Baldwinsville family says teacher told fourth-grader to turn Yankee shirt inside out
By Elizabeth Doran / The Post-Standard
September 25, 2009, 11:20AM

Van Buren Elementary fourth-grader Nathan Johns thought his teacher was kidding when he instructed him to go to the bathroom and turn his Yankees T-shirt inside out.NYSHIRT.JPGJim Commentucci / The Post-StandardNate Johns of Baldwinsville poses with his shirt featuring the number of Yankee pitcher CC Sabathia.
The blue shirt read “New York No. 52” on the front and “Sabathia” for the New York Yankees’ pitcher CC Sabathia, on the back.

“ I thought to myself ‘Is he serious or is he kidding,’” said Nate, 9, a student in Peter Addabbo’s fourth-grade class. “But he had this look like he wasn’t kidding at all.”

Nate complied, and said he was later told to wear it that way until dismissal. At lunch, Nate said the fifth-graders made fun of him because he wearing his shirt inside out.

“It was such a horrible day.” Nate said. “I don’t ever want anything like to happen again.”

Nate said he felt he was treated unfairly.

“Just because my teacher doesn’t like the Yankees I should still have the right to wear a Yankees shirt,” Nate said Thursday after school. The teacher has Boston Red Sox paraphernalia all over the classroom on display, he said.

Baldwinsville Schools Superintendent Jeanne Dangle said Friday morning the district is conducting an investigation into the incident, and has told the parents she will get back to them on the issue in a few days.

"We are investigating," Dangle said. "This is a personnel issue, and we will be following up and doing what's appropriate after we get all the information."

Dangle said the investigation includes asking other children who were present in the class for their observations.

"From a district perspective, we would never support something like that," Dangle said. "But we don't have all the facts yet."

Dangle said she was tied up in meetings most of Thursday and Thursday night, and that's why the district didn't respond at first to inquiries about the incident

Nate’s parents said they were shocked when their son got home from school and told them what happened.

“I was stunned — absolutely flabbergasted,” said James Garrett, Nate’s dad. “I couldn’t believe it. He was distraught. The school preaches all about not allowing bullying, and this really felt like he was being bullied.”

The Garretts contacted Van Buren Principal Terry Bick on Wednesday and met with her Thursday. “She was very professional about this, and she seemed to take it as seriously as we did,” James Garrett said.

Garrett said he believes the school handled the incident appropriately, but strongly believes his son’s First Amendment rights were violated.