The Gadsden flag is known by most Americans as a symbol of colonial unity against British oppression.

However, it’s now considered “racist” by some, and a 12-year-old boy in Colorado Springs is standing up against that notion.

The boy, Jaiden, has a Gadsden flag patch on his backpack. His school apparently stated that he cannot wear the “Don’t Tread on Me” patch because officials have deemed it racist.

One teacher claimed that the flag’s origins were "with slavery."

Jaiden was then pulled from his classroom for refusing to take it off, before his mother came to the school to defend her son and educate school officials on what the flag actually symbolizes, which, of course, is not slavery.

“The only tie between the Gadsden flag and racism is that they happened concurrently,” Pat Gray tells “The News & Why It Matters” host Sara Gonzales and contributor Jaco Booyens.

“There was a Gadsden flag when there was slavery. That’s your deal? I mean, how are you tying that in, it had nothing to do with it,” he adds.

Gonzales is aware of the flag's actual origins as well.

“She clearly used the word origins. So, she’s saying it originated first because of slavery, which is completely inaccurate. It was of course the American Revolution, and I mean Ben Franklin, this was his brainchild,” she explains.

While it’s very clear that the flag is not racist but a symbol of the American Revolution, it seems to still be lost on the Colorado Springs school staff.

This is made obvious in a leaked email exchange between the school director, Jeff Yocum, and Jaiden’s mother.

“As discussed, I am providing you the rationale for determining the Gadsden Flag is considered an unacceptable symbol,” Yocum writes, before adding a link to a Washington Post article.

“It’s tied to the Confederate flag and other white supremacy groups, including Patriot groups,” Yocum continues, adding that it was “tied to hate groups” as well.

The mother wasn’t having it, responding, “Respectfully, everything can be considered racist and tied to white supremacy. It’s sad because when everything becomes racist, then nothing is. When we actually need to cry racism and oppression and it’s actually happening, no one will take it seriously.”

The mother then linked her articles that claim things like water and math are racist.

“To that mom I say fight, and then get your kid the heck out of that indoctrination camp,” Booyens says.

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