Teenager Christopher Hartless walks out of his Virginia high school after officials ordered him to remove American flags from his truck

A Virginia teen has chosen to be homeschooled after high school officials ordered him to remove two large American flags from his truck.

Christopher Hartless believes that by raising the flags on his property he is exercising his First Amendment right and has no intention of taking them down.

“My family fought for America and I feel like I should be able to represent the flags they fought for,” he said in an interview with Fox 19 in Virginia.

Christina Kingery, Christopher’s stepmother, said officials at Staunton River High School told him the flags posted on the truck bed were a distraction.

In a statement to local media, a school official said the student parking contract specifically bans all flags and banners on vehicles for safety reasons.

Hartless has opted to be home schooled instead of removing two American flags from his truck

Christopher Hartless (pictured) believes he is exercising his First Amendment right by raising the flags on his property

He said ABC 13 He refuses to take down the flags and he doesn’t understand how they could be considered a nuisance.

“I don’t understand how distracting it can be when they have one on the flagpole for every other student to see,” Christopher said.

He added that his mother has his back on the matter.

“I told my son if he believes in that, we’re both going to have his back all the time,” Kingery said.

After his first warning, the school reiterated that patriotic displays must be stopped.

Christopher refused again and the school revoked his parking permit for 2023.

Kingery told local media she did not want her son to ride the bus for unknown reasons. Because of the disagreement, the family decided to resort to homeschooling.

“If they’re willing to change and give the kids a chance to raise the American flag, then I’ll put him back in school,” Kingery said.

“I told my son if that’s what he believes in then we’re both going to stand by him all the time,” Christopher’s stepmother Christina Kingery (pictured) told ABC 13

In a news release issued Tuesday, Bedford County Public Schools officials said the student parking contract contained clear references to markings.

The displays are banned “because they could distract or obstruct the view of learner drivers when navigating the school parking lot.”

Officials said the rules have been in place for “over a decade” and are primarily for “student safety.’

In a statement to Fox News Digital, school board officials determined that the American flag does not violate the student code of conduct.

“Clothes that contain language or images that are offensive, profane, vulgar, discriminatory, or racially/culturally divisive,” the statement said.

“This includes Confederate flags, swastikas, KKK references, or other imagery that could reasonably be considered offensive or intimidating to others.”

“This does not include wearing clothing with logos or imprints of the American flag.”

Before quitting, Christopher attended Staunton River High School in Moneta, Virginia

The flags are mounted on the back of the teenager’s red pickup truck

Officials said schools in the district “proudly fly the American flag throughout the school and the pledge of allegiance is recited every morning.”

Bedford County, where Staunton River High School is located, is also home to the National D-Day Memorial.

According to the memorial’s website, Bedford, Virginia was chosen for several reasons.

“The city of Virginia lost nineteen of its deployed men that day, all members of Company A of the 29th Infantry Division, possibly the largest per capita loss of any city in America that day,” it said conditions.

Another four soldiers died later in World War II.