The Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has called on an Omaha school district to dismiss suspensions against 23 students who wore memorial T-shirts to class.

School officials say the Millard South High School students violated the district dress policy by wearing shirts honoring a slain friend. They say the shirts are disruptive.

ACLU Nebraska said the district has the leeway to censor messages that are disruptive to learning, but the T-shirts don't fall into that category. The group said the shirts allow students to express grief.

ACLU Nebraska said if the district does not rescind the suspensions, it will consider legal action.

The district said 23 students were suspended over the past three days.
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He could have been playing football Thursday night at Millard South's season opener, but Julius Robinson was shot and killed over the summer. Friends are holding onto his memory and some got in trouble for it Thursday at school.

Dan Kuhr keeps Robinson close to his heart.

"I wear this chain with me every day to remember him," he said. The T-shirts have Julius Robinson's picture on it.

Robinson was allegedly slain by a gang member. Kuhr was one of the first on the scene that night.

"There's not a five minutes that goes by in my world that I don't think about Julius. That was my best friend," Kuhr said.

In Julius' memory, Kuhr designed T-shirts which he often wears to the Millard Learning Center. While the shirts are apparently okay there, they are not at Millard South.

Cassie Kuhr, along with at least three other students, spent Thursday at home suspended after they refused to remove the shirts at school.

"I said what's wrong with it? She said the 'RIP.' I said 'where does it say that in the handbook?'” Kuhr said.

The school said the students were wearing clothing or had markings on their clothing or bodies that were considered a disruption to the school environment by the school resource officer and administration, which is against school policy.

That wasn't good enough for Jeanne Kuhr, mother of three of the suspended students.

"I don't see anything that's inappropriate about the shirt. I was not going to make my son take the shirt off," she said.

Robinson's connection to a gang shooting may be the reason for the school's concern.

"I’m remembering my best friend, my brother, my family member and they're trying to tell me he's a gang member?” wondered Dan. “If anybody, I know this kid better than anybody, don't ya think?"

The students say they'll do it again on Friday. Dan said this is about Julius' memory and that's what they're fighting for.