American flag controversy continues

An update to a story ABC-7 brought you last week.

A new elementary school being built in the Canutillo District had a massive American flag painted on its wall.

The colors of the flag didn’t match the colors in the rest of the neighborhood.
and the developer Hunt Communities made the school paint over it.

The school is being named after former El Paso Congressman Silvestre Reyes and his wife Carolina.

Reyes, also a veteran, suggested the American flag be painted on one of the walls outside the campus but the American flag was painted over. Many find it un-American.

A massive American flag adorned the outside wall of a elementary school under construction.

The painting was a test run to see what it would look like but once developer Hunt communities got word of the colors they made the Canutillo District paint over it saying the colors did not fit the guidelines.

“You have a flag and we walk around and you see it with pride thinking it’s awesome. It’s nice the community is coming around and we have a lot of pride about the flag and then the next day you see it wiped down it was almost a spit in our face,” said Vince Vargas, a combat veteran.

Vargas is also part owner of a military lifestyle clothing brand Article 15 Clothing.

Vargas has a huge active military and veteran following.

“We got a lot of phone calls. We got a lot of emails in our social media sites that we run and they were asking for some help,” said Vargas.

“The situation actually has a lot of advantages,” said Shane Griffith, Canutillo spokesman.

Griffith tells ABC-7 the controversy actually allows for people from the community to bring ideas to the table.

Although Hunt Communities didn’t allow for the flag to be painted they did donate $10,000 to the district for a flag pole or possibly a veterans memorial.

Whether the district accepts the donation or not falls on the board of trustees.

“Basically the trustees have the decision pending of whether or not to accept it,” said Griffith.

Vargas says this isn’t just about following neighborhood guidelines:

“If you allow this to happen then what’s next? We’re not going to allow flags to be flown at schools anymore. Then the next step is that we’re not going to have a flag flown anymore. Then after that we’re not in America anymore and we’re just not going to allow that,” said Vargas.

School officials tell ABC-7 they will continue talks with Hunt Communities.

Canutillo will have a discussion regarding the flag and the donations by Hunt next Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. at the Canutillo headquarters.