find a positive solution.”
WATCH: Thousands hit the road in 39th annual Terry Fox Runs
At the meeting, two solutions were proposed by the school. Firstly, that a new logo be designed by a graphic designer alumni, allowing to school to sell shirts of its own to raise money for charity and that the school hold a Relay for Life event with proceeds going to the Canadian Cancer Society.
The ideas sound great to Garcia-Martin, but he still wants to see the “f— cancer” shirt allowed at the school.
“I feel like it is a positive (result) but I feel like I want to get that shirt accepted into the school. I feel like it deserves to be,” he said.
“The company helps with emotional, psychological support, awareness … everything.”
The sweatshirt spells out F and U with a sideways cancer ribbon standing in as the C and K. The charity is intended to fill the gaps left by other charities, focusing on psychological support for victims and families.
Specifically, the sweatshirt is said to violate the school’s dress code that “specifies that clothing with profanity is not permitted to be worn in school.”
Garcia-Martin’s friend Logan Parks was one of those to where the protest shirts on Friday. He says most of them don’t consider the logo to be profane.
“I don’t really see it as profanity either, I see it as recognizing that we’re all supporting Marcos and supporting the fight against cancer end and find a cure for this disease,” he said.
Parks said that he also appreciates the alternatives devised by the school, but worries they miss the larger issue at play.
“I think it’s nice that they proposed those options, but I don’t think it’s the change we want to see. It’s not about a new logo, it’s not that, it’s about this because it really supports what Marcos and his dad believed in,” he said.
Garcia-Martin says he’s not done fighting yet and wants the chance to sit down with the school board to speak face to face about the issue.
Comments